Small settlements, real grammar. Each of the 72 names below is built from a documented settlement suffix, and the receipt explains every part. Signpost ready.
Invented builds on real suffix conventions. Twelve nature words crossed with the six suffixes small English settlements actually grew from, Norse and English both. The towns are fiction; the conventions are etymology. Use them for TTRPG maps, novels, games and sign mockups.
Fake town names with built-from, meaning and tradition receipts
Town
Built from
Meaning
Tradition
Copy
Doveby
dove + by
the peace bird + farmstead village (Old Norse bý)
real settlement morphology: -by
Dovethorpe
dove + thorpe
the peace bird + outlying settlement (Old Norse þorp)
real settlement morphology: -thorpe
Dovewick
dove + wick
the peace bird + dairy farm, trading place (Old English wīc)
real settlement morphology: -wick
Dovecombe
dove + combe
the peace bird + valley (Old English cumb)
real settlement morphology: -combe
Doveholt
dove + holt
the peace bird + woodland (Old English holt)
real settlement morphology: -holt
Dovestead
dove + stead
the peace bird + homestead site (Old English stede)
real settlement morphology: -stead
Craneby
crane + by
the tall wading bird + farmstead village (Old Norse bý)
real settlement morphology: -by
Cranethorpe
crane + thorpe
the tall wading bird + outlying settlement (Old Norse þorp)
real settlement morphology: -thorpe
Cranewick
crane + wick
the tall wading bird + dairy farm, trading place (Old English wīc)
real settlement morphology: -wick
Cranecombe
crane + combe
the tall wading bird + valley (Old English cumb)
real settlement morphology: -combe
Craneholt
crane + holt
the tall wading bird + woodland (Old English holt)
real settlement morphology: -holt
Cranestead
crane + stead
the tall wading bird + homestead site (Old English stede)
real settlement morphology: -stead
Mapleby
maple + by
the syrup tree + farmstead village (Old Norse bý)
real settlement morphology: -by
Maplethorpe
maple + thorpe
the syrup tree + outlying settlement (Old Norse þorp)
real settlement morphology: -thorpe
Maplewick
maple + wick
the syrup tree + dairy farm, trading place (Old English wīc)
real settlement morphology: -wick
Maplecombe
maple + combe
the syrup tree + valley (Old English cumb)
real settlement morphology: -combe
Mapleholt
maple + holt
the syrup tree + woodland (Old English holt)
real settlement morphology: -holt
Maplestead
maple + stead
the syrup tree + homestead site (Old English stede)
real settlement morphology: -stead
Hazelby
hazel + by
the nut tree + farmstead village (Old Norse bý)
real settlement morphology: -by
Hazelthorpe
hazel + thorpe
the nut tree + outlying settlement (Old Norse þorp)
real settlement morphology: -thorpe
Hazelwick
hazel + wick
the nut tree + dairy farm, trading place (Old English wīc)
real settlement morphology: -wick
Hazelcombe
hazel + combe
the nut tree + valley (Old English cumb)
real settlement morphology: -combe
Hazelholt
hazel + holt
the nut tree + woodland (Old English holt)
real settlement morphology: -holt
Hazelstead
hazel + stead
the nut tree + homestead site (Old English stede)
real settlement morphology: -stead
Cloverby
clover + by
the three-leaf plant + farmstead village (Old Norse bý)
real settlement morphology: -by
Cloverthorpe
clover + thorpe
the three-leaf plant + outlying settlement (Old Norse þorp)
real settlement morphology: -thorpe
Cloverwick
clover + wick
the three-leaf plant + dairy farm, trading place (Old English wīc)
real settlement morphology: -wick
Clovercombe
clover + combe
the three-leaf plant + valley (Old English cumb)
real settlement morphology: -combe
Cloverholt
clover + holt
the three-leaf plant + woodland (Old English holt)
real settlement morphology: -holt
Cloverstead
clover + stead
the three-leaf plant + homestead site (Old English stede)
real settlement morphology: -stead
Brackenby
bracken + by
the hillside fern + farmstead village (Old Norse bý)
real settlement morphology: -by
Brackenthorpe
bracken + thorpe
the hillside fern + outlying settlement (Old Norse þorp)
real settlement morphology: -thorpe
Brackenwick
bracken + wick
the hillside fern + dairy farm, trading place (Old English wīc)
real settlement morphology: -wick
Brackencombe
bracken + combe
the hillside fern + valley (Old English cumb)
real settlement morphology: -combe
