It is often claimed that proper names are not translated. This is clearly no the case for names of institutions, which often have official equivalents in various foreign languages, but there seems to be a lack of discussion on the principles which govern this translation. This study intends to provide some guidelines for translating names of institutions, derived form the observation of current practice, particularly in Europe, using the Internet as a megacorpus, translations of institutions (political, economic and educational) were examined on an international and European, national, regional (and - for France - departmental) and local level. It appears that the international level is the most and the local the least systematic in both providing translation or not, and in the form this translation takes. A series of recommendations are put forward for local institutions contemplating a translation of their names.