List of geographic anagrams and anadromes
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These are geographic anagrams and anadromes. Anagrams are rearrangements of the letters of another name or word. Anadromes (also called reversals or ananyms) are other names or words spelled backwards. Technically, a reversal is also an anagram, but the two are derived by different methods, so they are listed separately.
Anagrams
[edit]Place names created by anagramming fall into three distinct groups:
- Single letters swapped Sometimes this is due to a typo that did not get fixed. Others are just to make a different name, but not too different, from the original.
- Syllables swapped Usually based on someone's surname.
- Well mixed combinations When a completely different name was desired.
Name | Anagram of | Notes | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
Aloha, Oregon | Aloah | Aloah was a small resort in Wisconsin; letters swapped by Post Office during application approval | [1] |
Birson, Saskatchewan[2] | Robins | George Cornelius Robins, early settler; now known as Fir Ridge | [3] |
Boncar, West Virginia | carbon | Now known as Alloy, West Virginia | [4] |
Carol City, Florida | Coral | name changed after Coral Gables threatened to sue | [5] |
Dongola, Wisconsin | Gondola | name misspelled (during post office approval?) and never corrected | [6] |
El Jobean, Florida | Joel Bean | developer anagrammed his own name | [5] |
Elroy, Wisconsin | Leroy | chosen to avoid post office name duplication | [6] |
Garus, California | sugar | [7] | |
Goliad, Texas | Hidalgo (except silent H) | indirect naming for Miguel Hidalgo, Mexican national hero | [8] |
Kinhop, Saskatchewan[9] | Hopkins (minus the S) | William Hopkins | [3] |
Landrose, Saskatchewan | Roseland | William Roseland | [3] |
Lerado, Kansas | Laredo, Texas | post office clerical error resulted in a swap of the E and A | [10] |
Linbro Park, Sandton, South Africa | Brolin | local family name | [11] |
Lipona Plantation, Florida | Napoli | owned by Prince Achille Murat, former prince of Naples | [5] |
Malesus, Tennessee[12] | Samuels | Samuels was a prominent local who did not want the town named for him. Malesus was a compromise | [13] |
Medina, North Dakota | median | name changed from Midway, so named because it's about halfway between the extreme east and west of the continent | [14] |
Nada, Kentucky | Dana | Dana Lumber Company, which owned the sawmill | [15] |
Neola, West Virginia | Olean, New York | [4] | |
Romley, Colorado[16] | Morely | Colonel B. F. Morely, mine owner; now a ghost town | [17]: 323 |
Salitpa, Alabama | Satilpa Creek | error when someone apparently crossed the wrong letter (thus switching the L and T) when applying for a post office | [18] |
Shallmar, Maryland | Marshall | "a New Yorker who founded the community" | |
Sury Basin, London, England | Sainsbury | street in Kingston upon Thames and location of the town's Sainsbury's supermarket; first part is also a mis-spelling of Surrey, the town's traditional county | [20] |
Ticona, Illinois[21] | Tonica, Illinois | a nearby town | [22] |
Vadis, West Virginia | Davis | [4] | |
Vinsulla, British Columbia[23] | Sullivan | Michael Sullivan, early pioneer | [24] |
Windber, Pennsylvania | Berwind | Charles and Edward Berwind, mine owners | [25] |
Anagram-like constructions of place names
[edit]A few places names were constructed by arranging a preselected set of letters in an order that made a pronounceable name.
