Recently I learned of a town near my childhood home that changed it's name. I found it curious that an 
established town with a longtime name would find it necessary to resort to such a drastic measure. Wondering how often that occurs, I did some Google research.
Over the course of history many established towns and cities have survived name changes. Changes occur for a variety of reasons, political, embarrassing (or politically incorrect), to streamline a clumsy moniker, create a separate identity or to follow the popular trend.
Embarrassing names like Beaver, Gay and White Settlement are all examples of towns that found new names. Then there is Pig's Eye that became St. Paul, Minnesota or Yerba Buena that became San Francisco. They are all obvious and understandable. Some name changes I don't understand. For instance, why did Hot Springs, New Mexico change it's name to Truth or Consequences? Were they trying to compete with Albuquerque in tough names to spell?
Some towns just can't seem to find a name that catches on. For instance Swilling's Mill → Hellinwg Mill → Mill City → East Phoenix → Phoenix, Arizona. Five names changes occurred before one finally took! As a resident you would have to be buying new letterhead, without ever moving!
Name changes that fail are best illustrated by a popular city in Sunny Vietnam. During the war Saigon was a name we heard everyday. When the conflict was over the name was changed to Ho Chi Minh City. To date, Ho Chi Minh City is the official name, but very few people call it that. To Americans and Vietnamese, the name Saigon, still remains. Tough luck Ho Chi Minh, even in death your people thumb their noses at you.
Towns like people have identity crises. renaming seems to be an opportunity to make a fresh start. For instance in the case of Commerce City, a Denver suburb, it is an area of railroad tracks, refineries and a cross section of highways. Never have the old time residents of Commerce City minded living there, they spoke the name proudly. Times are changing for Commerce City, new neighborhoods are being built and now the new population is exceeded the old. There's talk of renaming the city, to give it a fresh start, or to appease the new folks who don't care to be associated with a not so popular place.
If you are like me, you forgot that New York was once New Amsterdam. That name is not only a mouthful, but doesn't sound good in the song. Imagine singing; New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam? It just doesn't have the same melody.
Reflecting on the mistakes city forefathers have made, I've started a list of City Naming Rules. If you can help me out with these, perhaps we can institute an;
Official Guide for Naming (or Renaming)Your City...
- Rule #1 do not name it after a living person. It's best to not risk embarrassment.
- Rule #2 never allow a prison to name itself after a town. Who needs to explain which side of the fence one lives on?
- Rule #3 never pick a name that is hard to spell. People don't want to live in a place they can't spell.
- Rule #4 the shorter the better.
- Rule #5 Do not plagiarize ~ think of something new.
- Rule #6 Make sure you have an overwhelming majority FOR a new name, NOT against. (duh)
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