# City with most official names through history?



## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

I thought about which city has had the most official names? including historical names. Not counting different spellings.

Lots of cities have changed name over the years as:


Kristiania>*Oslo*
Reval>Tallinn
Karl Marx Stadt>*Chemnitz*
Königsberg>Kaliningrad

Few cities have changed name more than once:
Byzantium-Constantinople>*Istanbul*

St Petersburg-Petrograd-Leningrad>*St Petersburg*


Any city with more than 4 different official names through history?


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## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

yep, these:

Wiryeseong 
Namgyeong
Hanseong 
Keijō 
Seoul

1639 to 1706 - Urga 
1706 to 1911 - Xüree
1911 to 1924 - Niĭslel Xüree 
1924 to now: Ulaanbaatar


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## Galro (Aug 9, 2010)

NordikNerd said:


> I thought about which city has had the most official names? including historical names. Not counting different spellings.
> 
> Lots of cities have changed name over the years as:
> 
> ...


It's more like this:

Oslo > Christiania > Changed the spelling to Kristiania > Back at Oslo again.

I think Christiania was a much prettier name.


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## Baleares (Feb 12, 2012)

Mauritstad -> Recife


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## Guillermo93 (May 30, 2009)

Tenochtitlán -> Mexico City


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## Bauhaus (Oct 17, 2004)

Santísima Trinidad -> Buenos Aires City


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## Piltup Man (May 21, 2010)

What about incremental changes? Massalia (Greek) - Massilia (Latin) - Marsiho (Provençal) - Marseille (French).


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## Gutovsky (Aug 11, 2006)

Some people say the portuguese capital had quite a few other names too, but all very simmilar... Something like this:

Olisipo (or Olissipona) - Ulishbona - Al-Lixbûna (c. 714) - Lisboa (after the reconquest)


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

Ji, Yanjing, Guangyang, Youzhou, Fanyang, Nanjing, Zhongdu, Dadu (Daidu), Khanbaliq (Cambaluc), Beiping (Peiping), Peking and Beijing.


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## 7freedom7 (Jun 28, 2007)

the spliff fairy said:


> Ji, Yanjing, Guangyang, Youzhou, Fanyang, Nanjing, Zhongdu, Dadu (Daidu), Khanbaliq (Cambaluc), Beiping (Peiping), Peking and Beijing.


Bejing: 

Ji / 蓟 (date back to BC 2000) ---> Youzhou / 幽州 ---> Yandu / 燕都 ---> Rixia / 日下 ---> Youdu / 幽都 ---> Yanjing / 燕京 ---> Chunming / 春明 ---> Jingcheng / 京城 ---> Nanjing / 南京 (AD 900 or so, Liao dynasty) ---> Yanshan / 燕山 ---> Zhongdu / 中都 (Jin dynasty) ---> Dadu / 大都 (Yuan dynasty, Khanbaliq 汗八里 in Mongolian language, means Khan city) ---> Beiping / 北平 ---> Beijing / 北京 (Ming dynasty, AD 1400, the capital city called as Beijing for the 1st time in history) ---> Jingshi / 京师 (Qing dynasty) ---> Wanping / 宛平 ---> Beiping / 北平 ---> Jingzhao / 京兆 ---> Beijing / 北京


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## megacity30 (Oct 8, 2011)

Interesting topic!

Beijing seems to have the highest number of official names so far.

Jakarta has had at least three other official names during the following historical periods:

1. Sunda Kelapa: 397 AD – 1527

2. Jayakarta: 1527 – 1619

3. Batavia: 1619 – 1949

4. In addition, Jakarta was spelt as Djakarta from 1949 – 1972


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## WeimieLvr (May 26, 2008)

A few African cities have changed names at least once...from colonial names to African ones:

Salisbury = Harare
Lourenco Marques = Maputo
Nova Lisboa = Huambo
Leopoldville = Kinshasa
Santa Isabel = Malabo

I'm sure there are others...


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## Huhu (Jun 5, 2004)

Rome/Roma: ~750BC -----> Rome/Roma: Present


Haojing ~1000BC -----> Xianyang 350BC -----> Chang'an (*長安*) 200BC -----> Chang'an (*常安*) 9AD -----> Chang'an (*長安*) 23AD -----> Daxing 582 -----> Chang'an 618 -----> Xi'an ~1370 to Present
(Not sure if this one is accurate)


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## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

WeimieLvr said:


> A few African cities have changed names at least once...from colonial names to African ones:
> 
> Salisbury = Harare
> Lourenco Marques = Maputo
> ...


