# What Are Some American Cities With Names That Actually Man Something In English? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 22, 2019, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028 "2019-02-22T16:22:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/1 "2019-02-22T16:22:21Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/2 "2019-02-22T16:45:56Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/3 "2019-02-22T16:48:31Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Peculiar, Missouri > Liberal, Missouri > Viburnum, Missouri You skipped the obvious one: Independence, Missouri. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/4 "2019-02-22T16:55:39Z")
Intercourse, PA Blue Ball, PA Blue Bell, PA King of Prussia, PA ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/5 "2019-02-22T16:58:35Z")
Enterprise, AL Tombstone, AZ Long Beach, CA Mountain View, CA Palm Springs, CA Thousand Oaks, CA Boulder, CO Lots more… ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/6 "2019-02-22T16:59:02Z")
I suspect all of the Springfields are named appropriately? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/7 "2019-02-22T16:59:17Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/8 "2019-02-22T17:00:30Z")
Lots of places in USA called [Reading](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_(disambiguation)#United_States). Several called [Shanghai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_(disambiguation)#Places). ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/9 "2019-02-22T17:02:12Z")
Little Rock ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/10 "2019-02-22T17:02:51Z")
Fort Worth, TX Fort Collins, CO Fort Lauderdale, FL Fort Myers, FL Etc. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/11 "2019-02-22T17:03:43Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/12 "2019-02-22T17:03:59Z")
Also: [Truth or Consequences, NM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_or_Consequences,_New_Mexico) ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/13 "2019-02-22T17:06:01Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Lots of places in USA called [Reading](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_(disambiguation)#United_States). > > … Reading (at least the one here in PA) rhymes with bedding rather than with seeding, so it probably doesn’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/14 "2019-02-22T17:06:29Z")
Normal, Illinois > [@](#): > > The name was taken from Illinois State Normal University, a [normal school](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_school) (teacher-training institution) located there. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/15 "2019-02-22T17:06:41Z")
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/16 "2019-02-22T17:08:44Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Reading (at least the one here in PA) rhymes with bedding rather than with seeding, so it probably doesn’t count. Well, maybe you should stop saying it wrong 😛 Buffalo, New York. Were there any buffalo there? Seems a bit out of the way for them. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/17 "2019-02-22T17:15:27Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/18 "2019-02-22T17:15:36Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Long Beach, CA > Mountain View, CA > Palm Springs, CA > Thousand Oaks, CA > > Lots more… 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. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/19 "2019-02-22T17:17:21Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Were there any buffalo there? [Yes](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Distribution-of-a-sample-of-existing-American-bison-herds-across-the-historical-range_fig1_5449293). ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028/20 "2019-02-22T17:19:03Z")
Grand Junction CO Iron Mountain MI Savannah GA Hope AR and, of course, Portland OR [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-american-cities-with-names-that-actually-man-something-in-english/830028.md?page=2)