The North Carolina BGN and the
United States BGN work together to develop official names that are required-use on federal products and are adopted by other non-federal organizations for use in mapping projects and databases. The database that results through this process is known as the Geographic Names Information System, or GNIS.
GNIS is a searchable database and is acknowledged by the GICC as the official North Carolina names repository.
Many features in North Carolina, especially streams, are unnamed. The NC BGN and the US BGN welcome suggestions that can be advanced through the two-year process to adopt and record a feature name. Locally-accepted names are in the GNIS since the process involves input from people who live in that community.
The
Charter for the NC Board on Geographic Names describes the purpose and membership.
Staff support is provided by
David Giordano (919.754.6585).