I would probably allow either.
How about Linguistics?
Local. Geography doesn't fit to me
Yeah I could see either.
Local. Geography doesn't fit to me
Well considering this
Identify a creature’s ethnicity or accent Geography 10
I figure its a good bet. Not too sure about linguistics though naming conventions are more regional than language based.
Knowledge (local): legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, humanoids.
Linguistics: You can speak multiple languages, and can decipher nearly any tongue given enough time.
While Knowledge (Geography) would be good to identify a creature's culture/region of origin based on their appearance, I don't think it would as easily identify that information based solely on the name like would Linguistics.
On the other hand, I know where Japan is, what a typical Japanese person looks like, and have a general idea of Japanese sounding names. Skills are rarely discrete; they bleed over into one another.
I think Linguistics would be a DC 10 if it is a fairly large region (like Germany, Japan, India). But the DC would go up as the region gets smaller/more remote. I would cap the DC at 20 unless we're talking about a completely isolated culture (e.g. unencountered Amazonian tribe).
For Knowledge (Geography) or Knowledge (Local), I'd increase the DC by 2 or 3 because they aren't as directly tied to language as is Linguistics; so 12 or 13 to start.
I think history should get a nod, too. Etymology and genealogy are both topics of history.
I was also going to add history as a possible skill too. Knowledge local, geography, and history might help you know different information about the name.
History could tell you (possibly) when the name first came about and how it was enshrined in such an important cultural concept.
Geography could tell you exactly what region the name originated in, not just a country.
Knowledge local...well because it's about know about stuff in places. I've always found it weird that knowledge local is one skill instead of many skills about different places, but it is what it is.
I vote geography for its "Identify a creature’s ethnicity or accent" entry on the typical Knowledge uses table that Talonhawke pointed out.