The Most Common Town Names in the US

Kingston, New York, was set on fire by British soldiers after the Battle of Saratoga, which was a turning point in the American Revolution.

While the source of the name may differ across towns, several of them are named after Walter Scott’s Waverley novels. (Picture is of Waverly, Nebraska.)

Dayton, Ohio, was named after politician and Revolutionary War veteran Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey.

Riverside, California, residents are not far from one of the largest annual outdoor music festivals, Coachella. The city and the festival site are both in Riverside County.

Oakland, California, is home to Lake Merritt, which was declared a National Wildlife Refuge in 1869, making it the first in North America.

Washington, D.C., streets have letters for names. But there is no J street, because D.C. was planned before the letter J was added to the English alphabet.

Oxford, Mississippi, was named after Oxford University in England, which is one of the most prestigious and expensive universities in the world.

Ashland in Oregon was founded in 1852 by three men who shortly after established a timber mill. (Picture is of Ashland, Oregon.)

In 1700, over half of the population of Newport, Rhode Island, were members of the religious group Society of Friends, or Quakers.

William Penn gave the city of Chester, Pennsylvania, its name as a tribute to the English city of Chester, which was founded as a fortress in the first century and is still one of the best preserved walled cities in Great Britain.

Milford, Connecticut, is known for its annual Oyster Festival, which also includes kayak and canoe races.

The very first Ben & Jerry’s ice cream store, a mom and pop shop that went big, opened in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont.

Clayton, Missouri, was named for Ralph Clayton, who settled in that region during the 1830s and donated land for establishing the courthouse. (Picture is of Clayton County, Georgia.)

Milton, Florida, is nicknamed Scratch Ankle due to the briars, or prickly shrubs, growing in the region.

Another one of the many U.S. cities named after British cities, Manchester is the largest city in New Hampshire. (And these are the largest cities in the world.)

Springfield, Illinois, was the home of Abraham Lincoln — considered by many historians to have been one of the best presidents — and his family from 1837 until 1861, the year he became president.

Georgetown, South Carolina, was named after George, Prince of Wales, who later became King George II of Great Britain, who was mostly known for his lack of self-confidence and reliance on his ministers.

Before Las Vegas, Arlington, Texas, was the largest gambling destination in the country in the 1930s and 1940s.

Salem is the Anglicized form of the Hebrew word “shalom,” which means peace. Despite the peaceful origin, Salem, Massachusetts, is most notorious for the witch trials of 1692-1693.

Marion, Ohio, is nicknamed the World’s Popcorn Capital, even though popcorn jobs are gone. There is still a museum and an annual popcorn festival, however.

Greenville, Alabama’s original name was Buttsville, which is arguably one of the strangest names in America.

Madison, Wisconsin, was named after former president and Founding Father James Madison, who was one the wealthiest presidents in American history.

Clinton, Arkansas, was named after New York Governor DeWitt Clinton, not, contrary to popular belief, after former President Bill Clinton.

The per capita income in Fairview, Tennessee, in 2017 was just over $24,000, half the average for Williamson County in which the town is located.

Named after Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, who was also a prolific inventor, this Texas town was founded on Oct. 26, 1799.