Brackenholt
bracken + holt
the hillside fern + woodland (Old English holt)
real settlement morphology: -holt
Brackenstead
bracken + stead
the hillside fern + homestead site (Old English stede)
real settlement morphology: -stead
Kestrelby
kestrel + by
the hovering falcon + farmstead village (Old Norse bý)
real settlement morphology: -by
Kestrelthorpe
kestrel + thorpe
the hovering falcon + outlying settlement (Old Norse þorp)
real settlement morphology: -thorpe
Kestrelwick
kestrel + wick
the hovering falcon + dairy farm, trading place (Old English wīc)
real settlement morphology: -wick
Kestrelcombe
kestrel + combe
the hovering falcon + valley (Old English cumb)
real settlement morphology: -combe
Kestrelholt
kestrel + holt
the hovering falcon + woodland (Old English holt)
real settlement morphology: -holt
Kestrelstead
kestrel + stead
the hovering falcon + homestead site (Old English stede)
real settlement morphology: -stead
Yewby
yew + by
the churchyard tree + farmstead village (Old Norse bý)
real settlement morphology: -by
Yewthorpe
yew + thorpe
the churchyard tree + outlying settlement (Old Norse þorp)
real settlement morphology: -thorpe
Yewwick
yew + wick
the churchyard tree + dairy farm, trading place (Old English wīc)
real settlement morphology: -wick
Yewcombe
yew + combe
the churchyard tree + valley (Old English cumb)
real settlement morphology: -combe
Yewholt
yew + holt
the churchyard tree + woodland (Old English holt)
real settlement morphology: -holt
Yewstead
yew + stead
the churchyard tree + homestead site (Old English stede)
real settlement morphology: -stead
Cedarby
cedar + by
the fragrant conifer + farmstead village (Old Norse bý)
real settlement morphology: -by
Cedarthorpe
cedar + thorpe
the fragrant conifer + outlying settlement (Old Norse þorp)
real settlement morphology: -thorpe
Cedarwick
cedar + wick
the fragrant conifer + dairy farm, trading place (Old English wīc)
real settlement morphology: -wick
Cedarcombe
cedar + combe
the fragrant conifer + valley (Old English cumb)
real settlement morphology: -combe
Cedarholt
cedar + holt
the fragrant conifer + woodland (Old English holt)
real settlement morphology: -holt
Cedarstead
cedar + stead
the fragrant conifer + homestead site (Old English stede)
real settlement morphology: -stead
Adderby
adder + by
the northern viper + farmstead village (Old Norse bý)
real settlement morphology: -by
Adderthorpe
adder + thorpe
the northern viper + outlying settlement (Old Norse þorp)
real settlement morphology: -thorpe
Adderwick
adder + wick
the northern viper + dairy farm, trading place (Old English wīc)
real settlement morphology: -wick
Addercombe
adder + combe
the northern viper + valley (Old English cumb)
real settlement morphology: -combe
Adderholt
adder + holt
the northern viper + woodland (Old English holt)
real settlement morphology: -holt
Adderstead
adder + stead
the northern viper + homestead site (Old English stede)
real settlement morphology: -stead
Sorrelby
sorrel + by
the sour green herb + farmstead village (Old Norse bý)
real settlement morphology: -by
Sorrelthorpe
sorrel + thorpe
the sour green herb + outlying settlement (Old Norse þorp)
real settlement morphology: -thorpe
Sorrelwick
sorrel + wick
the sour green herb + dairy farm, trading place (Old English wīc)
real settlement morphology: -wick
Sorrelcombe
sorrel + combe
the sour green herb + valley (Old English cumb)
real settlement morphology: -combe
Sorrelholt
sorrel + holt
the sour green herb + woodland (Old English holt)
real settlement morphology: -holt
Sorrelstead
sorrel + stead
the sour green herb + homestead site (Old English stede)
real settlement morphology: -stead
Whinby
whin + by
the gorse shrub + farmstead village (Old Norse bý)
real settlement morphology: -by
Whinthorpe
whin + thorpe
the gorse shrub + outlying settlement (Old Norse þorp)
real settlement morphology: -thorpe
Whinwick
whin + wick
the gorse shrub + dairy farm, trading place (Old English wīc)
real settlement morphology: -wick
Whincombe
whin + combe
the gorse shrub + valley (Old English cumb)
real settlement morphology: -combe
Whinholt
whin + holt
the gorse shrub + woodland (Old English holt)
real settlement morphology: -holt
Whinstead
whin + stead
the gorse shrub + homestead site (Old English stede)
real settlement morphology: -stead
What do fake town names mean?
