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Acts Index Manual ContentsA new cave name will affect many people for a long time. Thus, it must be acceptable to local citizens, cavers, other users, and even in some cases government agencies. It is the responsibility of the caver to evaluate each name proposal as to its appropriateness, acceptability, and need (relative to the feature, its location, and the user community) before it is adopted. It is general policy to avoid excessive or needless naming of features.
Most of these guidelines apply only to features that have never been named. Names for features already established in spoken or written form by local citizens are given priority. A person who wishes to propose a name for an unnamed feature is expected to determine, to the best of his or her ability, whether a feature is actually named. When considering a new name proposal, the namer should be guided by the following criteria:
Imaginative names that are relatively unique or distinctive are preferred, provided they are not incompatible with forms of other names existing in the areas in which they will be used. Names descriptive of topographical form, suggested by local history, folklore, incident, or by associated natural life or other phenomena are preferred. This includes Indian and other ethnic names appropriate to the area in which the features are located.
A proposed name should not duplicate another name in the state or a nearby adjoining state (There are already too many of these duplicated cave names.) The use of numbers in cave names is not recommended (eg. Big Cave #1, Big Cave #2, etc.).
Proposed new names are expected to perform useful service as proper names. They normally should be as short as possible and easily pronounced. Preferably the pronunciation should be apparent from the spelling. Complex and difficult-to-pronounce names often are not accepted by users.
Use of qualifying or relational words (middle, upper, north, big, etc.) in the naming of caves and related karst features should be avoided unless the name is associated with a relational name already in use. Whenever possible, new names should be distinctive.
When a generic term (cave, pot, pit, cueva, sotano, system, etc.) is used, it must be appropriate to the feature and generally conform to those already in use in the area.
A personal name should not be adopted unless it is determined to be in the public and caving community's interest to honor the person or family for historical or commemorative reasons. The person or family being honored should have been directly associated with the feature being named or have made a significant contribution to the area of the cave. A cave should not be named for a landowner unless the landowner requests it.
The following is also recommended:
a. Names that commemorate, or can be construed to commemorate, living persons should not be used.
b. A person should be deceased at least one year before a commemorative name should be considered.
Section 7 Names in Wilderness Areas, National Parks, and Natural Areas
In these areas, the managing agency prefers to restirct the number and types of names. The agency should be consulted before naming.
Section 8 Lands Administered by State and Local Jurisdictions
If a cave lies in lands administered by state or local jurisdiction, the name proposal should be coordinated with the responsible agency.
Section 9 Derogatory Names
Names that imply discrimination or are derogatory to a particular person, race, or religion should not be used. This also applies to names considered obscene or blasphemous in a present-day cultural context.
Section 10 Recommended Order of Naming
1. Names used by local residents
2. Name based on geographic locality or feature
3. Name derived from a particular feature of the cave
4. Name derived from an incident or folklore etc.
5. Name of landowner
Section 11 Name Changes
Names should only be changed if absolutely necessary (i.e. duplication, derogatory, or obscene names). Commercial Caves are often renamed for the purpose of attracting more customers. While this is condoned, all efforts should be made to retain the original name in parenthesis. [e.g., Cumberland Caverns (Higgenbotham and Henshaw Caves)].
III. DISSEMINATION OF NEW NAME
New names should be circulated as soon as possible to all interested parties, including the Cave Names Committee of the NSS Section of Cave Geology and Geography, to avoid possible duplication and extra names.
6-28-84
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