Ma Bell's Officially Recommended Exchange Names

The following is a list of recommended names for dialable/quotable telephone EXchange names. It comes from AT&T/Bell's publication "Notes on Nationwide Dialing, 1955". Many cities with EXchange names had for decades been using names which are not from this list, and they were not necessarily required to change the names. These names were supposed to have been chosen such that pronouncing the name should easily identify the first two significant dialable letters of the word, as well as quoting the two letters themselves wasn't supposed to be confused with other 'like-sounding' letters which were associated with different numbers on the dial. Since this list was Ma Bell's official recommendation, it covered the entire Bell system. If you do not have a historically accurate exchange name to use for your current telephone number, you should choose one from this list.

To help foster the use of exchange names, send this list everywhere, or print out copies and hand them out on streetcorners!

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

ACademy
BAldwin
CApital
CAstle

ADams
BElmont
BEverly
CEdar
CEnter
CEntral

CHapel
CHerry
CHestnut
CHurchill
CIrcle

ALpine
BLackburn
CLearbrook
CLearwater
CLifford
CLinton

AMherst
ANdrew
COlfax
COlony
COngress

BRidge
BRoad(way)
BRown(ing)
CRestview
CRestwood

ATlantic
ATlas
ATwater
ATwood
AVenue
BUtler

AXminster
AXtel
CYpress

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

DAvenport
DAvis
EAst(gate)
FAculty
FAirfax
FAirview

DEerfield
DEwey
EDgewater
EDgewood
EDison
FEderal

DIamond
DIckens
FIeldbrook
FIeldstone
FIllmore
FIrestone

ELgin
ELliot
ELmwood
FLanders
FLeetwood

EMerson
EMpire
ENdicott
FOrest
FOxcroft

DRake
DRexel
ESsex
FRanklin
FRontier

DUdley
DUnkirk
DUpont
EVergreen
FUlton

EXbrook
EXeter
EXport
EXpress

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

GArden
GArfield
HAmilton
HArrison
HAzel

GEneral
GEneva
HEmlock
HEmpstead
IDlewood

GIbson
GIlbert
HIckman
HIckory
HIllcrest
HIlltop

GLadstone
GLencourt
GLendale
GLenview
GLobe

HObart
HOmestead
HOpkins
HOward
INgersoll

GRanite
GReenwood
GReenfield
GReenleaf
GRover
GRidley

HUbbard
HUdson
HUnter
HUntley
HUxley
IVanhoe

GYpsy
HYacinth
HYatt

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

JAckson
LAfayette
LAkeside
LAkeview
LAmbert
LAwrence

JEfferson
KEllogg
KEystone
LEhigh
LEnox

KImball
KIngsdale
KIngswood
LIberty
LIncoln
LInden

(In 1955, this
was reserved
for radio
telephone
numbers)

JOhn
JOrdan
LOcust
LOgan
LOwell

(In 1955, this
was reserved
for radio
telephone
numbers)

JUniper
JUno
JUstice
LUdlow
LUther

LYceum
LYndhurst
LYnwood
LYric

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

MAdison
MAin
MArket
MAyfair
NAtional

MEdford
MElrose
MErcury
NEptune
NEwton
NEwtown

MIdway
MIlton
MIssion
MItchell
NIagara

OLdfield
OLive
OLiver
OLympia
OLympic

MOhawk
MOntrose
MOrris
NOrmandy
NOrth(field)

ORange
ORchard
ORiole
ORleans
OSborne

MUrdock
MUrray
MUseum
MUtual
OVerbrook
OVerland

MYrtle
OWen
OXbow
OXford

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

PAlace
PArk(view)
PArk(way)
RAndolph
RAymond
SAratoga

PErshing
REd(field)
REd(wood)
REgent
REpublic

PIlgrim
PIoneer
RIver(side)
RIver(view)
SHadyside
SHerwood

PLateau
PLaza
PLeasant
PLymouth
SKyline

POplar
POrter
ROckwell
ROger(s)
SOuth(field)

PRescott
PResident
PRospect
SPring
SPruce

STate
STerling
STillwell
STory
SUnset

PYramid
SWathmore
SWift
SWinburne
SYcamore

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

TAlbot
TAlmadge
TAylor
VAlley
VAndyke

TEmple
TEnnyson
TErminal
TErrace
VErnon

THornwell
TIlden
VIctor(ia)
VIking
VInewood

ULrick
ULster
ULysses

TOwnsend
UNderhill
UNion
UNiversity
VOlunteer

TRemont
TRiangle
TRinity
TRojan
UPtown

TUcker
TUlip
TUrner
TUxedo

TWilight
TWinbrook
TWinoaks
TWining

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

WAbash
WAlker
WAlnut
WArwick
WAverly

WEbster
WElls
WEllington
WEst(more)
YEllowstone

WHitehall
WHitney
WIlliam(s)
WIlson
WIndsor

(In 1955, this
was reserved
for radio
telephone
numbers)

WOodland
WOodlawn
WOodward
WOrth
YOrktown

(In 1955, this
was reserved
for radio
telephone
numbers)

YUkon

WYandotte
WYndown
WYman

Special thanks to Mark Cuccia for finding & posting this information to the TELECOM-Digest email journal (comp.dcom.telecom) - Robert Crowe

last update: 13 December 1996