Feature plus settlement suffix, small scale. Walk two slowly. Doveby is dove + by, the peace bird at a Norse farmstead village. Cedarholt is cedar + holt, the fragrant conifer standing in the woodland. Twelve spotlights:
Fake town name meaning spotlight
Town
Built from
Meaning
Doveby
dove + by
the peace bird + farmstead village (Old Norse bý)
Dovethorpe
dove + thorpe
the peace bird + outlying settlement (Old Norse þorp)
Dovewick
dove + wick
the peace bird + dairy farm, trading place (Old English wīc)
Dovecombe
dove + combe
the peace bird + valley (Old English cumb)
Doveholt
dove + holt
the peace bird + woodland (Old English holt)
Dovestead
dove + stead
the peace bird + homestead site (Old English stede)
Craneby
crane + by
the tall wading bird + farmstead village (Old Norse bý)
Cranethorpe
crane + thorpe
the tall wading bird + outlying settlement (Old Norse þorp)
Cranewick
crane + wick
the tall wading bird + dairy farm, trading place (Old English wīc)
Cranecombe
crane + combe
the tall wading bird + valley (Old English cumb)
Craneholt
crane + holt
the tall wading bird + woodland (Old English holt)
Cranestead
crane + stead
the tall wading bird + homestead site (Old English stede)
Every one of the 72 rows above carries the same receipt in its own columns.
How do fake town names work?
Half of these suffixes are Norse, and that is history, not decoration. In the Danelaw, the Norse-settled north and east of England, -by marked a farmstead village: Grimsby is Grim's village. -thorpe marked an outlying settlement: Scunthorpe. The English half of the map used -wick, a dairy farm or trading place: Gatwick began as a goat farm. -combe is a valley (Winchcombe), -holt is a woodland (Holt in Norfolk), -stead is a homestead site (Hampstead). The fake country names and fake city names pages run the same method at the other two scales.
Want it to feel like a real map?
The shelf ends here; the workshop is next door. The town name generator and village name generator build settlements live from the same receipt method, with re-rollable parts for when the map needs fifty consistent villages instead of one good signpost. The scale ladder runs country, city, town, village.
Fake town names questions, answered
Are these real towns?
No. Every row is an invented build on real suffix conventions. Near-misses happen with small towns because the grammar is real: Adderby sits one letter away from the real Adderbury, which is exactly how the convention works. We checked the 72 names at publish (Aug 2026); search your shortlist on a map before print.
Can I use one in my game or story?
Yes, that is why they are here. Keep the receipt with the name: Doveby is dove + by, "the village by the dovecote", roughly, and the parse column is your answer when a player asks. TTRPG map-makers and sign designers use these the most.
Why do so many end in -by and -thorpe?
Because the Vikings named half of England. In the Danelaw, the Norse-settled north and east, bý marked a farmstead village (Grimsby, Grim's village) and þorp marked an outlying secondary settlement (Scunthorpe). The English half of the map answered with -wick, -combe, -holt and -stead. A town name is a settlement report; the suffix is the receipt.
Where these names come from.Every row is an original combination of documented settlement morphology: twelve real nature words and six suffixes small English settlements grew from, Norse and English. Real towns (Grimsby, Gatwick, Hampstead) appear only as suffix receipts, parse only. Near-misses with real small towns are flagged in the FAQ; map-check your shortlist before print. Where every name's receipt comes from →