Basil Placename

Toponymist who knows why your street is named what it is and will tell you whether or not you ask.

30 articles

Writes for The Toponymist's Times

Joined February 10, 2026

Articles by Basil Placename

Small Town Changes Name to Attract Tourism, Receives Zero Additional Tourists

The former 'Mudflat' rebranded as 'Crystal Springs' and invested $40,000 in new signage, only to discover that the name change did not also change the town's complete lack of attractions.

Map Collector Discovers His Most Prized Antique Map Was Printed Last Year

The '1742 Chart of the East Indies' purchased for $12,000 at auction was produced by a print shop in New Jersey that specializes in 'heritage reproduction cartography.'

Neighborhood Named After Developer's Favorite Words Now Features 'Serenity Court,' 'Tranquility Lane,' and 'Harmony Drive' Near Active Freeway

The subdivision's calming street names are audible only when the traffic on the adjacent I-95 drops below 60 decibels, which occurs between 2 AM and 4 AM.

Basil Placename

Articles by Basil Placename

Small Town Changes Name to Attract Tourism, Receives Zero Additional Tourists

Map Collector Discovers His Most Prized Antique Map Was Printed Last Year

Neighborhood Named After Developer's Favorite Words Now Features 'Serenity Court,' 'Tranquility Lane,' and 'Harmony Drive' Near Active Freeway

Residents of Boring, Oregon, and Dull, Scotland, Mark 15th Anniversary of Sister City Partnership

Place-Name Scholar's Marriage Proposal Rejected After He Explains Etymology of 'Love' for 20 Minutes

Tourist Visits Every Place Named 'Paris' in America, Reports That None of Them Are Like Paris

Local Man Cannot Accept That His Street Has Been Renamed, Continues Using Old Name on All Correspondence

Cartographer's Intentional Map Error Discovered 40 Years Later, Credited as Real Town

City Renames Street to Honor Local Hero, Residents Immediately Forget New Name

Family Argument Over Pronunciation of 'Appalachian' Has Entered Its Third Generation

AI Map Generator Names Entire Region 'Error 404: Place Not Found'

Geographical Naming Committee Takes 11 Years to Name a Pond, Pond Dries Up During Deliberations

Man Who Pronounces 'Versailles' Correctly Gets Punched at Kentucky Gas Station

Two Towns Named Springfield File Competing Claims to Be the 'Real' Springfield

Town Discovers It Has Been Misspelling Its Own Name for 140 Years

Apostrophe in Place Name Has Caused Three International Incidents and One Font Crisis

Cartographer Finds New Island, Immediately Regrets Naming Rights Going to Crowdfunding Donors

Iceland and Greenland Acknowledge Their Names Have Been Misleading People for 1,100 Years

Street Named After Developer's Wife Renamed After Divorce, Residents Confused

Explorers Who Named Everything 'New' Something Accused of Staggering Lack of Imagination

Comma in Official Town Name Has Caused 200 Years of Database Errors

Google Maps Labels New Housing Development 'Soulless Cul-de-Sac' Due to Metadata Error

Entire Country of Georgia Tired of Explaining It Is Not the U.S. State

Man Who Named His Wi-Fi Network 'FBI Surveillance Van' Now Consulting for U.S. Board on Geographic Names

Australia's 'Lake Disappointment' and Arizona's 'Disappointment' Form Sister City Agreement

GPS Refuses to Pronounce 'Worcestershire,' Routes Driver Through Three Counties to Avoid It

Board on Geographic Names Rejects 'Mount Doom' Application for Eighth Consecutive Year

Town Named 'Disappointment' Votes Against Renaming, Citing Accuracy

Cartographer Discovers New Zealand Has Been Slightly to the Left This Entire Time

Unnamed Creek in Montana Finally Snaps, Demands to Be Called Something