List_of_city_name_changes

List of city name changes

List of city name changes

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This is a list of cities and towns whose names were officially changed at one or more points in history. It does not include gradual changes in spelling that took place over long periods of time.

see also: Geographical renaming, List of names of European cities in different languages, and List of renamed places in the United States

Afghanistan

Algeria

Angola

Argentina

  • La Plata → Ciudad Eva Perón → La Plata
  • Ciudad de la Santísima Trinidad y Puerto de Santa María del Buen Aire → Buenos Aires

Armenia

Australia

New South Wales

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

Western Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bangladesh

Belarus

Belgium

Bolivia

Botswana

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Brazil

Brunei

Bulgaria

  • RatiariaArchar
  • Asenovgrad → Stanimaka → Asenovgrad
  • Scaptopara → Cuma-i Bala (Yukarı Cuma) → Gorna Dzhumaya → Blagoevgrad
  • Orhanie → Botevgrad
  • Pyrgos → Burgaz →Burgas
  • Hadzhioglu Pazardzhik → Tolbuhin → Dobrich
  • Dupniche → Marek → Stanke Dimitrov → Dupnitsa
  • Nevrokop → Gotse Delchev
  • Ortaköy → Ivailovgrad
  • Pautalia → Velbazhd → Köstendil → Kyustendil
  • Golyama Kutlovitsa → Kutlofça → Ferdinand → Mihailovgrad → Montana
  • Mesembria → Misivri→ Nesebar
  • Tatar Pazardzhik → Pazardzhik
  • Kendros (Kendrisos/Kendrisia) → Odryssa → Eumolpia → Philipopolis → Trimontium → Ulpia → Flavia → Julia → Paldin/Ploudin → Poulpoudeva → Filibe → Plovdiv
  • Anchialos → Tuthom → Anhyolu → Anhialo → Pomorie
  • Ruschuk (Rusčuk) → Rousse
  • Şumnu → Shumen → Kolarovgrad → Shumen
  • Durostorum → Dorostol → Drastar → Silistre → Silistra
  • Bashmakli → Ahiçelebi → Smolyan
  • Serdica → Sredets → Triaditsa → Sofya →Sofia
  • Beroe → Vereya (Beroya) → Ulpia Augusta Trajana → Irinopolis → Boruy → Vereya → Eski Zağra → Zheleznik → Stara Zagora
  • Golyamo Konare → Saedinenie
  • Eski Dzhumaia (Eski Cuma) → Targovishte
  • Vassiliko → Tsarevo → Michurin → Tsarevo
  • Odesos → Varna → Stalin → Varna
  • Tarnovgrad → Tarnovo → Tırnova → Tarnovo → Veliko Tarnovo
  • Bononia → Bdin → Vidin

Canada

Alberta

British Columbia

Manitoba

New Brunswick

Nunavut

Ontario

Prince Edward Island

Québec

Saskatchewan

Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

  • Amoy† → Hsia-men† → Xiamen
  • Ji → Yanjing → Zhongdu → Dadu → Jingshi → Khanbalik (as Mongol capital) → Peking † → Peiping → Beijing
  • Fenghao (豐鎬) → Chang'an (長安) or Xijing (西京) → Daxing (大興) → Fengyuan (奉元) → Anxi (安西) → Jingzhao (京兆) → Xi'an (西安)
  • Iling → Ichang† → Yichang
  • Jiankang → Jiangning → Jinling → Nanking† → Nanjing
  • Bianliang → Bianjing → Kaifeng
  • Lin'an → Hangchow† → Hangzhou
  • Soochow† → Suzhou
  • Yinxu → Anyang
  • Shenyang → Shengjing → Fengtianfu → Mukden → Fengtian → Shenyang
  • Ch'ing-ni-wa → Lüshunkou (aka Port Arthur) → Dalnyi → Dairen; Ryojun → Lüda→ Dalian
  • Kweisui† → Guisui → Hohhot
  • Tihua† → Dihua → Ürümqi
  • Changchun → Hsinking → Changchun

†Name change in English due to replacement of postal romanization with the pinyin system. The Chinese name is unchanged.