Name | Notes | Reference |
---|---|---|
Agloe, New York | the initials of Otto G. Lindberg, director of the General Drafting Co., and his assistant, Ernest Alpers. Initially a copyright trap, but then made real by a store taking the name from an Esso road map. | [26] |
Delmita, Texas | seven sons of founder Nicéforo G. Peña, Sr. each drew a letter | [27] |
Solina, Ontario | School teacher John Hughes suggested a name be coined from the letters A I L N O and S. Solina was chosen over several other choices such as Linosa and Sinola | [28] |
Anadromes
[edit]Name | Reversal of | Notes | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
Adanac, Nipissing District, Ontario | Canada | [citation needed] | |
Adanac, Parry Sound District, Ontario | Canada | community within Carling, Ontario. | [citation needed] |
Adanac, Saskatchewan | Canada | [3] | |
Adaven, Nevada | Nevada | ghost town | [29] |
Aksarben Village, Omaha, Nebraska | Nebraska | mixed-use development. Formerly, the Ak-Sar-Ben (arena), a horse race track and indoor arena | [30] |
Amabala, Oklahoma[31] | Alabama | [32] | |
Anidem, Oregon | Medina | named after a previous home/work place of the mine owner, possibly a Medina Mine in Colorado | [1] |
Atokad Park | Dakota | location of Atokad Downs horse racing track in South Sioux City, Nebraska | [33] |
Cleo, Oregon[34] | O(regon) E(xport) L(umber) C(ompany) | reversed acronym; railroad stop | [1] |
Egnar, Colorado | range | [35] | |
Ekal, Florida | lake | [36] | |
Ekoms, Oregon | smoke | post office approved but never established; up river from Ragic (q.v.) | [1] |
Enola, South Carolina[37] | alone | [36] | |
Enola Hill[38] | alone | hill in Oregon, applied by a homesteader whose house was isolated | [1] |
Etlah, Missouri | halte | German for "stop" | [39] |
Lebam, Washington | Mabel Goodell | daughter of early settler | [40] |
Lennut, Kentucky[41] | tunnel | now known as Combs, Kentucky | [15] |
Maharg, Oklahoma | Graham | reversed due to postal name conflict; now named Foss, Oklahoma | [42] |
Mahned, Mississippi | Denham | community founder name | [43] |
Muroc, California | Ralph and Clifford Corum | now the location of Edwards Air Force Base, formerly Muroc Field | [36] |
Nagrom, Washington | Elmer G. Morgan | owner of Morgan Lumber Company | [40] |
Namorf, Oregon[44] | George Froman | local resident | [1] |
Narod, California | Daron | railroad section foreman's name; RR stop south of Montclair, California | [7] |
Nedra, Florida | Arden, Pennsylvania | home town of developers | [45] |
Nedrow, New York | Worden | town founder | |
Nikep, Maryland | Pekin | former name arbitrarily reversed to avoid postal confusion | [46] |
Nillup, Western Australia | Harold Maughan Pullin | popular local who did not want the place named after him | [47] |
Nilrem, Alberta | Merlin | [48] | |
Nivloc, Nevada[49] | Colvin | mine owner | [29] |
Nolem, Florida | melon | [36] | |
Niton, Alberta | not in | [48] | |
Notla, Texas | Alton Grocery Company | landowner also owned Alton grocery store in Enid, Oklahoma | [36] |
Ocapos, Arizona | SO(uthern) PA(acific) CO(mpany) | reversed acronym; also known as Southern Pacific Railroad | [50] |
Orestod, Colorado | Dotsero, Colorado | opposite ends of a short railroad line; Dotsero is derived from dot-zero, origin point of rail line | [35] |
Radec, California | cedar | [7] | |
Ragic, Oregon | cigar | post office on the Rogue River(1898–1900); see also Ekoms | [1] |
Redart, Virginia | Trader | early settler's name | [51] |
Rednaxela Terrace, Hong Kong | Alexander | believed to have been the last name of a former part-owner of the street; name is believed to have been reversed due to a clerical error | [52][53] |
Reklaw, Texas | Margaret Walker | land donor; reversed due to post office name conflict | [36] |
Remlap, Alabama | James W. Palmer | First postmaster. A relative of Palmer's was the postmaster of a neighboring town, which he had already named Palmerdale, and the name Remlap was chosen to avoid the confusion of having two similarly named towns in close proximity. | [54] |
Remlap, Florida[55] | Palmer | Town developers from Chicago | [45] |
Remlig, Texas | Alexander Gilmer | owner of the Gilmer Lumber Company | [56] |
Remlik, Virginia[57] | Willis Sharpe Kilmer | estate owned by Kilmer, a patent medicine entrepreneur | [58] |
Retlaw, Alberta | Walter R. Baker | Canadian Pacific Railway official | [59] |
Retlaw, Oregon | H. L. Walter | Southern Pacific Railroad employee | [1] |
Retrop, Oklahoma | Ira J. Porter | first postmaster | [32] |
Retsil, Washington | Ernest Lister | Washington Governor (1913–1919) | [40] |
Retsof, New York | Foster | town founder | [citation needed] |
Revilo, Tennessee[60] | Oliver | brand name of a plow | [13] |
Revloc, Pennsylvania | Colver, Pennsylvania | two company towns, owned by Monroe Coal Company | [61] |
Robat, South Carolina[62] | Mount Tabor | locality in Union County | [citation needed] |
Rolyat, Oregon | Taylor | probably the name of a Post Office official in Washington | [1] |
