The Europeans that went to America were the ones doing that though
A lot of the time they didn’t even bother appending “New.” We have way too many Berlins, Manchesters, Lebanons, etc.
Our native-inspired place names are the superior place names, anyway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_place_names_of_Native_American_origin_in_the_United_StatesThanks for that! What a good idea for a road trip.
Funny you should say that
https://www.npr.org/2017/04/29/526157972/lebanese-photographer-visits-u-s-cities-named-lebanon
Meanwhile, the Americans that didn’t even put “new” in front of the city name and just called it Paris, Texas or some shit.
That’s a completely original name! Do you think Texans know anything about France?
Isn’t it named after a girl in a sex tape?
Yes actually. Paris Motel or something like that.
I can visit almost every continent without even leaving my state!
Greetings from Naples Florida
London, Ontario is one of the worst ones, and it’s not even in the US.
I mean, it’s a bunch of immigrants naming things after their home. Or it’s a bunch colonists claiming things… For their home.
Laughs in Newcastle, Newmarket, Newport, Newbury, Newton and Newspaper
My hamster lives in Newspaper!
I guess every crap he takes is newsworthy!
And then there’s the Amish, who gave their towns names like Intercourse and Bird in Hand.
People have always had a lack of creativity.
When the Greeks were settling around the Mediterranean they founded many ‘New Cities’, (Neapolis). One remained a ‘new city’ for long enough for the name to evolve to Naples.
The Phoenicians did the same, in their language ‘New City’ was Qart Hadasht, we now call it Carthage. One of the Carthages in what is now Spain was conquered by Rome and to differentiate it from the Capital of the Carthaginians they called it Carthago Nova, essentially New New City.
New new city - final - fixed - rev 3 - last.xlsx
Also the city of Nabeul in Tunisia and Nablus in Palestine also share the same etymology as Naples.
There’s something beautiful about ancient cities being named “new city”
Even old New York used to be New Amsterdam…
Why they changed it?
I can’t say, people just liked it better that way.
Originally Dutch colony, then English colony
Istanbul, not Constantinople!
It’s weird they went with new instead of better. Maybe they weren’t very optimistic.
Better York
Less Crappy Orleans
Marginally Improved Haven
Or more accurately Great Britain should just be OK Britain.
Lets be honest here, great Britain should be called below standard Britain.
Fun fact: Britain was called great to differentiate it from ‘little’ or ‘lesser’ Britain, with theories go between Ireland and Brittany
Sometimes in colonial America, people named things in honor a Duke who funded/controlled the place.
For example, after NY was captured from the Dutch, it was a proprietary colony of the Duke of York.
Better York sounds like it’s just antagonistic towards the guy.
Uhhh, buddy? Most of those were Europeans born in “city name” who moved and founded “new city name” because they were born in “city name.” This is a you thing.
But obviously pronounced wrong.
New Prague, MN, for example (/nu pɹeɪg/)
I literally just used new prague as an example to my fiance over Christmas, about how we are super unoriginal in naming places in this country. Also hello fellow Minnesotan.
New Praha, MN
Tbf a lot of the ‘new[city]’ was given their names by the British empire expanding their land. Just look at Australian state names… The Americans doing this in more recent times are simply following suit.
texas didnt even bother adding the “new”
Also Canada did this a bunch too
New Zealand, named by America.
No New Shitterton, though. :(
*Europeans naming cities in America
