A Toponymic Approach to the Geography of American Cemeteries

AbstractThe recent availability of the GNIS data base makes it practical to study the names of features throughout the United States, for example the names of cemeteries. One way of classification identifies ten categories: family, location, standard terms, hagiolatrous, biblical, nationalistic, “upbeat,” religious denominations, ethnic communities, and fraternal organizations. The first seven of these provide an interesting look at a significant part of the name-cover in America.