Leopoldville/Kinshasa
Elisabethville/Lubumbashi
Coquilhatville/Mbandaka
etc.

very creative people, the Belgians...

Fort Lamy/Ndjamena
Astrida/Butare
Pietermaritzburg/Polokwane


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## Knitemplar (Aug 16, 2008)

One of my favorites: Jakarta was called *Batavia* during its Dutch colonial days.

And Batavia's not to be confused with *Barataria*, a present-day parish in Louisiana; also a fictional ínsula ("isle") awarded by some noblemen to Sancho Panza as a prank in Cervantes' Don Quixote (from the Spanish word barato, meaning cheap); also a fictional republican kingdom in Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera "The Gondoliers."

What about Portugal? It's old name was_ Lusitania_ when it was a far-flung Roman province. 

Things like "Beijing/Peking" shouldn't count because Beijing is JUST the artificial Commie Chinese gov't's artificial way of differentiating it from the imperial Peking. It's still "_Pequino_" in Italian; not Beygino. hno: (The Chinese commies couldn't maneuver the Italians to change their version...) 

Nobody says "55 Days at Beijing;" and I _never_ order Beijing Duck. Discriminating people know it's *Peking duck*! And amongst dog breeders, whoever heard of _Beijingese_? :nuts: It's _Pekingese_--pure and simple!!

Paris - formerly _Lutetia_, gay Paree (which was Gertrude Stein's Paris), 

L.A. - _La Ciudad de la Nuestra Senora de los Angeles_; Ellay; La-La-land. :lol:


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## Sunnyinphilly (May 15, 2012)

@Rinchinlhumbe-

It was actualy Pietersburg that changed to Polokwane...not PieterMARITZburg...


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## 7freedom7 (Jun 28, 2007)

Knitemplar said:


> Things like "Beijing/Peking" shouldn't count because Beijing is JUST the artificial Commie Chinese gov't's artificial way of differentiating it from the imperial Peking. It's still "_Pequino_" in Italian; not Beygino. hno: (The Chinese commies couldn't maneuver the Italians to change their version...)
> 
> Nobody says "55 Days at Beijing;" and I _never_ order Beijing Duck. Discriminating people know it's *Peking duck*! And amongst dog breeders, whoever heard of _Beijingese_? :nuts: It's _Pekingese_--pure and simple!!


:nuts:

You clealy have no clue on the Chinese language.


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## Knitemplar (Aug 16, 2008)

7freedom7 said:


> :nuts:
> 
> You clealy have no clue on the Chinese language.


And have no desire to.


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## 7freedom7 (Jun 28, 2007)

So the remark you made on Beijing/Peking is ludicrous as hell.


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## Knitemplar (Aug 16, 2008)

7freedom7 said:


> So the remark you made on Beijing/Peking is ludicrous as hell.


Whatever. I'd never be caught dead ordering "Beijing" duck, if that's what u mean? :lol:


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## Knitemplar (Aug 16, 2008)

Unterm_Schwanz said:


> BTW Burkina Faso is a neighbouring country of Côte d'Ivoire and its former name was Haute-Volta.


OK...there ya go. All this name-changing just creates greater confusion. So *who cares* if the country's leaders think it's time to change names? Not everybody will listen anyway--whether they like it or not. :tongue:

x
x
x
x
x


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## WeimieLvr (May 26, 2008)

Unterm_Schwanz said:


> The people in China or Burkina Faso couldn't care less how you order your roasted duck at home or how you call their country.
> 
> BTW Burkina Faso is a neighbouring country of Côte d'Ivoire and its former name was Haute-Volta.


Oh my God, okay...that's just where the discussion was going. If you don't want to talk about it, then don't respond.


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## SanMiguel (Sep 15, 2002)

Knitemplar
i understand your point about the peking duck..
here in Germany we too say "Peking Ente" , not "Beijing Ente" 

but i don't agree with you saying they changed the name... coz they only changed the official spelling.
In the times when the british ruled the world, it was just becoming internationally popular to call it Peking
I'm quite sure, the chinese people of that time still called it Beijing (mandarin) or Pei King (cantonese)

Once i read an interesting story about Canton/Guangzhou:
the city was already called Guangzhou when the british won the 1st opium war.
and the city at that time was the capital of Guangdong Province (and still is today), and a british offical or so,
mixed up the city with the province, and so "Canton" was created. If u hear it, Canton sounds quite similar to Guangdong.

so it's all about hearing, spelling or spread mis-spelling 


BTW: 
Hong Kong (english/int'l) = Heung Gong (cantonese) = Xiang Gang (mandarin) = Flagrant Harbour (translated from cantonese/mandarin)

.-


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## Knitemplar (Aug 16, 2008)

SanMiguel said:


> Knitemplar
> i understand your point about the peking duck..
> here in Germany we too say "Peking Ente" , not "Beijing Ente"
> 
> ...


