Appalachian Town Name Generator
Coal-camp, hollow and mountain town names from Appalachia
Generate Appalachian town names that sound like real places tucked into the hills of Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas: Hazard, Matewan, Cutshin, Loafers Glory, Hell for Certain, Big Ugly. Built for Appalachian fiction, horror, folk songs and games set in the mountains.
About Appalachian town names
Appalachian town names come from a handful of very specific traditions, and you can hear all of them in the list below. The oldest layer is Cherokee and Shawnee: Tuckasegee, Nantahala, Cullowhee, Ocoee, Hiawassee. Over that came Scots-Irish and German settlers, who named places for exactly what they found: Sinking Creek, Flat Lick, Burnt House, Sugar Hollow, Gobblers Knob. A hollow (said "holler") is a narrow valley; a gap is a pass; a lick is a salt spring; a fork, branch or run is a small stream; and most towns are named for the water they sit on.
The coal boom added another layer. Companies built camps overnight and named them after owners, daughters and investors, which is why the coalfields are dotted with Dorothy, Sarah Ann, Thelma, Josephine, Itmann (I. T. Mann) and Iaeger. Railroad clerks and postmasters supplied the odd one-word names (Neon, Krypton, Typo, Viper, Odd, Pinch, Cucumber), often because every sensible name was taken. And then there is the famous mountain plain-speaking humour: Hell for Certain, Kingdom Come, Loafers Glory, Tight Squeeze, Defeated and Big Ugly are all real post offices.
Nearly every name here is real or built from real elements, so they sound right for Southern Gothic fiction, mountain horror, a bluegrass lyric or a game map of the hills.
How to choose Appalachian town names
- Match the name to the settlement's origin: a coal camp gets a company-style name (Itmann, Coalwood, Keystone), a farming hollow gets a landscape name (Laurel Fork, Sugar Hollow), a county seat gets a surname plus -ville or -burg (Prestonsburg, Whitesburg).
- Use the local vocabulary and your readers will believe you: hollow, fork, branch, run, lick, gap, knob, bottom, cove and bald are the words real mountain places are built on. Avoid -field, -ford and -haven, which sound like New England.
- Keep the comic names for one place per story: a real region has Hell for Certain and Kingdom Come, but not in the same county. One joke name is colour; three is parody.
- Give the town a creek with a matching name (Troublesome Creek, Greasy Creek, Cutshin Creek) and a ridge above it; Appalachian geography is vertical, and a town name rarely travels alone.
- If you want a one-word name that feels obscure and true, borrow the coal-camp habit of using a first name or an arbitrary noun: Dorothy, Neon, Man, War and Happy are all real Appalachian towns.
Frequently asked questions
Are these real Appalachian towns?
Most are real places or post offices in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Maryland and western Pennsylvania, and the invented ones follow the same patterns: a creek or landform name, a coal-company name, or a surname with -ville. We have skipped large cities so the names read as small towns.
Why do so many Appalachian towns have first names like Dorothy or Thelma?
Coal and timber companies founded hundreds of camps between 1880 and 1930 and named them after owners' wives and daughters, investors or company officials. Itmann is named for I. T. Mann, Sarah Ann for a coal operator's daughter, and Iaeger for Colonel William Iaeger.
What does 'holler' mean in a town name?
Holler is the mountain pronunciation of hollow: a small, steep-sided valley with a creek running through it. Families settled up individual hollows, so a hollow name often doubles as a community name: Sugar Hollow, Coon Hollow, Poorhouse Hollow. Gap, knob, lick, fork and bottom work the same way.
How do I make a fictional Appalachian town sound authentic?
Use a short, concrete name tied to water or land, give it a county seat with a founder's surname, and let characters say it the local way: Appalachia is app-uh-LATCH-uh, Cairo is KAY-ro. A single wry name like Needmore or Hard Scrabble adds flavour; more than that breaks the spell.
