{"id":4261,"date":"2026-05-12T21:57:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T21:57:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newstoday365.today\/?p=4261"},"modified":"2026-05-12T21:57:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T21:57:14","slug":"us-cities-that-renamed-themselves-and-the-unexpected-reasons-behind-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newstoday365.today\/?p=4261","title":{"rendered":"US Cities That Renamed Themselves and the Unexpected Reasons Behind It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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From the earliest settlers of the original 13 colonies to the pioneers who expanded west and south across America, one major challenge always came with building new communities: choosing a name for the settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many towns and cities in the United States were named after founders, nearby natural landmarks, or places the settlers had come from. However, some were given unusual or unexpected names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, many of these places were renamed\u2014sometimes more than once. The stories behind these name changes reveal how early American cities originally got their titles and the reasons those names were later replaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This collection highlights various US cities that changed names, based on votes and rankings from over 1,000 participants. The list is dynamically ordered by public voting results rather than editorial or paid influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Hot Springs \u2192 Truth or Consequences, New Mexico<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The radio and TV game show Truth or Consequences<\/em> celebrated its anniversary by asking a town to adopt its name. Hot Springs, New Mexico, agreed after a public vote in 1950, seeking to stand out from other towns with similar names. The change gained national attention when the show broadcast from the newly renamed town on April 1st.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Swilling\u2019s Mill \u2192 Phoenix, Arizona<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The settlement went through several early names such as Helling Mill and Mill City before becoming Phoenix. The final name was chosen to symbolize a new city rising from the remains of earlier Indigenous civilizations in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Losantiville \u2192 Cincinnati, Ohio<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Originally called Losantiville, a name combining Greek, Latin, and French roots, the settlement was renamed Cincinnati. It was either inspired by a governor\u2019s dislike of the original name or named after the Society of Cincinnati, which honored a Roman historical figure symbolizing civic duty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. Canebreak \u2192 Marthasville \u2192 Atlanta, Georgia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The area was first called Canebreak, then Terminus due to its railroad location, and later Marthasville. It was eventually renamed Atlanta, reflecting both a connection to rail development and honoring local influences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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5. Bronson \u2192 Kalamazoo, Michigan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Named after settler Titus Bronson, the town was later renamed due to disagreements with his beliefs. The new name, Kalamazoo, is believed to come from Indigenous language origins, with interpretations relating to boiling water or flowing rivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6. Yerba Buena \u2192 San Francisco, California<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Originally named after a local plant under Spanish and Mexican rule, Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco in 1847 to reduce confusion and align the city with official maps and regional identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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7. Jernigan \u2192 Orlando, Florida<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The early settlement of Jernigan was renamed Orlando in the mid-1800s. The origin of the new name is uncertain, with theories ranging from literary inspiration to honoring individuals or soldiers connected to the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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8. St. Jean du Vermilionville \u2192 Vermilionville \u2192 Lafayette, Louisiana<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Initially a French-named settlement, it was later renamed Lafayette in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, a hero of both the American and French Revolutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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9. Providence \u2192 Anne Arundel Towne \u2192 Annapolis, Maryland<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This settlement went through multiple name changes before becoming Annapolis, eventually named after Princess Anne, who later became Queen of England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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10. Imnizaskadan \u2192 Pig\u2019s Eye \u2192 Saint Paul, Minnesota<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The area originally had an Indigenous name before briefly being called Pig\u2019s Eye after an early settler. It was later renamed Saint Paul after a Catholic chapel established in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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11. North Tarrytown \u2192 Sleepy Hollow, New York<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In an effort to attract tourism and honor Washington Irving\u2019s famous story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow<\/em>, residents voted to change the village\u2019s name in the 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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12. Big Lick \u2192 Roanoke, Virginia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Originally named after local salt licks, Big Lick was later renamed Roanoke, reflecting regional Indigenous terminology and aligning with its growing importance as a transportation hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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13. Penacook \u2192 Rumford \u2192 Concord, New Hampshire<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The settlement changed names multiple times during colonial disputes and reorganizations, eventually becoming Concord, a name chosen to represent harmony and agreement among settlers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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14. Fort Duquesne \u2192 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After changing hands between French and British control, the settlement was renamed in honor of British statesman William Pitt, later evolving into the modern spelling Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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15. Fort Pontchartrain du Detroit \u2192 Detroit, Michigan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Founded as a French fort, the settlement\u2019s name gradually shortened over time from a long French title to simply Detroit, reflecting its location along a strait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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16. Shawmut \u2192 Boston, Massachusetts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Originally called Shawmut by Indigenous people, the settlement was renamed Boston by English settlers in honor of their hometown in England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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17. Boiling Springs Township \u2192 East Rutherford, New Jersey<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The township was briefly named after a local spring before being renamed East Rutherford following administrative changes in the late 1800s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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18. Juliet \u2192 Joliet, Illinois<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Originally named Juliet after a founder\u2019s daughter, the town was later renamed Joliet to honor French explorer Louis Jolliet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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19. Skinner\u2019s Butte \u2192 Eugene City \u2192 Eugene, Oregon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Named after early settler Eugene Skinner, the settlement evolved from Skinner\u2019s Butte to Eugene City, and eventually was shortened to Eugene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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20. La Villa de San Francisco Javier de Alburquerque \u2192 Albuquerque, New Mexico<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The city\u2019s name evolved from a long Spanish colonial title honoring nobility and royalty, eventually becoming the simplified modern name Albuquerque.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the earliest settlers of the original 13 colonies to the pioneers who expanded west and south across America, one major challenge always came with building new… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newstoday365.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newstoday365.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newstoday365.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newstoday365.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newstoday365.today\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4261"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newstoday365.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4263,"href":"https:\/\/newstoday365.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4261\/revisions\/4263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newstoday365.today\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newstoday365.today\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newstoday365.today\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}