When someone mentions Paris, you likely envision fashionable art museums, sidewalk cafes by the Eiffel Tower, maybe romance. Similarly, the name “New York City” probably conjures images of crowded subways, the bright lights of Times Square, and bustling city streets. But would we feel the same way about these places if they still went by their old names? Would โLutetia Parisiorum,โ the old name of the French capital, inspire you to write poetry? Would hip-hop artists proudly claim their heritage in “New Amsterdam?”
The field of toponymy studies place names, and is often a blend of history, folklore, and legend. Some city names like Greenville and Georgetown are so commonplace in the US that they’re easily forgettable. Others, like Truth or Consequences, NM and Santa Claus, IN, leap off a Google Maps page. A city’s name may evolve organically over centuries or may change from one day to the next, but city names around the world usually come about in a few similar ways.
Cities Named to Describe the Place
Some names tell you exactly what you can expect. Go to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and you will find an enormous reef serving as a barrier between the coast and sea. Likewise, the Dead Sea and Death Valley speak to how hard it is to sustain life in those environments. North Carolina’s Cape Fear earned its disconcerting moniker from the numerous shipwrecks and casualties its rocks and shoals caused.
If you’re looking for a more pleasant destination, there are numerous places known as Rainbow Falls, where cascading water refracts in the mist to create a kaleidoscope of colors. It’s also easy to imagine what you’re in for with a trip to beautiful Butterfly Valley.
Places Named After People
These are prevalent around the globe, and may be named after explorers, or more commonly, royalty. Anyone who has been to the East Coast of the US has likely been close to a Jamestown, Georgetown, or Williamsville. The nation’s capital is of course eponymous, and Washington not only got his name on the District of Columbia (whose name itself was inspired by Christopher Columbus), but his own state of Washington a hundred years later as well.
Some people-based town names are a bit more creative, such as Darwin, Australia or Ontario’s whimsical Punkeydoodles Corner, which local lore says was named after a town prankster named Punkey. And one of the longest place names in the world is also named after a person – Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitnatahu in New Zealand. Roughly translated from Maori, it means “The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who traveled about, played his nose flute to his loved one.” It is a bit of a tongue twister, but if you are trying to evoke the image of a big-kneed man playing a nose flute, it is hard to beat.
Places Named in a Different Language
A road trip across the US will have you practicing your Spanish, maybe without even realizing it. Though often pronounced quite differently, there are over a thousand towns and cities in the US whose names originally come from Spanish, including California’s four largest cities – Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose. The state of Florida (which itself means “flowery” in Spanish) is also home to many Spanish-named towns, such as the lovely Boca Raton, which roughly translates to “Mouse Mouth.”
Native American influence can still be seen on many place names as well, with some of the most famous being Manhattan (from the Lenape people) and the states of Massachusetts (Algonquian) and Mississippi (Ojibwe).
Cities Named to Attract People or for Promotion
Some bizarre names are intentional, such as California’s Zzyzx, which radio evangelist Curtis Howe Springer created as home to his restorative hot springs and health spa. The two “z’s” in the name supposedly made it “the last word in health.”
The aforementioned town of Truth or Consequences got its name from a popular radio game show of the same name. The first town to change its name to “Truth or Consequences” would get to host the program’s 10th anniversary show, and the New Mexico town formerly known as “Hot Springs” jumped at the chance. Though the trivia show went off the airwaves over half a century ago, the inimitable name remains.
Fictional Cities
Some imaginary places feel more real to us than our own local towns, and writers and creators often go to great lengths to find the perfect name for their fictional worlds. Consider Gotham City, Hogwarts, and the Upside Down. Their creators found the seemingly perfect names, a task many aspiring writers find is much harder than they’d imagined.
The struggle to avoid creating cliched place names like “Spookyville” or “Skull Island” has led to the increased popularity of place name generators. Some genres, like romance and cozy mysteries, actually prefer names that are a bit over the top, like Sleepyside and Lake Eden.
The Importance of a Place Name
Weโve got a good picture now of how most places get their names, but does it really matter if a city is named after a person, a tree, or a foreign word? Absolutely, especially when you look at it from a branding and marketing perspective.
Imagine you win an all-expenses-paid vacation to one of two destinations, sight unseen: Hog Island or Paradise Island. Paradise Island of course sounds delightful. Hog Island sounds like itโs full of pigs. The truth, however, is that they are both the same island in the Bahamas. A shrewd businessmanโs decision to change the name in 1959 helped transform the island into a premier vacation resort destination, illustrating the profound influence a placeโs name can have on its perception and allure.
