GeoNames Forum

We are having some difficulty using the alternate names data, particularly for non-English names. We have found that the "preferred" names are often long and awkward, e.g., "República Popular China".

As such, we have generally been using the short names when available, but these occasionally are not the common name. For instance, Петербург (Petersburg) rather than Санкт-Петербург (Saint Petersburg).

The names without a flag tend to be less maintained and there is no way to automatically pick between them when presented with multiple options.

Is there a recommended way of getting the common name for a location?

Thanks,

Greg