Related generators
Southern Town Name Generator
Small-town names straight out of the American South
American Town Name Generator
Small-town USA names that sound real
Old West Town Name Generator
Frontier towns, mining camps, and cattle stops
Mountain Name Generator
Peaks, summits, horns and holy mountains
Coastal Town Name Generator
Fishing villages, harbour towns, and seaside resorts
Western Town Name Generator
Frontier settlements, cattle towns and mining camps
River Name Generator
Real river names from every continent
Forest Name Generator
Names for ancient woods, dark forests, and enchanted groves
More like this
Virginia Town Name Generator
Old Dominion town names from Tidewater to the Valley
Appalachian Name Generator
Mountain names from the hollers of Kentucky to Carolina
Mountain Town Name Generator
Ski villages, mining camps and alpine hamlets
Wild West Town Name Generator
Lawless boomtowns, cow towns and ghost towns
Mediterranean Town Name Generator
Fictional harbor towns from Spain to the Levant
Arizona Town Name Generator
Arizona town names from copper camps to saguaro flats
All 500 Appalachian town names
A: 8 names
- Abingdon
- Accident
- Albright
- Alderson
- Ansted
- Apison
- Arbovale
- Ary
B: 52 names
- Bald Knob
- Banner Elk
- Barnardsville
- Bear Wallow
- Beards Fork
- Bearpen Gap
- Beaver Bottom
- Beaver Lick
- Bee Log
- Beech Fork
- Beersheba Springs
- Begleyville
- Benham
- Bens Run
- Bent Mountain
- Berkeley Springs
- Betsy Layne
- Big Chimney
- Big Lick
- Big Otter
- Big Stone Gap
- Big Ugly
- Birchwood
- Black Diamond
- Black Mountain
- Blackey
- Blackwater Falls
- Bledsoe
- Bloody Branch
- Blowing Rock
- Blue Hole
- Blue Jay
- Bone Cave
- Boomer
- Bowden
- Bradshaw
- Bramwell
- Brasstown
- Briceville
- Bruceton Mills
- Bryson City
- Buckhannon
- Buckhorn
- Bucksnort
- Buffalo Gap
- Buffalo Lick
- Bug Tussle
- Bulls Gap
- Burning Springs
- Burningtown
- Burnt House
- Busy
C: 54 names
- Cabin Creek
- Cairo
- Cane Patch
- Cantrellville
- Capon Bridge
- Caretta
- Caryville
- Cashiers
- Cass
- Cataloochee
- Caudill Fork
- Cawood
- Chapmanville
- Chattaroy
- Chavies
- Cherokee
- Chestnut Flats
- Chickamauga
- Chilhowie
- Chimney Top
- Cinder Bottom
- Clarkesville
- Clarkrange
- Clendenin
- Clintwood
- Closplint
- Cloudland
- Coal Fork
- Coalmont
- Coalwood
- Coeburn
- Cohutta
- Coker Creek
- Coketon
- Cold Knob
- Collinsburg
- Combs
- Combs Ferry
- Coon Hollow
- Copperas Hollow
- Copperhill
- Cosby
- Cowee
- Cowen
- Crab Orchard
- Craigsville
- Cranberry Glades
- Cranks
- Crooked Fork
- Crossnore
- Cucumber
- Cullowhee
- Cumberland Gap
- Cutshin
D: 20 names
- Dahlonega
- Damascus
- Dead Horse Gap
- Decota
- Deep Gap
- Defeated
- Del Rio
- Delbarton
- Devils Fork
- Difficult
- Dillsboro
- Dingess Run
- Dismal Branch
- Dorcas
- Dorothy
- Droop
- Dry Fork
- Ducktown
- Durbin
- Dwarf
E: 8 names
- Eglon
- Elkins
- Ellamore
- Ellijay
- Ennice
- Epworth
- Eskdale
- Evarts
F: 22 names
- Fancy Gap
- Farner
- Fayetteville
- Ferrum
- Feud Branch
- Fightingtown
- Fire Tower Gap
- Flag Pond
- Flanary Gap
- Flat Lick
- Fleetwood
- Fleming-Neon
- Forks of Coal
- French Creek
- Friendly
- Friendsville
- Fries
- Frog Level
- Frostburg
- Frosty Bottom
- Frozen Creek
- Furnace Branch
G: 23 names
- Galax
- Gandeeville
- Gap Mills
- Gauley Bridge
- Glade Spring
- Glade Valley
- Glen Dale
- Glen Ferris
- Glen Jean
- Gobblers Knob
- Gormania
- Goshen Bottom
- Gospel Hollow
- Grantsville
- Grassy Creek
- Grassy Lick
- Greasy Creek
- Greasy Fork
- Great Cacapon
- Green Bank
- Grethel
- Gruetli-Laager
- Grundy
H: 28 names
- Hacker Valley
- Hambleton
- Happy
- Hard Scrabble
- Hardshell
- Harlan
- Hatfield Bend
- Hayesville
- Haysi
- Hazard
- Hedgesville
- Hell for Certain
- Hells Hollow
- Helvetia
- Hemlock Run
- Hensleyville
- Hi Hat
- Hiawassee
- Hillsville
- Hindman
- Hinton
- Hog Heaven
- Hogback Gap
