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- The study of place names is called toponymy and is distinct from (but often confused with) etymology, the study of the origins of words. Rather than describing toponymy (as an academic discipline) itself, this article examines the origins of place names themselves, with particular emphasis on settlements. Moreover, this article focuses primarily on place names in Anglophone areas (as is appropriate for this version of Wikipedia). There are several clearly definable types of place name, the primary division being between the names of natural features and the names of human settlements. That the latter are 'places' is obvious. The case is slightly more ambiguous for natural features, depending on how exactly 'place' is defined, and what exactly the concept of a 'place' is used for. If, as is probable, natural features were originally given names to distinguish nearby hills, streams etc. from each other, then these features can be thought of as places, in that they represent distinct geographic locations. However, as names are applied on a larger scale, they may become less useful as place names. For instance, a relatively small, distinct upland valley clearly represents a definable geographic location. However, the broad, extended valley of a major river, such as the Trent, is not easily understood as a single location. That notwithstanding, it is probable that the origins of the names of both settlements and natural features is the same, namely to distinguish one from another; and thus that both should be considered place names. In much of the "Old World", the names of many places cannot easily be interpreted or understood; they do not convey any apparent meaning in the modern language of the area. Indeed, they are so lacking in obvious meaning that they are able to unambiguously identify the settlement in question. This is due to a general set of processes through which place names evolve over time, until their obvious meaning is lost. In contrast, in the "New World", many place names convey an obvious meaning. Carson City, for instance, was named for Kit Carson, and Belo Horizonte means "beautiful view". However, some meanings may appear deceptively obvious; New York was not named after the English city of York but after the Duke of York, who was the head of the British Navy at the time, and Los Angeles was not named after angels but after the Virgin Mary, or the Queen of the Angels (El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles). However, the elements which form all these place names are the same; only the accident of history makes some more abstract than others. Although the origin of many place names is now forgotten, it is often possible to establish likely meanings. Some general conclusions about the nature of place names, and the way in which place names change, can be made and are examined below. It is also possible to distinguish regional trends and differences in the naming of places, as is also discussed below.
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