- US cities like New York and Los Angeles have long and storied histories.
- Before they were the iconic cities everyone knows, they had different names.
- A penny toss determined the name of Portland, Oregon, while the English named Boston and New York after English cities.
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New York wasn’t always an island of tightly wound cars and skyscrapers. Los Angeles wasn’t always a sprawl covering California in bright lights. Over time, cities are founded, and then go on to change and evolve.
Ever heard of Terminus or New Amsterdam? What about Swilling’s Mill? While you might not know those names, we’re sure you know their modern-day monikers.
Can you guess what your favorite city used to be called?
What city was almost incorporated under the name Flagler?
This city was almost named after oil tycoon Henry Flagler, who transformed the surrounding countryside with luxury resort hotels and a railway service. When the town was incorporated in 1896, the citizens voted to name the town after him.
The city is now called ... Miami, Florida.
Flager declined the citizens' offer to have the city named in his honor, suggesting instead they use the Tequesta Native American name for the area: Mayaimi.
What city was known as Charles Town from 1670 to 1783?
In 1670, the settlement was founded by English colonists who wanted to honor King Charles II by naming the town in his honor.
The city is now known by the shortened name of ... Charleston, South Carolina.
After the Revolutionary War and brief stint of English occupation, the city was renamed in 1783 to the shortened Charleston.
What US city was once known as New Amsterdam?
New Amsterdam was founded as a Dutch settlement, and served as a seat of government for the New Netherlands colony. The land was purchased from Native Americans for $24 (almost $1,000 in today's dollars), and its ownership was contested in violent confrontations for a number of years.
New Amsterdam is now known as ... New York City.
The Big Apple got its name when it passed into English hands in 1664. King Charles II gave his brother the Duke of York ownership and New York was born, named after the famous British city of York.
What city was known in Spanish as "the town of the Queen of Angels"?
This "angelic" city was founded by the Spanish in 1781, and there's been some debate on the exact translation of the city's original name.
It's none other than the City of Angels ... Los Angeles, California.
The city of movie stars and celebrities officially joined the United States of America in April 1850. After the Mexican-American War, settlers flocked to California, specifically Los Angeles, looking for gold.
What city was known to colonists as Trimount?
The city got its name due to a large hill with three peaks that was later cut down to fill in the surrounding bays.
Trimount was renamed ... Boston, Massachusetts.
When the Puritan colonists sailed over the Atlantic led by John Winthrop in the 1630s, they re-named the city Boston, after the city of the same name in England.
What city was called Losantiville in the 1700s?
A combination of Greek, Latin, and French, Losantiville received its named due to its position opposite the mouth of the Licking River.
It's now known as ... Cincinnati, Ohio.
Cincinnati was named by the territorial governor Arthur St. Clair in 1790. He wanted to honor the Society of Cincinnati, a group of Revolutionary War veterans with which he was involved.
The word "Cincinnati" itself is a reference to a Roman leader, Lucius Cincinnatus. Cincinnatus is best known for receiving absolute power, essentially a dictatorship, during a time of war - but as soon as the war was over, he renounced his power and retired.
What city was once known as Terminus, and then later as Marthasville?
The city was unofficially called Terminus because it was the end of the railroad line, but Governor Wilson Lumpkin hated the moniker. He renamed the city Marthasville after his daughter.
Marthasville became ... Atlanta, Georgia.
The city formerly known as Terminus continued have strong ties to the railroad industry. In fact, it was named "Atlanta" by railroad engineer J. Edgar Thompson. The name is thought to be a feminine version of Atlantica-Pacifica, another train reference.
What city formed around the neighborhood called Vieux Carré in the 1700s?
Founded by Jean Baptiste Le Moyne in 1718, the original town consisted of an outpost for soldiers, merchants, slaves, and river men. The city soon became known as a cultural center.
Maybe the French gave it away ... it's New Orleans, Louisiana.
New Orleans grew around the Vieux Carré, or the French Quarter as it's more commonly known today. Settlers called the city Nouvelle-Orléans in honor of the Duke of Orleans, Philippe II.
What city was originally known as Jernigan?
During the Second Seminole War, the United States established Fort Gatlin to defend against attacks from Native Americans. By 1840, a community had grown around the fort called Jernigan, after the family who were the first permanent settlers in the area.
Jernigan is now better known as ... Orlando, Florida.
The origin of Orlando is shrouded in both myth and legend. There are at least four different stories accounting for the city's name. One involved the town being named after a character from Shakespeare's "As You Like It." Another involved a settler named Orlando who fell ill on his way to Tampa and died where the future city would be built, causing passersby to remark, "There lies Orlando."
What city was once known as Swilling's Mill?
The area was originally populated by the Hohokam people for more than 2,000 years - but a drought is thought to have driven them from the land. "Hohokam" translates to "the people who have gone."
Years later, Confederate veteran Jack Swilling found the area in 1867, and thought it would make a good location for farming.
It now has the more mythical name of ... Phoenix, Arizona.
The name Phoenix was suggested by a man named Phillip Darrell Duppa, who reportedly said, "A new city will spring phoenix-like upon the ruins of a former civilization" - just like Swilling's Mill. It was made official in 1868.
What city formed from a small settlement called The Clearing?
The current-day name of the city came down to a penny toss between two settlers who wanted to name the settlement after where they were from.
That coin toss led to ... Portland, Oregon.
Francis Pettygrove, who was from Portland, Maine, clearly won the penny toss, but there was a 50/50 chance Oregon's famous city might have been called Boston instead.
What US city originally went by the name Yerba Buena?
The city was a trading post for ships from all over. Yerba Buena is a plant indigenous to the area.
Yerba Buena is now called ... San Francisco, California.
In 1847, the name changed to San Francisco after the city was taken over by American troops during the Mexican-American War. Like Los Angeles, the gold rush drew settlers from across the country to the area.
What city originally went by the name San Miguel?
The city was discovered in 1542 by explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who gave the city its name.
It's now known as ... San Diego, California.
It would take 60 years for the name to change to San Diego in 1602. Spain built Catholic missionaries there in the late 1700s, and ownership fell to Mexico, until it became a part of the United States with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
What city originated as the riverside village of Waterloo?
The area was originally inhabited by the Tonkawa and Comanche tribes, which hunted buffalo.
The city is now called ... Austin, Texas.
In 1839, the area became the capital of the Republic of Texas and was renamed after Stephen F. Austin, who was known as the "Father of Texas."
What city developed from a settlement called Cowford?
The area called Cowford was originally inhabited by the Timucua tribe. In 1562, French settlers built a fort in the area called Fort Caroline but were invaded by the Spanish six years later, who renamed it San Matteo.
Britain then seized control of the region in the 18th century and named it Cowford.
This city is now called ... Jacksonville, Florida.
In 1822, Jacksonville was named after future president Andrew Jackson - he was the military governor of the Florida territory at the time.
There's no record of Jackson ever visiting his namesake city.
What city was once known as New York-Alki?
The first pioneers in 1851 named the settlement "New York-Alki" in honor of New York City.
It's better known as ... Seattle, Washington.
The name Seattle derives from a local Native American chief, Sealth.