# Town/City names near you that could be broken up into plausable full names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 16, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-city-names-near-you-that-could-be-broken-up-into-plausable-full-names/804645 "2017-12-16T15:51:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-city-names-near-you-that-could-be-broken-up-into-plausable-full-names/804645/1 "2017-12-16T15:51:45Z")
In your state, providence, county or whatever geographical unit they break area up to in your country, what place names could be broken in two or three to produce a fairly realistic name for a person? One place name = a first and last name (or first, last, and middle). The first name can be a nickname, btw. Oh, and what kind of person do you imagine having the name? A few from New Hampshire: Gilford = Gil Ford A fisherman who spent years fishing Georges Bank before regulations got so strict. Now he’s off to lobster in Maine most of the time. Franconia = Fran Conia Has taught 4th grade for 32 years. Tamworth = Tam Worth An older woman. She’s well off. Ellsworth = Ells Worth Tam’s younger sister. She never married, but was engaged 4 times. Fitzwilliam = Fitz William He immigrated here from Europe 18 years ago, but is still considered a “new” resident by the locals. Hinsdale = Hins Dale Another “recent” transplant, he and Fitz are good friends. Brentwood = Brent Wood Junior partner at the law firm downtown. Claremont = Clare Mont Brent’s boss. Wolfeboro = Wolfe Boro He’s an up and coming reporter. Raymond = Ray Mond Richmond = Rich Mond Ray and Rich 45-year-old are identical twins. They own and run the local breakfast place. Alstead = Al Stead Owns the hardware store in town. He charges you a little too much and the selection is kind of small, but it’s a lot more convenient than driving 10 miles farther to another store. Croydon = Croy Don Croy’s one of the middle kids in that one big family that gave all their kids weird names. Effingham = Eff Ingham Effie to friends, she dreams of solving crimes with her likewise elderly friends. Mostly they knit baby hats and blankets for the local hospital’s newborns. Brookfield = Brook Field Former stay-at-home mom now killing it on Etsy with her handmade candles Chesterfield = Chester Field Brook’s retired dad. He’s loving retirement and spending time with the grandkids. Ashland = Ash Land When she was fourteen she stopped answering to Ashley. Bartlett = Bart Lett The ne’er-do-well son of the big local apple supplier Shelburne = Shel Burne Back in high school in the mid-90s Shel was her class’s president. She got into college, finished promptly at age 22, and then has been at loose ends ever since. Franklin = Frank Lin Frank Lin, MD Randolph = Ran Dolph A red diaper baby, Ran keeps up the family interest in politics and has run for town council every year since 1995. He’s never won. Your turn! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-city-names-near-you-that-could-be-broken-up-into-plausable-full-names/804645/2 "2017-12-16T16:58:08Z")
I haven’t met any hispanics called Monte, but I’ve met Anglos by that name. So any town which derives its name from the Spanish word for “mountain” would work: Monterrey, Monteagudo… ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-city-names-near-you-that-could-be-broken-up-into-plausable-full-names/804645/3 "2017-12-17T19:42:04Z")
Guy Mon from the Oklahoma Panhandle ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-city-names-near-you-that-could-be-broken-up-into-plausable-full-names/804645/4 "2017-12-17T20:20:50Z")
[Cockfosters.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockfosters) [Penistone.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penistone) [Mingenew,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mingenew,_Western_Australia) ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-city-names-near-you-that-could-be-broken-up-into-plausable-full-names/804645/5 "2017-12-17T21:18:48Z")
Washington State is full of them. Off the top of my head: Ed Monds Lynn Wood Bel Lingham Van Couver Bo Thell Belle Vue Sam Mamish Bre Merton Fern Dale ---
**Author:** ![Santelia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Santelia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santelia)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-city-names-near-you-that-could-be-broken-up-into-plausable-full-names/804645/6 "2017-12-17T22:23:27Z")
Loads of double barrelled toponyms round my way (East Somerset/West Wiltshire/North Dorset) already work as slightly unusual personal names: Shepton Mallet Buckland Dinham Dilton Marsh Upton Scudamore Sturminster Newton Monkton Deverill (I’m thinking retired cricketer turned private detective) Gurney Slade (Someone already got there [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Strange\_World\_of\_Gurney\_Slade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Strange_World_of_Gurney_Slade)) ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-city-names-near-you-that-could-be-broken-up-into-plausable-full-names/804645/7 "2017-12-17T23:17:02Z")
The city I was born in and the borough I grew up in (NJ): Pat Erson Hal Edon Aslo: Ed Ison Allen Dale Allen Hurst Ava Lon Hope Well Al Pha Wen Onah Rock Leigh Sal Em Ken Ilworth Newt On Rose Land No breaking apart needed: Rocky Hill Glen Ridge ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-city-names-near-you-that-could-be-broken-up-into-plausable-full-names/804645/8 "2017-12-17T23:36:21Z")
Al Bany Beth Lehem Burl Ington Ben Ington Glen Ville Al Tamont Al Plaus Clifton Park ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-city-names-near-you-that-could-be-broken-up-into-plausable-full-names/804645/9 "2017-12-17T23:53:47Z")
Er…Tex Arkana. Cowboy/ oil well tender ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-city-names-near-you-that-could-be-broken-up-into-plausable-full-names/804645/10 "2017-12-18T01:48:39Z")
In Texas… Abe R. Nathy Al Pine Bart Lett Ben Brook Del Rio George Town Howard Wick Ned Erland Rich Wood Tom Ball