Place names within the United Kingdom
Updated 25 September 2020
© Crown copyright 2020
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/place-names-of-the-united-kingdom/place-names-within-the-united-kingdom
You can see the United Kingdom toponymic guidelines for map and other editors.
In general, The Permanent Committee on Geographical Names (PCGN) deals with geographical names outside of the United Kingdom. The following links will take you to web pages relating to place names within the United Kingdom.
Great Britain
For information on Great Britain, please refer to Ordnance Survey, the official body responsible for the mapping of Great Britain. There is also information available on the origins of place names in Britain.
The British online historical gazetteer contains historical place names from the 1911 census.
Northern Ireland
For place names in Northern Ireland, please refer to Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland.
England
For information on geographical names in England, in particular the etymology of names, consult the Key to English place names.
Scotland
For information on geographical names in Scotland, contact the Scottish Place-Name Society.
To search for geographical names in Scotland, please consult the Gazetteer for Scotland.
Wales
The Ordnance Survey Welsh Language Policy, describes Ordnance Survey policy for the use of Welsh language place names on Ordnance Survey products. This Ordnance Survey policy was originally developed in close association with the work of the Welsh Language Board. This Board was disbanded in 2012 and its work has since been overseen by the Welsh Language Commissioner whose main task is to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh Language: the Commissioner maintains a list of standardised place names.