Knowing place names is not the essence of geography, but some knowledge of names of geographical locations is widely considered to be basic information. Whether used in general cultural literacy, lighthearted Trivial Pursuit, educational sixth grade social studies, or serious debates on world events, place names and their locations are assumed to be known. At the college level of world regional geography courses, five books with lists of place names are in print by geographers: Fuson; MacKinnon; Pontius and Woodward; DiLisio; and Stoltman. Those five sources plus place name lists by P.S. Anderson and from Hirsch reveal similarities and diversities in their content. A core list of place names is presented with several cross-classifications by region, type of geographic feature, and grade level of students. The results reveal a logical progression of complexity that could assist geography educators to increase student learning and avoid duplication of efforts. There will never be complete agreement about any listing of the core geographical place names, but the presented lists are intended to stimulate discussion along constructive avenues. (Author)