What Are Some American Cities With Names That Actually Man Something In English?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Many American cities are based on Native American words - Chicago, Milwaukee. Many are Spanish - El Paso, Los Angeles. Loads of them are based on people - Jacksonville, Washington, St. Louis, Ft. Smith. Even the names that actually come from English - Dover, New York - are words that aren’t in common use in English any more (“york” hasn’t been used in everyday English, except as a proper noun, in, what, four centuries? if ever?).

What are some American cities/towns with names that are word that have readily-obvious meaning in everyday English? Here are a few to get us started.

Aurora, Colorado (and also Illinois, Missouri, probably other places)
Redwood City, Colorado
Peculiar, Missouri
Liberal, Missouri
Viburnum, Missouri
City of Industry, California
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
Town and Country, Missouri
Anchorage, Alaska

…and I’m sure there are thousands of others. What else?

2

There’s a city called The Woodlands in Texas (and the article is part of the city’s official name). There’s also a city called Sugar Land, which was named for the sugarbeet fields that used to be in the area. Both are suburbs of Houston.

3

You skipped the obvious one: Independence, Missouri.

4

Intercourse, PA
Blue Ball, PA
Blue Bell, PA
King of Prussia, PA

5

Enterprise, AL
Tombstone, AZ
Long Beach, CA
Mountain View, CA
Palm Springs, CA
Thousand Oaks, CA
Boulder, CO
Lots more…

6

I suspect all of the Springfields are named appropriately?

7

The largest one is #5 for population with Phoenix. I’m assuming many people are aware of what a phoenix is (especially with Harry Potter these days)

Interestingly, the next one is also in Arizona at #36 – Mesa, AZ.

8

Lots of places in USA called Reading.

Several called Shanghai.

9

Little Rock

10

Fort Worth, TX
Fort Collins, CO
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Fort Myers, FL
Etc.

11

I like Celeryville, Ohio. The rich muck soil was perfect for growing my favorite veggie.

Those British names certainly trickle down. England had London, then New London, which begat New London, Connecticut then New London, Ohio.

We need more modern names. I’m waiting for Wassup. Or maybe Dudeville.

Dennis

12

Also:

Truth or Consequences, NM

13

Reading (at least the one here in PA) rhymes with bedding rather than with seeding, so it probably doesn’t count.

14

Normal, Illinois

15

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

16

Well, maybe you should stop saying it wrong :stuck_out_tongue:

Buffalo, New York. Were there any buffalo there? Seems a bit out of the way for them.

17

Providence.
Buffalo.
Hollywood
Elk Grove
Corona
Sunnyvale
Warren
Surprise
Coral Springs
Cedar Rapids
New Haven
Thousand Oaks
Round Rock
Clearwater
Palm Bay
High Point
Woodbridge
Vista
Sparks
Green Bay

18

Yes, there must be a virtually endless list of places with boring geographic descriptors.

For example, in the Chicago area alone:
Park Ridge
Northbrook
Glenview
Deerfield
Highland Park
Riverwoods
Highwood
Lake Forest
Lake Bluff
Green Oaks
Prospect Heights
Oak Park
Streamwood

And there are dozens more.

19

Yes.

20

Grand Junction CO
Iron Mountain MI
Savannah GA
Hope AR

and, of course,

Portland OR