Towns and counties with shared names
One country, a map full of the same names. Here’s how that happened
Image: Mackenzie Cruz
Look at a map of the United States and one thing quickly stands out: many towns as well as counties share the same names. Washington, Springfield, Franklin, and others appear dozens of times across the country. Some were named to honor famous leaders, others to attract settlers or echo places from Europe. The reasons behind these repeated names tell an unexpected story about how America grew.
1
Washington
Washington is one of the most repeated names on the American map. It is said, though, that Pennsylvania was the only state to name its city, in its foundation in 1768, while George Washington was still alive, turning it into an early patriotic tribute. Truth is, from Washington, Missouri, to Washington, Utah, the name appears so often on the map — but travelers sometimes forget it refers to far more than just the capital.
2
Springfield
Springfield has dozens of cities, towns, and villages sharing the name. But the first Springfield was settled by William Pynthon in Massachusetts in 1636, after England’s Springfield. This city became a major industrial center after the first president, George Washington, created the Springfield Armory, which, during the Industrial Revolution, helped the city grow into a global leader in manufacturing.
Fun fact: Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons , chose the name Springfield as the setting for the long-running animated series because so many towns share it, making it easy for viewers to imagine the show takes place in their own hometown. How many Springfields can you think of?
3
Madison
This list wouldn’t be complete without a mention of James Madison, often called "The Father of the Constitution," because the country is filled with places named after him, including a prominent college town in Wisconsin. As the nickname hints, James Madison was not only our fourth president, but also a key figure in the drafting of the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
4
Franklin
During the 18th and 19th centuries, naming a town after Franklin was a sign of admiration for the intellect, civic values, and contributions of Benjamin Franklin, one of the nation’s most influential men. Nowadays, towns and cities across the country are named after him, including a well-known city in Tennessee. It’s easy to see why: he helped draft the Declaration of Independence, charmed the French into supporting the Revolution, and built the nation's first postal service.
5
Greenville
This one is clearly not named after a historical figure. Greenville is used for countless cities and towns across the United States to describe the fertile soil, river valleys, forests, and rolling hills — an advertising strategy at a time when settlers were founding communities and working the land.
6
Bristol
A surprising number of cities and towns are called Bristol. There is Bristol, Virginia, Bristol, Connecticut, and Bristol, Tennessee, among others. That is because during the colonial era, English settlers established new communities using the names from prosperous English towns and cities.
Bristol, Tennessee, holds a special mention because it is said to be the place where country music was born. Around 1927, the Bristol Sessions were one of the triggers for the genre to take off nationally when record producer Ralph Peer set up a temporary studio in Bristol to record local musicians. These sessions introduced artists like Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family to a national audience and helped define the sound of early country music, blending folk and Appalachian roots.
7
Clinton
A good number of towns and counties were named Clinton across the country after DeWitt Clinton became a US senator and governor of New York in the early 1800s. He was the driving force behind the Erie Canal project, a major infrastructure initiative that improved domestic trade and accelerated westward expansion, transforming New York into an economic hub.
8
Fairview
How many people do you know living in Fairview? This name is, like Greenvillis, one of the descriptive rather than commemorative monikers. "Fair view" connotes beautiful scenery, open farmland, and nearby waterways. It seemed the advertising strategy worked, and many new settlers adopted the name, spreading Fairviews all across the country.
9
Salem
Salem is a widely used name for towns and cities across the United States. Salem, Massachusetts, was the first settlement to bear this name, founded in 1626. While it became one of the most important seaports in early American history, today, the oldest Salem in the U.S.is almost always associated with the notorious Salem witch trials. In 1692, 19 people were tragically executed by hanging, and one man was pressed to death after being accused of witchcraft.
However, the name "Salem" appears in many towns across the country. As settlers moved west, they often reused familiar names when creating new communities. That’s why you can find multiple towns called Salem from coast to coast.
10
Georgetown
Nearly 300 years later, historians still debate where the name Georgetown came from. Today, the best-known Georgetown is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., but it began in 1751 as a town in colonial Maryland, before Washington existed. Some say it was named for King George II; others credit two early landowners, George Gordon and George Beall. Either way, the name carried prestige and later spread across the country. Somewhere, there are probably three Georges still arguing about it.
