The article examines people’s knowledge of local place names, specifically the knowledge held by villagers in different age groups, sexes and occupational groups of the names in their own village. The village chosen for the study was Laitikkala in the parish of Pälkäne, in Häme province. Eighteen people were interviewed from three different age groups (elderly, middle-aged, young). The interviews were used to investigate not only the person’s knowledge of local place names (the number of names used and known), but also the extent of the area covered by the names. The reasons for knowing each name were also sought.

Large differences existed amongst the villagers in their knowledge of local place names. The men’s knowledge was, on average, greater than the women’s, and the older people’s greater than that of the younger villagers. Cultural names, and especially names of dwelling areas, featured strongly in the knowledge held by the women and the young. Men, on the other hand, knew more nature-related names. Age and sex were not, however, by themselves sufficient to explain knowledge of local place names, because individual differences were great. Occupation and hobbies often influenced knowledge of names more than age or sex.