Where exactly are you from?

Did you know that there are 16 Boston cities? Cities with a namesake

Some would say that naming a city is as important as naming a child, or even more, considering that cities tend to have a longer lifespan. Like with a child, the name is a declaration of intentions, of what is expected or wished for them.

But sometimes children are named after someone else, like a loved one, a relative, or a favorite celebrity. Does this happen to cities as well? In this article, we will explore some cities around the world that have a namesake.

In Spanish, Londres is the name given to the city of London, England, and also to a town in the Argentinian province of Catamarca. This town, the second oldest in the country, owes its name to the marriage of Mary Tudor with Philip of Spain in 1553. The founders of the city, at that time part of the Spanish empire, decided to honor the royal marriage by naming it Londres de la Nueva Inglaterra (London of the New England), though nowadays the name has been shortened to just Londres.

Located over the Mississippi River, the city of Memphis has been the setting of important historical and political events. But, where did it get its name from? In 1818, the U.S. gained the territory of Western Tennessee after signing the Treaty of Tuscaloosa. The founders of the city, among them future president John Adams, recognized the importance of the river and decided to name the place after another famous city on a river, the Egyptian Memphis.

Back in the day, many people believed that China and the U.S. were on opposite sides of the world. One of these people, Mrs. Ann Eliza Cromwell, was tasked with naming the new town her husband had helped to found near the Illinois River. Convinced they were on the antipodes of Peking (what we now call Beijing), she chose the name Pekin.

The origin of this name is interesting because we don’t really know the reason behind it. During the 1820s, a man called Edward Hughes bought land in the state of Maryland and divided it for sale. He received Congressional approval for a postal route in a document where the flourishing town was named as The Pleasant Plains of Damascus. While he named it after the Syrian city of Damascus, we don’t know if he had any connections to it or if it was just a biblical reference.

In the early 19th century, Scottish landowner William Fullarton wanted to give coal workers on his estate somewhere to live, and he founded a village for this purpose. The son of an East India Company officer, Fullarton was born in India, in the city of Patna, Bihar, and decided to name the new mining town after his birthplace.

Many people hear ‘Cartagena’ and think about the Colombian city, named after its Spanish namesake. But Spanish Cartagena is also named after a city. This Mediterranean town was founded by Carthaginian general Hasdrubal with the name of Carthago (after the North African city of the same name). Conquered by the Roman Empire, it was renamed Carthago Nova, or ‘New Carthage’, and, after the Visigoth and Arab rule, its name evolved to Cartagena.

One would think that a city named Kansas in a state named Kansas would be the first of its name. But the Kansas of Kansas is named after Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in the 1830s, the Missourian Kansas quickly grew thanks to commerce and industry. Over the state line, the people of Kansas state decided to also have a Kansas City, to benefit from the economic growth associated with the name. Now you know: if you have a feeling that you are not in Kansas anymore, you might just be in Missouri.

Capital of the state of Jalisco, Guadalajara is one of the most important cities in Mexico. Its name is of Arab origin, and it means ‘valley of the stones’. Established by Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, it was named by Cristobal de Oñate after his birthplace, Guadalajara City in Spain, a place once under Arab rule.

There are at least 16 places in the U.S. named Boston, but only one of them is named after a foreign city. The capital of the state of Massachusetts was established in the 17th Century by Puritan settlers, who took the name from an English port in Lincolnshire. The new Boston was the scene of several key episodes in the American Revolutionary War, and all other Bostons in the U.S. are named after it.

Ithaca is a college town, home to Cornell University. It was founded after the Revolutionary War, on territory gained from the Iroquois, who had helped the British Army during the conflict. The American government granted plots of land as payment to soldiers in the Continental Army, one of them being Moses De Whitt. First settled in the Town of Ulysses, he later relocated to what is now Ithaca and named it after the Greek island that was Ulysses’ home.

Deep roots

11 everyday words with indigenous roots

English is a very welcoming language in the sense that it incorporates terms from many other languages from all over the world. And, as it couldn’t be otherwise, Native American languages have lent many of their words and terms to English speakers. Some traveled through Spanish or French before settling into English, and others arrived directly through early contact and trade, helping shape the way we speak today. Did you know about these 11 terms?

The word "canoe" comes from the Taino term canoa, which was first used by Caribbean islanders long before Europeans arrived. Early explorers adopted it to describe the slim, sturdy boats they saw.

Over time, "canoe" became the standard English word for a small paddled craft. Today it still carries that sense of simplicity and closeness to nature.

The word "barbecue" comes from barbacoa, another Taino term for a wooden frame used for cooking meat over fire. Europeans adopted it and applied it to both the method and the gathering itself.

Today, "barbecue" means everything from a backyard cookout to a regional cooking style. Its origins highlight the deep culinary influence of Native Americans in the nation's current culture.

"Skunk" comes from the Algonquian word squnk, which means "urinating fox" (quite a fitting term, indeed). This was an obvious reference to the animal’s strong defensive spray. Early settlers adopted the term directly.

Since English had no better name for the creature, the Native word stuck. Today, the word skunks is also used as playful slang.

The word "moose" originates from Eastern Abenaki, a part of the Algonquian family, where it meant "he strips off bark." Yes, it described the animal’s habit of tearing bark from trees.

The name entered English quickly because settlers relied on Native knowledge of local fauna. The word remains unchanged because of its accuracy and usefulness.

"Raccoon" comes from the Powhatan word arakun, meaning "he scratches with his hands." It described the animal’s clever, humanlike front paws.

Settlers adopted the term because it captured the creature’s behavior beautifully. Today, the raccoon is used as a household symbol of curiosity, not unlike the animal itself.

The term "chipmunk" most probably comes from the Ojibwe word ajidamoo, which means "one who descends trees headfirst." Early English settlers adapted the sound into today’s form.

Though the spelling changed over time, the lively image of a chipmunk racing down a tree face-first stayed.

The word "caribou" comes from the Mi’kmaq term qalipu, which means "snow shoveler," referring to the animal’s habit of digging through snow for food.

French settlers brought the word into English, keeping its descriptive nature. The name still connects the modern animal to the winter landscapes it belongs to.

"Totem" comes from the Ojibwe word ototeman, which means "kinship group." It described symbols representing clans and shared roots.

English adopted it to describe carved poles and symbolic elements. Though broader in modern usage, it still hints at the original sense of community, identity, and heritage.

"Coyote" comes from the Nahuatl word coyōtl, which was used by Indigenous tribes of central Mexico. Spanish speakers adopted it, and English borrowed later.

The word kept its meaning, and it remains one of the most direct links between the English language and Nahuatl.

The tasty avocado’s name traces to the Nahuatl word ahacatl, which refers to the fruit and to a body part as well. Spanish speakers transformed it into aguacate.

Later on, English speakers adapted it to avocado. While the name sounds contemporary and culinary, it has ancient Native roots.

The last Nahuatl word and also the last word on the list comes from the term xocolātl, which describes a bitter cacao drink that was consumed long before Europeans arrived in America. The name traveled from Spanish to English.

Though the product changed dramatically, the word survived. Today, chocolate is a universal symbol of sweetness, with rich and deeply indigenous roots.