Place Names Database

The Place Names Database maintains information on place names (geographical names or toponyms) and the corresponding geographical features - both natural and man-made.
The private version of the Database contains 186,400 names, which refer to 131,700 geographical features (data as of February 1, 2025). The information covers the entire territory of Latvia, as well as the border area of neighboring countries.

Information on the place name and the corresponding geographical feature:

  • basic information: preferred (or basic) name; other names, if any (both official and unofficial); the type of geographical feature (village, river, forest, etc.) and its condition (existing, extinct, etc.); administrative territorial affiliation (parish, city, county); location (coordinates and possibility to view it on the maps produced by the Agency);
  • additional information: data sources (maps, literature, field work, etc.)) and quotes from them; more detailed information on the name and the corresponding feature.

Public version of the Place Names Database includes data only on the territory of the Republic of Latvia.

Users are offered free of charge: basic information along with a reduced volume of additional information about the toponym and the corresponding geographic feature as well as data search and selection based on various attributes – location, type of feature, part of the name, name status (whether it is official or not etc.).

The obtained results can be viewed, downloaded or printed, thus obtaining various data sets, (for example, lakes, all features whose name contains "kalns" or whose name status is official).

Database data can be useful:

  • to ensure proper use of place names;
  • to find place names or geographical features;
  • for the approval of official place names;
  • for teaching and research work;
  • for the preparation and verification of maps and plans;
  • for the preparation of various data sets and reference materials, etc.

The Place Name Database is also available as a WMS service (for more see the WMS services).