Toponomy

Toponymy is the practice of naming geographical places and features, which can include natural landmarks, inhabited areas, administrative regions, and human-made structures.

Place names offer valuable insights into a region’s history and culture, often reflecting local traditions, land use, and settlement history. They also serve as essential reference points, helping people navigate New Brunswick's landscape. 

The Government of New Brunswick is responsible for officially naming geographical places and features on provincial lands. Any individual, group, or organization can propose a name, provided it aligns with community support and follows established best practices. There are approximately 12,000 official New Brunswick place names are registered in the Canadian Geographical Names Database.

Before submitting a nomination, please review the New Brunswick Place and Feature Naming — Guiding Principles (PDF 136 KB) and the Principles and Procedures for Geographical Naming which New Brunswick uses to evaluate all name proposals.

Guidelines for naming proposals include: 

• ensuring community support for your proposed name, nominations without evidence of community support may not be approved
• fully completing the nomination form (PDF 655 KB) including as much detail as possible about the history and significance of the proposed name 

Please contact the Archaeology and Heritage Branch with questions or to submit a nomination form.