Rotavele, California | elevator | [63] | |
Sacul, Texas | Lucas | land owner's name; reversed due to post office name conflict | [64] |
Saxet, Texas[65] | Texas | locality in Shelby County | [66] |
Saxet Lake Park | Texas | park in Victoria County, Texas | [67] |
Seloc, South Carolina | Coles | [42] | |
Senoj Lake (Oregon) | Jones | person unknown | [1] |
Senyah, Florida | Haynes | developer's last name | [45] |
Setag, Texas | James T. Gates | company owner | [68] |
Silaxo, California | Oxalis, California | Silaxo is a few miles south of Oxalis | [7] |
Sniktaw, California | W. F. Watkins | journalist who used Sniktaw as an pseudonym | [36] |
Tesnus, Texas | sunset | sunset appearing on a logo of Southern Pacific Railroad | [69] |
Ti, Oklahoma | I(ndian) T(erritory) | reversed abbreviation; named before territory was renamed to Oklahoma | [32] |
Tinrag, Texas | Garnit | local family name | [70] |
Trebloc, Mississippi | Colbert | local family name | [71] |
Trevlac, Indiana | Colonel Calvert | resort developer; reversed to avoid duplication | [36] |
Wabasso, Florida | Ossabaw Island in Georgia | [36] | |
Yellek, Ontario | R J. Kelley | trainmaster for Canadian Pacific Railway | [72] |
Yewed, Oklahoma | Admiral George Dewey | reversed due to post office name conflict | [32] |
Imperfect ananyms
[edit]Name | Reversal of | Notes | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
Enola, Nebraska | T. J. Malone | founder; omitted the M when reversed. | [36] |
Lionilli, Kentucky[73] | Illinois | intended to be Sionilli, but name misrecorded by post office clerk | [15] |
Nonnell, Kentucky | John Lennon | L&N RR maintenance supervisor; extra L | [15] |
Revelo, Kentucky | Oliver | railroad construction engineer; formerly spelled Revilo; name changed for unknown reasons | [15] |
Revillo, South Dakota | J. S. Oliver | railroad man; extra L added. | [36] |
Samoth, Illinois | John R. Thomas | Congressman from Illinois; TH kept intact for pronunciation | [22] |
Sarben, Nebraska | Nebraska | omitting the KA | [74]: 85 |
Mount Sniktau, Colorado | Watkins | "Sniktau" was a pen name of journalist E. H. N. Patterson, who borrowed and modified W. F. Watkins's nom de plume; see Sniktaw above | [35] |
Tensed, Idaho | Pierre-Jean De Smet | Belgian missionary; reversed due to post office name conflict, and then misspelled during name approval process | [36] |
Yelrome, Illinois | Isaac Morley | Mormon elder; E added for pronunciation; town burned down by anti-Mormon mob in 1845 | [22] |
Yesmar, Alabama | Ramsay | local family name, but with an E replacing an A. | [36] |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (1992). Oregon Geographic Names (6th ed.). Oregon Historical Society Press. ISBN 0-87595-237-2.
- ^ "Birson, Saskatchewan". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
- ^ a b c d Barry, Bill (September 2005). Geographic Names of Saskatchewan. Regina, Saskatchewan: People Places Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 1-897010-19-2.
- ^ a b c Kenny, Hamill (1945). West Virginia Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning, Including the Nomenclature of the Streams and Mountains. Piedmont, WV: The Place Name Press. p. 57. hdl:2027/mdp.39015009099824.
- ^ a b c Morris, Allan (1995). Florida Place Names: Alachua to Zolfo Springs. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, Inc. ISBN 1-56164-084-0.
- ^ a b Gard, Ropbert E. (2015). The Romance of Wisconsin Place Names. Wisconsin Historical Society. ISBN 9780870207082.
- ^ a b c d Gudde, Erwin Gustav (1960). California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names. University of California Press.
- ^ Robison Turner, Jeri. "Goliad, TX". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
- ^ "Kinhop, Saskatchewan". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
- ^ McCoy, Sondra Van Meter; Hults, Jan (1989). 1001 Kansas Place Names. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-7006-0392-1.
- ^ Jenkins, Elwyn (2007). Falling into Place: The Story of Modern South African Place Names. New Africa Books. ISBN 9780864866899.
- ^ "Malesus, Tennessee". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b Miller, Larry (2001). Tennessee Place-names. Indinan University Press. ISBN 9780253214782.
- ^ Williams, Mary Ann Barnes (1966). Origins of North Dakota Place Names. Bismarck, ND: Bismarck Tribune. p. 306.
- ^ a b c d e Rennick, Robert M. (2013). Kentucky Place Names. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813144016.
- ^ "Romley, Colorado". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ Temple, Robert D. (2009). Edge Effects: the Border-Name Places (2nd ed.). Bloomington, Indiana: iUniverse, Inc. ISBN 978-0-595-47758-6.
- ^ McLeod Matthews, Mitford (1948). Some Sources of Southernisms. University of Alabama Press. p. 73.
- ^ Kenny, Hamill (1984). The Placenames of Maryland : their origin and meaning. Baltimore, Md.: Maryland Historical Society. ISBN 0-938420-28-3.
- ^ McCarthy, Julian (2014). Secret Kingston upon Thames. Amberley.
