# Place names that were better before they changed them **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 10, 2023, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353 "2023-10-10T11:37:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/1 "2023-10-10T11:37:27Z")
Zaire is a great name. Unique, cool sounding. You know what’s not cool sounding? Democratic Republic of the Congo. MAJOR LAME! Byzantium is better than both Constantinople (too long) and Istanbul (an ugly word). Offer up your own name changes that were a downgrade. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/2 "2023-10-10T12:53:45Z")
Cape Canaveral was renamed Cape Kennedy and then they rightfully changed it back. For the most part, I think “Why did the old place shed its cloak? That’s nobody’s business but the local folk.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/3 "2023-10-10T12:59:10Z")
Aquinnah is a better name than Gay Head, but I still miss having a town named Gay Head. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/4 "2023-10-10T13:12:37Z")
I always thought Upper Volta was an awesome name for a country. Then they changed it to Burkina Faso. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/5 "2023-10-10T13:15:40Z")
I prefer Swaziland to Eswatini. I like Z’s. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/6 "2023-10-10T13:33:13Z")
I always liked the sound of Bechuanaland over Botswana. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/7 "2023-10-10T13:37:47Z")
All my elementary school Health classes and junior high Biology classes named the part of the heart that is now called the “atrium” as the “auricle”. I like auricle better, it goes with ventricle (the big pump below) and it doesn’t sound like the foyer of somebody’s apartment complex. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/8 "2023-10-10T13:41:59Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > I always thought Upper Volta was an awesome name for a country. Then they changed it to Burkina Faso. Don’t knock “Burkina Faso”, it’s specially funny in Rioplatense Spanish were “Faso” means “Spliff”, “Joint” ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/9 "2023-10-10T13:42:18Z")
Huh, if i had to vote, i would pick Botswana. Easier to say, and kinda of prettier. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/10 "2023-10-10T13:43:48Z")
I do like the sound of Persia better than Iran ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/11 "2023-10-10T13:44:38Z")
Berlin, Ontario is pithier than Kitchener, Ontario (in my opinion). Plus it goes well with Paris, Ontario and London, Ontario. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/12 "2023-10-10T13:45:09Z")
I think Tanzania used to be Tanganyika, much cooler. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/13 "2023-10-10T13:45:30Z")
It’s interesting how many of these are imposed colonial names that were replaced by what the actual people in these lands call their country. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/14 "2023-10-10T13:53:44Z")
To continue this train of thought, I always liked the name Rhodesia, though Zimbabwe isn’t exactly a bad name, it’s got a Z and the bab sound, which is cool. Rhodesia, though, is such a soft and flowing word, it’s a warm cuddly blanket of colonial exploitation. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/15 "2023-10-10T14:47:23Z")
🎵 Shake, shake, shake Shake, shake, shake Shake Djibouti, shake Djibouti 🎶 ---
**Author:** ![Digger11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@Digger11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digger11)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/16 "2023-10-10T14:52:31Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I do like the sound of Persia better than Iran And it’s really more logical, too–nobody talks about Iranian rugs. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/17 "2023-10-10T15:12:58Z")
The boringly named Central African Republic used to be called _Oubangui-Chari_ in French, or Ubangi-Shari. Those are the country’s 2 major rivers, so the older name makes sense in terms of geographical features. Central African Republic sounds almost anonymous, while Ubangi-Shari is unique and as a bonus could be the lyrics of a cool song. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/18 "2023-10-10T15:19:10Z")
There’s a rock in Oregon along the Columbia river that was called _Iwash_ (meaning penis) by the Chinook tribe, renamed Cock Rock by white explorers, and finally renamed Rooster Rock by the prudes. While Cock Rock is objectively the best name, Iwash is good too and much better than Rooster. [![](https://kukulkanblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/img_4879.jpg) ](https://kukulkanblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/img_4879.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/19 "2023-10-10T15:19:12Z")
Sure, lots of post-colonial names. And even where the actual people in the land are mostly the colonists, not the indigenous people, it’s a popular upgrade to names these days. For instance, I don’t think there were a lot of people referring to “Aquinnah” in Martha’s Vinyard, but when the locals decided they wanted to change the name from “Gay Head”, the old indigenous name was an obvious choice. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353/20 "2023-10-10T15:19:16Z")
> [@veryfrank](#): > > I think Tanzania used to be Tanganyika, much cooler. Two separate countries – Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Hence the “Tan” and “zan” parts of the current name. > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > To continue this train of thought, I always liked the name Rhodesia, though Zimbabwe isn’t exactly a bad name, it’s got a Z and the bab sound, which is cool. Rhodesia, though, is such a soft and flowing word, it’s a warm cuddly blanket of colonial exploitation. How about Zambia, the other half of Rhodesia? (I do like “Malawi” better than “Nyasaland”.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-that-were-better-before-they-changed-them/991353.md?page=2)