- Hogskin Branch
- Hot Springs
- Hurricane Branch
- Huttonsville
- Hyden
I: 5 names
- Iaeger
- Indian Valley
- Isom
- Itmann
- Ivydale
J: 9 names
- Jackhorn
- Jacksonburg
- Jane Lew
- Jellico
- Jenny Lind
- Jeremiah
- Jonesborough
- Jordan Run
- Josephine
K: 9 names
- Kanawha Falls
- Kerens
- Keyser
- Keystone
- Kincaid
- Kingdom Come
- Konnarock
- Krypton
- Kyles Ford
L: 31 names
- LaFollette
- Lakemont
- Laurel Bald
- Laurel Bloomery
- Laurel Fork
- Laurel Springs
- Leatherbark
- Leatherwood
- Leewood
- Left Hand
- Letcher
- Lewisburg
- Lick Fork
- Lick Skillet
- Linville Falls
- Little Lick
- Little Switzerland
- Loafers Glory
- Lobelia
- Lonaconing
- Long Shoal
- Lookout
- Looneyville
- Lost Creek
- Lost Fork
- Lost River
- Lovely
- Loyall
- Lumberport
- Lyerly
- Lynch
M: 34 names
- Maddox Crossing
- Maggie Valley
- Man
- Mannington
- Marlinton
- Mars Hill
- Matewan
- Mathias
- Max Meadows
- McCaysville
- McCoy Bottom
- Meade Crossing
- Meadow Bridge
- Meadows of Dan
- Meathouse Fork
- Mendota
- Menlo
- Mill Shoal
- Minden
- Mineral Bluff
- Monongah
- Monteagle
- Montreat
- Moorefield
- Mossy Bottom
- Moundsville
- Mountain City
- Mousie
- Mouth of Wilson
- Mud Creek
- Mud Lick
- Muddy Fork
- Muddy Gut
- Mullins Branch
N: 9 names
- Nameless
- Nancy
- Nantahala
- Napier Bottom
- Needmore
- Neon
- Newbern
- Nolichucky
- Northfork
O: 10 names
- Oak Hill
- Ocoee
- Ocoee Gap
- Odd
- Old Fort
- Onego
- Ooltewah
- Osborneville
- Owl Hollow
- Ozone
P: 32 names
- Paint Lick
- Paintrock
- Paintsville
- Panther
- Panther Lick
- Pathfork
- Paw Paw
- Pawpaw Hollow
- Peaks of Otter
- Pence Springs
- Penningtonsburg
- Persimmon Gap
- Pickens
- Pickle Branch
- Pikeville
- Pinch
- Pine Grove
- Pineola
- Piney Creek
- Pippa Passes
- Pocahontas
- Poorhouse Hollow
- Possum Hollow
- Possum Trot
- Pound
- Poverty Knob
- Powellsburg
- Powellton
- Preacher Knob
- Prestonsburg
- Pumpkin Center
- Puncheon Creek
Q: 2 names
- Quicksand
- Quinwood
R: 31 names
- Raccoon Fork
- Railbed Gap
- Rainelle
- Ramsey Fork
- Ratliffburg
- Rattlesnake Knob
- Red Ash
- Red Jacket
- Red Star
- Redbird Bottom
- Reliance
- Renick
- Rich Mountain
- Richwood
- Riner
- Rising Fawn
- Roan Mountain
- Roaring Gap
- Robbinsville
- Rock Cave
- Rock Island
- Rockhouse Fork
- Rogersville
- Romney
- Ronceverte
- Rowdy
- Rowlesburg
- Rugby
- Rupert
- Rural Retreat
- Rutherford Knob
S: 51 names
- Saint George
- Sale Creek
- Saltpeter Cave
- Saltville
- Sandstone
- Sandy Mush
- Sarah Ann
- Sassafras
- Sautee Nacoochee
- Sawmill Run
- Scarbro
- Seneca Rocks
- Sewanee
- Shady Valley
- Shake Rag
- Shanty Branch
- Shiloh Knob
- Shinnston
- Shorts Creek
- Sinking Creek
- Sinking Spring
- Sistersville
- Sizemore Gap
- Skaggs Fork
- Skillet Creek
- Slab Fork
- Slanesville
- Slemp
- Smilax
- Smithers
- Sneedville
- Soddy-Daisy
- Sodom
- Sourwood Gap
- Spruce Pine
- Stamping Ground
- Stecoah
- Still House Hollow
- Stinking Creek
- Stirrat
- Stony Gap
- Straight Fork
- Sturgill Hollow
- Suches
- Sugar Grove
- Sugar Hollow
- Sulphur Well
- Sunbright
- Swannanoa
- Sweet Springs
- Sylva
T: 28 names
- Talcott
- Tallow Hollow
- Tallulah Falls
- Tannery Hollow
- Tater Knob
- Teaberry
- Tellico Bottom
- Tellico Plains
- Terra Alta
- Thelma
- Thousandsticks
- Thurmond
- Tight Squeeze
- Tipple Hollow
- Tomahawk
- Topton
- Trace Fork
- Tracy City
- Triadelphia
- Trion
- Troublesome Creek
- Troutdale
- Tuckasegee
- Tumbling Creek
- Tunnelton
- Turtletown
- Tusculum
- Typo
V: 7 names
- Valle Crucis
- Valley Grove
- Vanceburg
- Vesta
- Vicco
- Viper
- Volney
W: 26 names
- Wallback
- Wallins Creek
- War
- Warfield
- Wash Hollow
- Wears Valley
- Webster Springs
- Welch
- Wellsburg
- West Jefferson
- Westernport
- Wharncliffe
- Whipple
- Whitakers Gap
- Whitehead
- Whitesburg
- Whitetop
- Whitwell
- Widow's Bottom
- Wileyville
- Williamson
- Wise
- Wolf Pen
- Wolfpen Gap
- Woolwine
- Wooton