Some of America’s biggest cities weren’t always called what they are today. Their original names reflected colonial powers, railroads, geography, or local history before being replaced with names that became famous worldwide.
1. New York City — New Amsterdam
Before the British took control in 1664, New York was the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam.
When England captured the colony, it was renamed New York in honor of the Duke of York, who later became King James II. The new name remained, while the city’s Dutch origins are still visible in parts of Lower Manhattan.
2. Atlanta — Terminus
Atlanta began as the endpoint of the Western & Atlantic Railroad and was simply called Terminus.
As the settlement grew, it briefly became Marthasville before city leaders chose the shorter, more modern-sounding name “Atlanta” in 1847.
3. San Francisco — Yerba Buena
The settlement that became San Francisco was originally called Yerba Buena, named after a fragrant plant that grew throughout the area.
In 1847, as the region prepared for rapid growth, officials changed the name to San Francisco, just before the California Gold Rush transformed it into a booming city.
4. Chicago — Checagou
The name Chicago evolved from Indigenous words that early French explorers recorded as Checagou or similar spellings.
The original term referred to the wild garlic or onions that grew in the wetlands surrounding the area before the spelling gradually evolved into today’s Chicago.
5. Phoenix — Mill City
Before becoming Phoenix, the small settlement was briefly known as Mill City.
When residents voted on a permanent name in the 1870s, they chose Phoenix because the new town had risen from the ruins of the ancient Hohokam civilization that had once flourished there.
6. Cincinnati — Losantiville
Founded in 1788, the community was originally called Losantiville.
A few years later, territorial governor Arthur St. Clair renamed it Cincinnati to honor the Society of the Cincinnati, a group of Revolutionary War officers led by George Washington.
