A fact from Lake Abert appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 7 March 2010 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
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If, as the first sentence proposes, "Lake Abert [is] more commonly known as Abert Lake", why is this article not known as Abert Lake with a redirect from Lake Abert? Ericoides (talk) 16:19, 27 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Using the official name seemed more appropriate for a wiki-article title since that's what you'd find on USGS map. I've created a re-direct from "Abert Lake" so anyone using the common name can find article just as easily.--Orygun (talk) 18:18, 27 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
1. Surely the most commonly used name should be used. 2. If it isn't, and I can see that there will be cases when it won't be, then for consistency in the article the name used as the article title (ie Lake Abert) should be used throughout per Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style#Internal_consistency. At the moment Abert Lake is being used in addition to Lake Abert. 3. Where is Lake Abert called the "official name" (this is a genuine enquiry as I don't know the answer)? Ericoides (talk) 18:43, 27 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The explorer John C. Fremont, who named the lake, called it “Lake Abert” in his 1843 jounal. (See: 20 December 1843 journal entry by John C. Fremont (Brevet Captain of the Topographical Engineers), Narrative of the exploring expedition to the Rocky mountains in the year 1842, and to Oregon and North California in the years 1843-44, D. Appleton & Company, New York, New York, 1849, pp. 125-126.) In addition, the United States Geological Survey records the lake as “Lake Abert” on their official topographical map. (See: Oregon topographic map, United States Geological Survey, United States Department of Interior, Reston, Virginia). Finally, the Oregon Geographic Names Board is responsible for recording names of geographic features within the state. The Oregon Historical Society, which has had legal responsibility for the board since 1959, also publishes Oregon Geographic Names, a 4-inch thick volume that records the history of Oregon place-names. The Seventh Edition of OGN, lists "Lake Abert" on page 552 under “L” for lake while “Abert Rim” is on page 5 under “A” for Abert. (See: MacArthur, Lewis A. and Lewis L. McArthur, Oregon Geographic Names (Seventh Edition), Oregon Historical Society Press, Portland, Oregon, 2003, p. 552.)--Orygun (talk) 23:31, 27 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, the more commonly used name, not the 'official' name is what should be used. Maybe this could all be avoided by saying "also known as Abert Lake" rather than "commonly known as Abert Lake". tedder (talk) 23:10, 28 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Done--Orygun (talk) 23:24, 28 February 2010 (UTC)