The Spanish settlers who arrived in the area in the 18th century originally named it El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, which translates to "The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels." Elegant, but kind of a mouthful for a town name! Over time, the Spanish name stuck, but it was shortened to the more practical "Los Angeles." The city officially adopted this name when it was incorporated in 1850, the same year California became a state.

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Before becoming the one and only New York we know today, this city had a different name. In the 17th century, the Dutch settlers who arrived in the area called it New Amsterdam. However, when the English took over in 1664, they renamed it in honor of the Duke of York.

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Seattle is more than its iconic Space Needle; it has a long history that shaped the city we know today. When European settlers arrived in the area in 1851, they called it New York and added the Chinook word Alki, which means "by and by," "someday," or "later," suggesting it would someday become as big as New York City. But later, in 1852, they changed the settlements' name to Seattle, honoring Sealth, a Duwamish Indian leader.

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Early settlers referred to the area as The Clearing because it stood out from the dense forests typical of the Pacific Northwest. But in 1845, an event occurred that would change everything. Portland's two founders were Asa Lovejoy from Boston, Massachusetts, and Francis W. Pettygrove from Portland, Maine. Each wanted to name the new settlement after their hometown, so how did they decide? Simple: they flipped a coin. Of course, you know who won!

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Kansas City was originally founded as the Town of Kansas in 1850, named for its location near the Kansas River. As it quickly grew, it was reincorporated just three years later as the City of Kansas. Finally, in 1889, it officially became Kansas City.

Fun fact: Kansas City, Missouri, was actually founded before the state of Kansas!

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Before it became the city we know today, Charleston had another name, though not so different. When it was first settled in 1670, the English named it Charles Town in honor of King Charles II. However, over time, the name gradually shifted in pronunciation to Charleston. In 1783, after the Revolutionary War, the city was officially renamed Charleston.

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San Diego was the first site on the US West Coast settled by Europeans, which is why it's often called "the Birthplace of California." When Spanish explorers arrived in the area in 1542, they named the bay after a different saint: San Miguel. But years later, in 1602, Sebastián Vizcaíno renamed the area San Diego, in honor of San Diego de Alcalá (Saint Didacus of Alcalá).

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In 1840, the first settlers arrived in what we know today as Orlando. They were the Jernigan family, who named the place after themselves. A post office with that name was even established in 1850. However, about 6 years later, Jernigan officially changed to Orlando. Although the exact reason isn't entirely clear, there are several theories. A popular one claims it was named after Orlando Reeves, a soldier who may have died in the area during the Seminole Wars. Another famous approach states that the name came from a character in Shakespeare's play As You Like It.

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In the 1780s, the first settlement in this area was called Losantiville, a name created from a combination of different terms meaning "The town opposite the mouth of the Licking River." But in 1790, the first governor of the Northwest Territory, who was also a member of the Society of the Cincinnati (named in honor of the Roman general Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus), disliked Losantiville and decided to change it to its present name.

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Atlanta didn't just have one or two names; it had three! By the mid-19th century, the area where the city stands today had become a transportation hub where several railroad lines converged. Because of this, in 1837, the area was called Terminus, meaning "the end of the line." Then, in 1843, the name was changed to Marthasville, in honor of Martha, daughter of Georgia Governor Wilson Lumpkin. Finally, just two years later, the city was renamed Atlanta. This name is believed to be a shortened form of "Atlantic," referring to the Western and Atlantic Railroad.

Image: Christopher Alvarenga