# Town and City Name Generator for Writers - Feldar > Free town and city name generator: English-sounding towns built from real place-name parts, Norse settlements, fantasy towns and great cities. Shareable. - URL: https://feldar.com/tools/town-name-generator - Site: [Home](https://feldar.com/) · [About](https://feldar.com/about) · [Blog](https://feldar.com/blog) · [Careers](https://feldar.com/careers) · [Pricing](https://feldar.com/pricing) · [Download](https://feldar.com/download) · [Changelog](https://feldar.com/changelog) - Machine index: [llms.txt](https://feldar.com/llms.txt) · [full site content](https://feldar.com/llms-full.txt) --- #### How English place names work Most English town names are descriptions in older languages, worn smooth. Read the parts and you learn what the first settlers saw. The English-sounding style joins a first element (a person, a tree, a color, a rank) to one of these endings: EndingMeaningReal examples -tonOld English tun: farmstead, settlementBrighton, Taunton -hamOld English ham: homestead, villageBirmingham, Nottingham -byOld Norse: farm or village, common where Danes settledDerby, Whitby -thorpeOld Norse: outlying farmScunthorpe, Cleethorpes -wickOld English wic: dwelling, trading placeWarwick, Norwich -leyOld English leah: woodland clearingBexley, Henley -buryOld English burh: fortified placeCanterbury, Shrewsbury -chesterOld English ceaster, from Latin castra: Roman fortManchester, Winchester -fordA river crossingOxford, Stafford Prefixes such as Little, Great, Upper, Nether and Market, and Latin Magna and Parva (great, little), separate villages that share a name. Some results will be real places; check a map before you use one, and use that as a feature if you want a real-feeling setting. #### Fantasy towns, northern settlements and cities NameWhat makes it work MoonfallA fantasy compound: landscape or weather plus a landform. King's FordA possessive: someone's crossing, rest or watch. ThorsfjordNorse: -fjord is an inlet; -vik a bay, -holm an islet, -dal a valley. KolholmNorse: a short first element and a geographic ending. Corum, the Walled CityA great city with a title, as old cities collect them. Port KarumA city named for what it does. ##### Tips for naming places - Places are older than people. A town name often comes from a language the current inhabitants no longer speak. Mixing an older style for towns with a newer one for people gives a world depth. - Name by function. Fords, ports, forts and markets were named for what happened there. Ask why the town is where it is. - Keep a map list. Names on one map should share a language region by region, the way English and Norse names cluster in different parts of England. #### Questions writers ask Are these real town names? The English-sounding and Norse styles are built from real place-name parts, so some results are real places, especially short ones. The fantasy town and city styles are invented. What does the ending of an English town name mean? Usually a feature of the land or the settlement: -ton a farmstead, -ham a homestead, -by a Norse farm, -ley a woodland clearing, -bury a fortified place, -chester a Roman fort. The table above lists more. How do I name a fantasy city? Start with one invented root, then give it what real cities collect: a title (the Walled City), a function (Port), or a status (Free City). The great cities style does this. Can I share a list with my players? Yes. Copy a link to these names opens the same list for anyone. #### Keep your map and your manuscript together In Feldar each town can be a Location card on the [Canvas](https://feldar.com/features/canvas), linked to the characters who live there and the plot beats that happen there, beside the pages you are writing. [Start writing free](https://feldar.com/login) [See how Feldar works](https://feldar.com/novel-writing-software) #### More name generators - [Character names Real names from 30 cultures, plus fantasy styles.](https://feldar.com/tools/character-name-generator) - [Fantasy names All eighteen fantasy and science fiction styles in one place.](https://feldar.com/tools/fantasy-name-generator) - [Random names Quick real full names from 30 cultures, labeled by culture and era.](https://feldar.com/tools/random-name-generator) - [Last names Real surnames from 30 cultures, and fantasy surnames.](https://feldar.com/tools/last-name-generator) - [DnD names Names for tabletop heroes: humans, elves, dwarves, tieflings, dragonborn and more.](https://feldar.com/tools/dnd-name-generator) - [Elf names High elf, wood elf and dark elf names with family names.](https://feldar.com/tools/elf-name-generator) - [Dwarf names Short, heavy dwarf names with clan bynames.](https://feldar.com/tools/dwarf-name-generator) - [Orc and goblin names Guttural orc names with clan bynames, and sharp goblin names.](https://feldar.com/tools/orc-name-generator) - [Dragon names Ancient dragons with titles, and young or bonded dragons.](https://feldar.com/tools/dragon-name-generator) - [Villain names Dark fantasy villains and supervillain codenames.](https://feldar.com/tools/villain-name-generator) - [Hero names Superhero codenames by power, each with a civilian name.](https://feldar.com/tools/hero-name-generator) - [Witch names Old-fashioned witch names, and names for covens.](https://feldar.com/tools/witch-name-generator) - [Fairy names Light fairy names, and titles for the fae courts.](https://feldar.com/tools/fairy-name-generator) - [God names Gods and goddesses with domains, and nameless old powers.](https://feldar.com/tools/god-name-generator) - [Kingdom names Kingdoms, empires, duchies and marches.](https://feldar.com/tools/kingdom-name-generator) - [Tavern and inn names Village inns, dockside taverns and fantasy inns.](https://feldar.com/tools/tavern-name-generator) - [Planet names Colony worlds, catalogue designations and invented worlds.](https://feldar.com/tools/planet-name-generator) - [Pen names Realistic author names by genre, matching your initials.](https://feldar.com/tools/pen-name-generator) #### Keep reading [Free tool Word counter for writers Words, pages and reading time, with novel lengths by genre.](https://feldar.com/tools/word-counter) [Guide How to outline a novel A full worked example and a free template.](https://feldar.com/guides/how-to-outline-a-novel) [Feature The Canvas Characters, places and plot beats as linked cards.](https://feldar.com/features/canvas)