Start with a small naming palette
Choose a handful of sounds, endings or name lengths for one community. Write down your choices alongside two example names. For an invented riverside region, you might draft “Nerrow Quay” and “Alder Reach” to explore a landscape-led style. These are creative examples, not claims about real origins or unused names.
Separate the people readers meet together
Put the main cast in one column. If several names share an opening letter, length and ending, change one feature. Read a scene containing those names and check whether you can follow the exchange without slowing down.
Give places a reason for their names
Use a landmark, occupation, local event or piece of fictional history as a starting point. Decide which explanation residents know and which one they argue about. That small disagreement can become a story detail.
Keep a naming sheet with preferred spellings, short forms and regional patterns. Add to it as you write rather than rebuilding the system every time.