- ^ "Ticona, Illinois". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b c Callary, Edward (October 2009). Place Names of Illinois. Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-03356-8.
- ^ "Vinsulla, British Columbia". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
- ^ Akrigg, G. P. (Philip) V.; Akrigg, Helen (2011). British Columbia Place Names (Third ed.). UBC Press. ISBN 978-0774841702.
- ^ Espenshade, A. Howry (1925). Pennsylvania place names. Pennsylvania state college studies in history and political science,no. 1College series. State College, PA: The Pennsylvania State College. hdl:2027/mdp.39015012934249.
- ^ Jacobs, Frank. "Agloe: How a Completely Made Up New York Town Became Real". Strange Maps. Big Think. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ Heller Jr., Dick D. "Delmita, TX". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- ^ Rayburn, Alan (1997). Place names of Ontario. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-7207-0.
- ^ a b Carlson, Helen S. (1974). Nevada Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary. University of Nevada Press. ISBN 9780874170948.
- ^ Casey, Sarah (4 January 2018). "Throwback Thursday: Aksarben". University of Nebraska Omaha. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ "Amabala, Oklahoma". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b c d Shirk, George H (1987). Oklahoma Place Names. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-2028-2.
- ^ "Atokad Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Cleo, Oregon". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b c Bright, William (2004). Colorado Place Names. Big Earth Publishing. ISBN 9781555663339.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Stewart, George R. (1970). American place-names; a concise and selective dictionary for the continental United States of America. New York: Oxford University Press.
- ^ "Enola, South Carolina". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Enola Hill, Oregon". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ Ramsay, Robert L. (1952). Our Storehouse of Missouri Place Names. University of Missouri Press. ISBN 9780826205865.
- ^ a b c Meany, Edmund S. (1923). Origin of Washington geographic names. Seattle: University of Washington Press. hdl:2027/mdp.39015027074981.
- ^ "Lennut, Kentucky". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b Stewart, George R. (1982). Names on the land : a historical account of placenaming in the United States (4th ed.). San Francisco: Lexikos. ISBN 093853002X.
- ^ "Hattiesburg American from Hattiesburg, Mississippi on May 21, 1995 · 4". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
- ^ "Namorf, Oregon". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b c Knight, Victor M. (1993). Vic Knight's Florida. Pelican Publishing. ISBN 9781455613595. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ Kelly, John. "Answer Man: Nam Rewsna". John Kelly's Washington. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
- ^ "Unusual place names". Landgate. Western Australian Land Information Authority. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ a b Marden, Ernest G.; Marden, Austin (2010). Community Place Names of Alberta. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1897472170.
- ^ "Noivloc, Nevada". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ Barnes, Will Croft (2016). Arizona Place Names. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 9780816534951.
- ^ Hanson, Raus McDill (1969). Virginia Place Names: Derivations, Historical Uses. McClure Press.
- ^ Yanne, Andrew; Heller, Gillis (2009). Signs of a Colonial Era. Hong Kong University Press. p. 143. ISBN 9789622099449.
- ^ "Stories behind Hong Kong street names: Rednaxela Terrace and its famous resident". South China Morning Post. 8 July 2016.
- ^ Foscue, Virginia O. (1989). Place Names in Alabama. University of Alabama Press. ISBN 9780817304102.
- ^ "Remlap, Florida". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ Wooster, Robert. "Remlig, TX". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
- ^ "Kilmer, Virginia". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ Sharpe, Dwight Allen. "My Wealthy New York Relative, Willis Sharpe Kilmer". Retrieved 27 November 2017.
- ^ Canadian Board on Geographical Names (1928). Place-names of Alberta. Ottawa: F. A. Acland, printer. hdl:2027/mdp.39015070267029.
- ^ "Revilo, Tennessee". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ Moyer, Armond; Moyer, Winifred (1958). The origins of unusual place-names. Keystone Pub. Associates. p. 112.
- ^ "Robat, South Carolina". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Rotavele, California". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ Long, Christopher. "Sacul, TX". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
- ^ "Saxet, Texas". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ Taylor, D. R. "Saxet, TX". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
- ^ "Saxet Lake Park". Explore Victoria. Victoria CVB, City of Victoria. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- ^ Wooster, Robert. "Setag, TX". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
- ^ Bruhn, Richard. "Tesnus, TX". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
- ^ Long, Christopher. "Tinrag TX". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- ^ Phelps, Dawson A.; Edward Hunter Ross (Fall 1952). "Names Please: Place Names along the Natchez Trace" (PDF). The Journal of Mississippi History. 14. Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Mississippi Historical Society: 240. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-10-07.
- ^ bunnykelley. "Kelly / Ricard". ancestry.com. Ancestry.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "Lionilli, Kentucky". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Lilian L. (1925). Nebraska Place-Names. University of Nebraska Press.