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French fries became freedom fries -

France objected to the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, so a restaurant owner in North Carolina decided to change the name of the fries on the menu. It got national attention, and while some were inspired by it, not everyone adopted the name change.

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Danish pastries became Roses of Muhammad -

Iran was outraged when a Danish paper published cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in 2006. In protest, they changed the name of the famous Danish pastries to a more Muslim-friendly name: Roses of Muhammad.

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Chinese gooseberries became kiwis -

The Chinese fruit was introduced in New Zealand in 1904. The name change came in 1959, as during the Cold War the country was finding it hard to export Chinese gooseberries to the American market.

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Saxe-Coburg-Gotha became Windsor -

The British royal family changed its surname in 1917 by proclamation of King George V. The anti-German sentiment in Britain was strong during World War I, so the German-rooted name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha wasn’t doing the royal family any favors. This led the royal family to adopt a more British-sounding surname: Windsor.

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Hamburgers became liberty sandwiches -

America was opposing anything related to Germany during World War I, and hamburgers were no exception. They tried to rename the German-sounding name and called them “liberty sandwiches.” It goes without saying that the name change didn’t stick.

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Poutine became “fry cheese gravy” -

In 2022, a restaurant in Montreal, Canada, decided to rename the classic dish and call it “fry cheese gravy.” This was done in protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Why? Because poutine sounds very much like Vladimir Putin’s name in French.

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French loaves became Kiwi loaves -

French loaves were renamed kiwi loaves in New Zealand when the French government was conducting nuclear tests in the Pacific in 1998.

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A series of paintings had its name changed -

In 2022, London’s National Gallery renamed French impressionist painter Edgar Degas’ ‘Russian Dancers’ to ‘Ukrainian Dancers.’ Interestingly, the dancers are depicted wearing blue and yellow (Ukraine’s colors) ribbons and garlands.

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The French renamed playing cards -

Anything to do with the monarchy was frowned upon post the French Revolution. So much so that kings, queens, dames, and jacks were removed from decks of cards. The cards were replaced by the likes of “The Spirit of Peace,” “The Spirit of Commerce,” “Liberty of the Professions,” and the “Ace of the Law (of the French Republic).”

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Berliner donuts became Kitchener buns -

The anti-German sentiment during WWI was strong in Australia, so the Aussies decided to give the Berliner a new name. The name was inspired by Lord Kitchener, a British field marshal and also the Secretary of State for War.

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Canada changed a city name -

Most of the residents in the city of Berlin, Ontario, had German ancestry. In 1916, it was decided that the city was to be renamed Kitchener (the same used to rename the donuts).

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The US changed a city name -

In 1917, during the First World War, soldiers requested that Germantown in Tennessee changed its name to Neshoba. The name change lasted until 1922.

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Chicken Kiev became Chicken Kyiv -

The iconic chicken dish name change is rooted in politics and war. Kiev was the name of the capital when Ukraine was under Soviet rule, so Ukrainians changed it to Kyiv, in opposition to the Russian spelling of the word.

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Sauerkraut became liberty cabbage -

The fermented cabbage dish was heavily associated with Germany, so the Americans rebranded it as “liberty cabbage” during the First World War.

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The German Shepherd became the Alsatian -

Anything related to Germany was a big no-no during the First World War, and the famous dog breed was no exception. While the American Kennel Club simply dropped “German” from the breed name in 1917, the British completely renamed it to Alsatian. The name was not reverted until 1977.

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The German Spitz became the American Eskimo Dog -

The same happened to the German Spitz, which was renamed the American Eskimo Dog.

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Turkish delight became Cyprus delight -

Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Greek-Cypriots started to market the traditional sweet Turkish delight as Cyprus delight.

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The French changed a coffee name -

During World War I, the French renamed Café Viennois (Vienna coffee) as Café Liégeois (Coffee from Liège).

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The Russians changed a coffee name -

The Russians rebranded the Americano coffee as Russiano coffee in 2014, amid the country’s conflict with Ukraine regarding Crimea, and America’s opposing stance. It started as a joke between the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and an Armenian politician, but some places actually changed the name on the menu.

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The German-Russian Museum became the Berlin-Karlshorst -

The German-Russian Museum in Berlin was rebranded as the Berlin-Karlshorst in 2022. The museum, which celebrated the Soviets’ role in liberating the country from the Nazis, got its name changed as a response to the invasion of Ukraine.

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Saint Petersburg became Petrograd -

In 1914, Saint Petersburg was renamed Petrograd due to the anti-German feelings during WWI. This is essentially a translation of the name from German to Russian.

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Swastika Mountain became Mount Halo -

Swastika Mountain in Oregon had its name changed to Mount Halo, after a Native American chief called Halito. The name change was proposed to avoid association with Nazism, even though it was named before World War II.

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Swastika Mountain became Mount Halo -

The name change was prompted in 2023, despite efforts from the Hindu American Foundation explaining that the swastika is a religious symbol used for over 4,000 years.

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Turkish coffee was renamed in several countries -

Turkish coffee is loved around the world, but some countries with political beef with the nation decided to rebrand the coffee. The most popular one is Greek coffee, but there is also Cypriot coffee, Armenian coffee, and Bosnian coffee. All of which are in essence the same.

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UN Avenue became Zionism Avenue -

When in 1975 the UN adopted the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 considering Zionism a form of racism, Israel changed its "UN Avenue" in Jerusalem, Haifa, and Tel Aviv to "Zionism Avenue."

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The South China Sea became the West Philippine Sea -

In 2012, the Philippines renamed parts of the South China Sea the West Philippine Sea. These parts are within the country’s exclusive economic zone and include territory disputed by a number of countries.

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A worldwide flu pandemic became associated with just one country -

Spain was neutral during World War I, so it reported flu numbers much more than other nations involved in the war. These countries suppressed news about the pandemic to keep morale high. As a result, what was a worldwide pandemic became associated with one country.

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Name changes following the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter movement -

Several name changes occurred in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death (an unarmed African-American man killed by a white cop in 2020). Most of these were motivated by colonial and racist reasons. One example includes Dixie State University changing its name to Utah Tech University.

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Name changes following the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter movement -

Another name change includes Sir Francis Drake High School in San Anselmo, California, being renamed Archie Williams High School.

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Name changes following the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter movement -

Several name changes occurred across the pond, in the UK. For example, Sir John Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design at London Metropolitan University became the School of Art, Architecture and Design. Many of the name changes in the UK were due to being named after people who supported slavery.

Sources: (Listverse) (ToptTenz) 

See also: Here's how to support Black Lives Matter today

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