History Main / DescriptiveVille

Instead of genuine, unique names, we get locations whose names consist of just a noun and a variation of ''City'' behind them, that are named after the species that inhabits it, after nearby landmarks, or the main purpose they serve.

Note: Not every city whose name ends in ''City'' is an example of this trope. Even if the name appears to be unimaginative, if it is justified or explained by the backstory, it is not an example of this trope.

* In Japan and probably China. Kyoto: capital city. Tokyo: Eastern capital. Beijing: the characters mean "North Capital" (as the opposite to Nanjing, "Southern capital"). Maybe because Chinese characters force you to have meaningful names, while phonetic alphabets allow a place name's meaning to get lost once the pronunciation changes.
* I'd also add Indianapolis and Kansas City to the list of RealLife examples.

* Under St.Petersburg there's "Tsarskoye Selo" - "Royal Village". Guess where was the country seat of Russian monarchs?

* Battery Park, NY is a place where the US army mounted it's artillery at one time.
* ''Burg'' is a germanic word, meaning fortress. Historically people would settle near fortresses, both for the trade and to have somewhere to go to if raiders paid a visit. Hence the number of towns with "burg" in their name.

* [[SinglePaletteTown Azure City]] in ''OrderOfTheStick'', a city who is colored entirely in blue.

* Capitol City in ''TheMatrix''. When Neo was being interrogated by Smith, his birthplace was listed as "Capitol City".

* [[TheSimpsons Lisa Simpson]] rides a bus through a city called "Crackton" while trying to find her way to a museum. The town is a dump with vagrants and garbage on the streets.

* Ba Sing Se from AvatarTheLastAirbender means 'Impenetrable City', due to the giant walls surrounding it.

-->'''Gibbs: Look alive, and keep a weather eye! Not for naught it's called Shipwreck Island, where lies Shipwreck Cove and the town of Shipwreck.

-->'''Gibbs:''' You've got to admit, whatever else they say about us, we pirates aren't the most imaginative lot.
-->'''Jack:''' Definitely. Why, I once knew a man with one leg, one eye, and half an arm.
-->'''Gibbs:''' ...and what'd you call him?
-->'''Jack:''' ...[[CaptainObvious Frank]].

* Neopolis from AlanMoore's ''Top10'' series sounds no less plausible than Naples, Italy, until you break it into it's constituent parts... [[spoiler: New (Neo) City (polis)]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

* TheIncredibles live in Metroville (a ShoutOut to {{Superman}}--the name's a portmanteau of Metropolis and {{Smallville}}). Judging by the name of the bank, the opening scene takes place in Municiberg.

->''"I only wish the capital of Sweden was Swedeville, and the capital of Greece, Greekborough."''
--> -- '''Terry''', being given a lesson on capitals in ''Fattypuffs & Thinifers''

* Pleasantville, in the film of the same name.

* Neopolis from AlanMoore's ''Top10'' series, which sounds like a genuine city name until you break it into it's constituent parts... [[spoiler: New (Neo) City (polis)]]

* The titular town of ''LazyTown''

* The Capital of [[WhereTheHellIsSpringfield the state Springfield is in]] is named Capital City.
** That or everyone just calls it that so we can't figure out what city is ''really'' is, it's hard to say.

* [[DCComics DC Universe]]: Big City, Central City, [[GreenLantern Coast City]], Gay City, Gorilla City, Happy Habour, [[TheFlash Keystone City]], Midway City and Opal City,[[GreenArrow Star City]] and [[{{Superman}} Smallville]]. Metropolis has a name that just means "City".

* [[DCComics DC Universe]]: Big City, Central City, [[GreenLantern Coast City]], Gay City, Gorilla City, Happy Habour, [[TheFlash Keystone City]], Midway City and Opal City,[[GreenArrow Star City]] and [[{{Superman}} Smallville]].

* The {{Thundecats}} hail from the planet Thundara.