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Charles Town -

In 1670, English colonists founded a new settlement and named it Charles Town, in honor of King Charles II.

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Charleston, South Carolina -

The city was renamed in 1783, after the Revolutionary War, and named Charleston.

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New Amsterdam -

Originally a Dutch settlement, New Amsterdam was an important part of the 17th-century New Netherland colony.  

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New York City, New York -

The city then fell under English command in 1664 and King Charles II gave his brother, the Duke of York control over the city. He named it New York City, after the city of York, in England. 

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El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles -

El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles was originally founded by the Spanish in 1781. 

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Los Angeles, California -

In 1850, the city incorporated the United States of America and became known as simply Los Angeles. 

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Trimount -

Trimount was named after a large hill with three peaks, which was later cut down. 

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Boston, Massachusetts -

English Puritan colonists settled in Trimount in the 1630s and renamed it Boston, after the English town of Boston, Lincolnshire.

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Losantiville -

Located opposite the mouth of the Licking River, settlers called the area Losantiville in 1788.

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Cincinnati, Ohio -

In 1790, territorial governor Arthur St. Clair renamed it as Cincinnati, as a tribute to Roman leader, Lucius Cincinnatus.

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Terminus / Marthasville -

This city was located at the end of a railroad line, so it was known as Terminus. Governor Wilson Lumpkin then renamed it Marthasville, after his daughter.

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Atlanta, Georgia -

It turns out, Marthasville never got rid of the railway tie, and it was later renamed Atlanta by railroad engineer J. Edgar Thompson. The new name is believed to be a shortened version of Atlantica-Pacifica.

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Jernigan -

By 1840, Fort Gatlin had grown and was given the name Jernigan, after the first family of permanent settlers.

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Orlando, Florida -

Jernigan changed its name and the town of Orlando was incorporated in 1875. The origins of the name are however not clear, according to the official City of Orlando website.

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Swilling's Mill -

Once home to the Hohokam people, Swilling's Mill was founded by Confederate veteran Jack Swilling in 1867.

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Phoenix, Arizona -

A pioneer named Phillip Darrell Duppa later suggested that Swilling's Mill should be called Phoenix, and this is exactly what happened in 1868. His explanation for the new name is quoted as "A new city will spring phoenix-like upon the ruins of a former civilization."

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The Clearing -

There used to be a place called The Clearing. When it came to name it, two settlers tossed a penny.

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Portland, Oregon -

Francis Pettygrove, from Portland, Maine, won the penny toss, and so The Clearing became known as Portland.  

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Yerba Buena -

Yerba Buena was the name of  a bayside settlement in present-day California. Yerba Buena is the name of a plant indigenous to the area.

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San Francisco, California -

The city was then taken over by the American troops and it was renamed San Francisco in 1847.

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San Miguel -

San Miguel was discovered in 1542 by explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo.  

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San Diego, California -

The city was renamed San Diego in 1602. Home to the Catholic Mission San Diego de Alcalá in 1769, the city was under Mexican rule before it became a part of the United States.

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Waterloo -

Waterloo was once home to the Tonkawa and Comanche tribes.

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Austin, Texas -

Then, in 1839, it became the capital of the Republic of Texas. Waterloo was renamed Austin, after Stephen F. Austin, aka the "Father of Texas."

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Cowford -

The area was originally home to the Timucua tribe. Then, in 1562, French settlers built Fort Caroline, only to be invaded by the Spanish a few years later, who gave it the name San Matteo. Then in the 18th century, it fell under English control and was renamed Cowford. 

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Jacksonville, Florida -

It was not until 1822, that military governor of the Florida territory and future POTUS, Andrew Jackson, renamed the city Jacksonville.

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New York-Alki -

In 1851, pioneers arrived in Alki Point and named the new settlement New York-Alki, after New York City.

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Seattle, Washington -

The settlement then became known as Seattle, after local Native American Chief, Sealth. 

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Imnizaskadan / Pig’s Eye -

Imnizaskadan, or "little white rock," was the name given by Native Americans to the area in the 1600s. In 1838, fur trader Pierre “Pig's Eye” Parrant named the settlement Pig's Eye Landing.

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Saint Paul, Minnesota -

In 1841, Roman Catholic priest Lucien Galtier of France established Saint Paul’s Chapel. He was not happy with the Pig’s Eye name, so he renamed it after the church. 

Sources: (Business Insider) (Ranker) 

See also: US cities and towns named after Christmas

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