Geographical Evaluation of Village Names in Kirsehir Province

Communities and/or nations transform physical geography into human geography in various forms. They do this by transforming nature as well as by naming nature. The Turks, who have made Anatolia a homeland for more than a thousand years, have named this place with words that reflect their core culture. This research aims to explain which factors have been involved in naming the villages in Kirsehir. The literature reflecting the region's historical background and language characteristics was reviewed to inform the analysis of village names in Kirsehir. In addition, trips and observations were made and information was also obtained from local residents. Therefore, the study findings were categorized according to geographical discipline and the village names were divided into five categories. Results revealed that 25% of the 255 village names in Kirsehir province are related to physical geography and 64% are related to human geography. Hydrography was a physical geographic feature used to create village names. In human geography terms, the names of tribal, communities, and important individuals were the source of village names.