Place Names

The national place name system is primarily managed by the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture in cooperation with research institutions, the Place Names Board and the Land Board of Estonia. The national organization of place names is regulated by legal acts, which establish the rules for assigning and using place names, as well as supervision. 

The National Register of Place Names (KNR) is a national register, which collects and registers information about Estonian place names. It processes, stores and makes place names available to users.

The responsible processor of the register of place names is the Land Board of Estonia, the authorized processor is the Information Technology Center of the Ministry of the Environment. 

All official place names are registered in the place name register. In addition, unofficial place names are also recorded. The data is available in public service and X-tee service. 

The following is entered in the place name register: 

• official place names (principal name and alternative name if available) 
• unofficial place names (unofficial first place name, unofficial other names) 
• basic documents of place names 
• data of named objects (type, identifying feature in the national database holding the named object, coordinates of the feature point) 
• coordinates of the area of influence on named objects whose data are not available in any other national database 
• data submitters to the register of place names 
• applicants for data from the register of place names 

For The Estonian Address Data System, the most important objects of the place name register are the thoroughfares (e.g. street, road, alley) and address areas (e.g. former gardening cooperatives) used as address locations. The local government assigns the official place name to the address locations. 

The local government must submit the place name designation legislation to the Land Board within ten days after their establishment, the entry in the KNR is made within five days. If the place name of a thoroughfare or address area is not registered in the place name register, it cannot be used to determine official place addresses. 

Anyone can apply to register an unofficial place name. 
Similar to the legal act for determining an official place name, the proposal (application) for an unofficial place name must also include the place name, the type of name object and the location (on the attached map or with coordinates). In the case of an unofficial name, a simple written request is sufficient, which is sent to the place name register by mail (Mustamäe tee 51, 10602 Tallinn) or by e-mail (kohanimeregister@maaamet.ee). 

Place name data can also be submitted via the feedback panel of the Land Board's map application.  

Depending on the content and object of the application, the Land Board may ask the applicant for additional information before registering an unofficial name. The Land Board may also forward the request to the Place Names Board for an opinion. The Land Board can also ask the opinion of the local government. 

Submitting data to the place name register 

Land Board of Estonia, Mustamäe tee 51, Tallinn 10621 or e-mail kohanimeregister@maaamet.ee 

Questions related to place names - Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, e-mail margit.mitt@agri.ee  

Questions related to the place name register - Address data department of the Land Board of Estonia, e-mail kohanimeregister@maaamet.ee