Which towns come to mind with common names?

[SIGSEGV]

Salem -> Witch Trials
Springfield -> Simpsons
Middletown -> Such a quiet village?
Burlington -> NSF
Portland -> ia
York -> Shire
Madison -> 2013 Rose Bowl, suck it Badgers
Newark -> Electronics Vendor
Kingston -> Bob Marley
Charleston -> Jimmy Johns
Amherst -> UMass or College
Greenville -> SC
Lancaster -> PA
Wilmington -> Tax Shelter
San Jose -> Sharks
Columbus -> Day
Lexington -> Gargoyles

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I wonder if there is a case of the original name holder being located farther west than the descendants?

Hawaiian Gardens, California, although it was really named for a roadside stand that had palm trees decorating it

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Hawaiian Gardens, California, although it was really named for a roadside stand that had palm trees decorating it

Surely there's a case in Australia or New Zealand? Perth is named after somewhere in Scotland isn't it?

Also, apparently Sydney Australia and Sydney Nova Scotia are named after the same British dude (with the Nova Scotian settlement named slightly earlier).

[Razor]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

Surely there's a case in Australia or New Zealand? Perth is named after somewhere in Scotland isn't it?

Also, apparently Sydney Australia and Sydney Nova Scotia are named after the same British dude (with the Nova Scotian settlement named slightly earlier).

I'm thinking that towns or cities named Perth, Richmond or Sydney are like Springfields or Riversides of the Common wealth..There's a Perth an hour outside of Ottawa as a matter of fact. The largest being Perth Australia of course.

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by Razor

A little OT, but a small city named Springfield is about as American as it gets.
It's like the Jones or Smiths of city names.

isnt there a springfield in every state? i think i had read somewhere thats why they picked it for the simpsons.

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

isnt there a springfield in every state? i think i had read somewhere thats why they picked it for the simpsons.

Only 35 states, apparently.


from https://springfield.ftldesign.com/

[mrnyc]

^ ah yeah that seemed unlikely.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

What comes to mind with these names?

Really interesting. I'm pretty sure no list of answers will be exactly equivalent.

Salem -> Massachusetts
Springfield -> Massachusetts
Middletown -> none comes to mind
Burlington -> Vermont
Portland -> Maine
York -> England
Madison -> Wisconsin
Newark -> New Jersey
Kingston -> Ontario
Charleston -> South Carolina
Amherst -> Nova Scotia
Greenville -> South Carolina (barely rings a bell tho)
Lancaster -> New Hampshire obviously (county seat of the county where all my lands are)
Wilmington -> Delaware
San Jose -> California
Columbus -> Ohio
Lexington -> Massachusetts

Also, I'll throw in a few more common city names for which I'm absolutely sure my own answers will be very uncommon:

Newport -> Vermont
Melbourne -> Quebec (but close second: Melbourne, Florida)
Richmond -> Quebec (... even when posting this from Vancouver)
Windsor -> Quebec

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Salem Massachusets
Springfield Massachusets
Middletown New Jersey
Burlington Vermont
Portland Maine
York England
Madison Wisconsin
Newark New Jersey
Kingston Ontario
Charleston South Carolina
Amherst Nova Scotia
Greenville (no immediate idea)
Lancaster Pennsylvania
Wilmington Delaware
San Jose Costa Rica
Columbus Ohio
Lexington Kentucky

That's probably the list that matches my own the most closely. Costa Rica though?!?!?!? You must not follow our national sport. What about the Sharks?

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

and i have no idea how Buffalo, NY got its name (i always think of american buffaloes (bison) being out on the great plains, not in upstate new york).

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc

The story I like, but which isn't true according to Wikipedia, is that it's a corruption of the French Beau Fleuve meaning "beautiful river."

I learned that on SSP, and not even that long ago, despite French being my native language (and the words "beau fleuve" being perfectly normal - I just never even came close to connecting the dots between the unrecognizably mangled version that serves as name for the seat of Erie County NY)

It's the kind of interesting little bit of information that one never unlearns though though if you say we're not sure it's true, I might have to unlearn it.

[JManc]

My grandfather and his huge ass family were born in Yorkshire and he lived in New York. Most of his family though wound up in British Columbia with some in the Toronto area. Would have been interesting if there was a 'York' in BC. I think there's a York/ Yorkville in Ontario.

[Greavsie]

Originally Posted by JManc

My grandfather and his huge ass family were born in Yorkshire and he lived in New York. Most of his family though wound up in British Columbia with some in the Toronto area. Would have been interesting if there was a 'York' in BC. I think there's a York/ Yorkville in Ontario.

Yorkshiremen are quite forthright characters..they are a bit like an independent state.I've got some Yorkie relatives...they are a great laugh but don't suffer fool's gladly!

[Innsertnamehere]

Salem, MA
Springfield, MO (ok, really, The Simpsons)
Middletown, OH
Burlington, ON
Portland, OR
York, ON (York Region)
Madison, WI
Newark, NJ
Kingston, ON
Charleston, SC
Amherst, Nothing? No particular state. Makes me think of Amherstburg in ON.
Greenville, NC
Lancaster, PA
Wilmington, DE
San Jose, CA
Columbus, OH
Lexington, KY

[ColDayMan]

Salem - MA
Springfield - OH; otherwise, IL
Middletown - OH; otherwise, CT
Burlington - VT
Portland - OR
York - PA
Madison - WI
Newark - NJ
Kingston - ON, followed by NY
Charleston - WV or SC, depending on thoughts
Amherst - NY
Greenville - OH; otherwise, SC
Lancaster - OH; otherwise, PA
Wilmington - OH; otherwise, DE
San Jose - CA
Columbus - OH
Lexington - KY