Colombia

  • Bacatá → Santa Fe de Bacatá → Bogotá → Santa Fe de Bogotá → Bogotá
  • Obando → Puerto Inírida → Inirida
  • Patriarca San José → Cúcuta → San José de Cucúta → Cúcuta
  • Valle de Upar → Ciudad de los Santos Reyes de Valledupar → Valle Dupar → Valledupar
  • Nuestra Señora Santa María de los Remedios del Cabo de la Vela → Nuestra Señora de los Remedios del Río de la Hacha → Riohacha
  • Barbudo → Santiago de Sompayón → Tamalameque → Santiago de Sompayón Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de El Banco → El Banco
  • San Jerónimo de Buenavista → Pereira
  • Apiay → Villavicencio
  • Pueblo Viejo → San Francisco de Quibdó → Quibdó
  • San Bonifacio de Ibagué del valle de las Lanzas → Ibagué
  • Villaviciosa de la Concepción de la Provincia de Hatunllacta → Villaviciosa de la Concepción de San Juan de los Pastos → San Juan de Pasto
  • San Antonio → Leticia
  • Santa Cruz de Pizarro → Santa Cruz de San José → Sitionuevo → Sitio Nuevo
  • Villa Holguín → Armenia

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Republic of the Congo

Croatia

Czech Republic

Dominican Republic

  • Santo Domingo → Ciudad Trujillo (1936–1961) → Santo Domingo

Egypt

Many cities had Ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Latin names

  • Iunyt, Ta-senet → Latopolis → Laton → Lato → Esna

Equatorial Guinea

  • Port Clarence → Santa Isabel → Malabo

Estonia

Eswatini

Finland

  • Kokkola/Gamlakarleby → Kokkola/Karleby (1977, only the Swedish name changed)
  • Mustasaari/Mussor → Wasa → Nikolaistad/Nikolainkaupunki → Vasa/Vaasa
  • Pargas/Parainen → Väståboland/Länsi-Turunmaa (2009) → Pargas/Parainen (2012)
  • Pyhäjärvi → Pyhäsalmi (1993) → Pyhäjärvi (1996)

France

See also List of French cities renamed during the Revolution [fr]

Most cities had an ancient name, usually in Latin, often of older Celtic origin

The Gambia

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Greenland

  • Friedrichstal → Frederiksdal → Narsarmijit (Narsaq Kujalleq)
  • Godthaab (Godthåb) → Nuuk
  • Lichtenau → Alluitsoq
  • Lichtenfels → Akunnat
  • Neu-Herrnhut → Nye-Hernhut → Noorlit → Old Nuuk

Guyana

  • Wismar-MacKenzie-Christianburg → Linden

Hong Kong

Hungary

India

Indonesia

Iran

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Japan

Jordan

  • Rabbath Ammon → Philadelphia → Amman → Ahamant → Amman
  • Kerak → Al-Karak

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Kyrgyzstan

Laos

  • Xiang Dong Xiang Thong → Vientiane (1561) → Luang Phra Bang (1695) → Vientiane
  • Nakhon Kala Champaknaburisi → Nakhon Champa Nakhaburisi (1713) → Nakhon Champasak (1791) → Champasak [Bassac] (1863) → Pakse (1908)

Latvia

Lebanon

  • Heliopolis → Baalbek
  • Derbly, Ahlia, Wahlia, Mahallata, Mayza, Kayza, Athar (Phoenician/Assyrian) → Tripolis (Greek, Latin) → Atrabulus, Tarablus al-Sham (Arabic) → Trablusşam (Turkish) → Tripoli

Libya

  • Oea → Tripoli
  • Euesperides → Berenice → Hesperides → Barneeq → Marsa ibn Ghazi → Bani Ghazi → Benghazi

Lithuania

Madagascar

Malawi

Mauritius

  • Port Louis → Port de La Montagne (1794) → Port Nord-Ouest (1795) → Port Napoléon (1803) → Port Louis (1810)

Malaysia

Mexico

Republic of Moldova

Montenegro

  • Berane → Ivangrad (1949) → Berane (1992)
  • Birziminium → Ribnica → Podgorica (1326) → Titograd (1946) → Podgorica (1992)

Morocco

Mozambique

Myanmar

In many cases, the English name of the city changed due to different romanization systems, while the Burmese native remained unchanged.

Namibia

Netherlands

North Korea

†Japanese name during Korea under Japanese rule (1910–1945). The Korean name is unchanged.

North Macedonia

Norway

  • Ánslo → Christiania (1624) → Oslo (1925)
  • Kaupangen → Nidaros → Trondhjem → Nidaros → Trondheim
  • Fredrikshald → Halden
  • Bjørgvin → Bergen

Pakistan

Peru

  • Ciudad de los Reyes → Lima
  • San Pablo de Napeanos → Iquitos

Paraguay

Philippines

Poland

1 Cities in western Poland whose names were changed when Poland gained independence from Germany in 1918.
2 German cities from 1918 to 1939 that became part of Poland after 1945.

Portugal

Romania

Russia

Serbia

Seychelles

Singapore

Name change in English due to replacement of older romanization methods with the pinyin system. The Chinese name is unchanged.

