User:Dtilque/sandbox

The origins of US places names are many and varied, yet mostly fall into a few broad categories. The most common categories are those named after people, descriptive names, those of Native American origin, and transfers of names from other states or countries.

Named after people
Easily the most common category is naming places after people. These fall into a few categories as well.

Named after a local person
Someone involved in the early settlement of a town is very often the source of the name. An early settler, the first store owner, first postmaster, or owner of a mine or mill are the most common. These usually arise naturally as a result of people refering to places by the name of the land or store owner.