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

South Korea

  • Cheju (1397) → Jeju
  • Dalgubeol → Taegu (757 AD) → Daegu
  • Dongrae (before 1914) → Fusan (1914) → Pusan† (1945) → Busan
  • Duingji-hyeon → Yŏn'gi → Yeongi‡ → Sejong (2012)
  • Usisan → Uhwa → Heungrye-bu → Gonghwa-hyeon → Ulju (1018 AD) → Ulsan (1413)
  • Hanbat → Taejŏn → Daejeon
  • Mujin → Muju → Kwangju → Gwangju
  • Hansanju → Hanyang → HanseongGyeongseong/Keijō (1910) → Seoul (1945)
  • Michuhol → Soseong-hyeon → Gyeongwon-bu → Inch'ŏn (1413) → Jinsen† (1910) → Chemulpo (1945)→ Inch'ŏn (1945) → Incheon
  • Ungjin → Kongju → Gongju
  • Silchon-eup → Gonjiam-eup (Gwangju, Gyeonggi) (2011)
  • Doam-myeon → Daegwallyeong-myeon (Pyeongchang) (2007)

†Japanese name during Korea under Japanese rule (1910–1945). The Korean name is unchanged.
‡Name change in English due to replacement McCune-Reischauer with the Revised Romanization method in 2000. The Korean name is unchanged.

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Syria

  • Beroea → Aleppo
  • Balanea (Greek, Latin) → Baniyas (Arabic)
  • Emesa → Homs
  • (H)Amat(h)(a) (Aramean, Assyrian) → Epiphania → Epiphania, Emath(oùs) (Greek) → Hamath → Hama
  • Laodicea ad MareLatakia
  • PalmyraTadmor
  • Rasaappa, Rasappa, Rasapi (Akadian) → Sergiopolis → Anastasiopolis (Greek, Latin) → Risapa, Rosafa (Latin) → Resafa (Arabic)

Taiwan

†Chinese name unchanged.

Tajikistan

Tanzania

Thailand

Turkey

Turkmenistan

Ukraine

United Kingdom

England

Scotland

Northern Ireland

United States

Alaska

Arizona

  • Swilling's Mill → Hellinwg Mill → Mill City → East Phoenix → Phoenix

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

  • Terminus → Marthasville → Atlanta

Idaho

Illinois

[7]

Iowa

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Nebraska

Nevada

  • Horn Silver → Hornsilver → Goldpoint → Gold Point

New Hampshire

  • Derryfield → Manchester
  • Hilton's Pointe → Cochecho → Northam → Dover
  • Nashuway → Nashville → Nashua
  • Number Two → Middle Monadnock → Monadnock → Jaffrey
  • Nutfield → Londonderry
  • Plantation of Penney Cook → Penney Cook → Pennacook → Rumford → Concord
  • Piscatiqua → Strawberry Hill → Portsmouth
  • Suncook → Pembroke
  • Winnacunnet → Hampton

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

*Name used by the United States Board on Geographic Names from 1891 to 1911. The name used by the city in its official documents and on its seal was unchanged.

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin

Uzbekistan

Venezuela

Vietnam

  • Tourane → Đà Nẵng
  • Djiring → Di Linh
  • Tống Bình → Long Đỗ → Đại La → Thăng Long → Đông Đô → Đông Kinh → Bắc Thành → Thăng Long → Hà Nội (Hanoi)
  • Hai Pho → Faifo → Hội An
  • Prey Nokor → Gia Định → Sài Gòn (Saigon) → Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh (Ho Chi Minh City)
  • Phu Xuan → Huế
  • Ke Van → Ke Vinh → Vinh Giang → Vinh Doanh → Vinh Thi → Vinh

Zambia

Zimbabwe

See also


Sources and references

  • Westermann, Großer Atlas zur Weltgeschichte (in German)
  • Of Bangalore, Bengaluru and Belagavi[15]
  • "Pandektis: Name Changes of Settlements in Greece". Archived from the original on 10 March 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009. List compiled by the (Greek) National Documentation Centre (EKT)
  1. "Ballarat History". Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  2. "City of Melbourne - History and heritage". Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  3. "Robbinsville History". www.robbinsville-twp.org. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  4. "Handbook of Texas". Tshaonline.org. 11 August 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  5. "Between the Forks | Irving, TX - Official Website". City of Irving – Irving Archives.
  6. Spanish Texas, Texas State Historical Society: The Handbook of Texas Online
  7. Patoski, Joe Nick "It's Just Different Here", Preservation, July/August 2010, page 38
  8. Laura Arksey (3 October 2009), "Spokane Falls (later renamed Spokane) is incorporated as a first-class city on November 29, 1881.", HistoryLink, Seattle: History Ink, The original Act of Incorporation spelled the city's name correctly, but the territorial printing office incorrectly spelled it as Spokan Falls, a phonetic spelling that was used elsewhere during the period, including on the 1880 census. This spelling was also used for Spokane's first newspaper, the Spokan Times.

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