Then that just proves my point that the commie rulers located in the Beijing region IMPOSED their Mandarin brand of Chinese in spelling, pronunciation OVER the rest of China. I think I prefer the Cantonese way (much as I also prefer the Cantonese style of Chinese cuisine). They can come arrest me if they don't like it. :tongue: 

This reminds me of the Philippines too where because the capital, Manila, happens to be situated in the Tagalog region, imposed that _tagalog_ would become the national language, Pilipino (there are no "F"s in the native dialect), over Cebuano even though numerically, there were more Cebuano speakers. Cebu is like the 2nd major metropolitan area; but Manila has always been the seat of power + comunications, so all TV and radio stations pretty much use the Tagalog dialect as the "national" brand.


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## null (Dec 11, 2002)

> Then that just proves my point that the commie rulers located in the Beijing region IMPOSED their Mandarin brand of Chinese in spelling.


Arresting you? Nobody cares. 

One note for you though, the KMT prefered Mandarin when they were in power, that why Taiwan speaks Mandarin not Cantonese today.


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## Knitemplar (Aug 16, 2008)

null said:


> Arresting you? Nobody cares.
> 
> One note for you though, the KMT prefered Mandarin when they were in power, that why Taiwan speaks Mandarin not Cantonese today.


If "nobody cares," then why do you keep telling me who preferred what? Obviously, you care. :lol: :lol:
.
.
.
.
.


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## null (Dec 11, 2002)

I was disturbed by your ignorance, not your preference.


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## Huhu (Jun 5, 2004)

Knitemplar said:


> Then that just proves my point that the commie rulers located in the Beijing region IMPOSED their Mandarin brand of Chinese in spelling, pronunciation OVER the rest of China. I think I prefer the Cantonese way (much as I also prefer the Cantonese style of Chinese cuisine). They can come arrest me if they don't like it. :tongue:
> 
> This reminds me of the Philippines too where because the capital, Manila, happens to be situated in the Tagalog region, imposed that _tagalog_ would become the national language, Pilipino (there are no "F"s in the native dialect), over Cebuano even though numerically, there were more Cebuano speakers. Cebu is like the 2nd major metropolitan area; but Manila has always been the seat of power + comunications, so all TV and radio stations pretty much use the Tagalog dialect as the "national" brand.


The "commie rulers" have been the most effective at standardizing the spoken Chinese language but they certainly were not the ones who started the process. They don't even speak Cantonese in Beijing (they speak Mandarin, and "Peking" is phonetically incorrect in that language) anyway, so it could be argued that "foreigners" imposed a "foreign" spelling on the actual residents in the first place.


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## SanMiguel (Sep 15, 2002)

Knitemplar said:


> Then that just proves my point that the commie rulers located in the Beijing region IMPOSED their Mandarin brand of Chinese in spelling, pronunciation OVER the rest of China. I think I prefer the Cantonese way (much as I also prefer the Cantonese style of Chinese cuisine). They can come arrest me if they don't like it. :tongue:


 They do! Beijing have plans to ban cantonese as official language in Hong Kong!!! another way is to send han-chinese to the south. My friends in Guangdong always telling me that even in Guangzhou now more ppl speak mandarin instead of cantonese. I guess, sooner or later cantonese will become a "dying language".

I also like cantonese kitchen most, esp Dim Sum, but Sichuan style is delicious too (kung pao beef or chicken, yum yum)

.


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## SanMiguel (Sep 15, 2002)

but back to topic!

Paris was called Lutetia before, (not sure if that is already posted here)

.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Knitemplar said:


> Then that just proves my point that the commie rulers located in the Beijing region IMPOSED their Mandarin brand of Chinese in spelling, pronunciation OVER the rest of China. I think I prefer the Cantonese way (much as I also prefer the Cantonese style of Chinese cuisine). They can come arrest me if they don't like it. :tongue:


廣東話？ 你說廣東話嗎？If you don't speak either dialect how can you say you prefer one over the other. Goodness me, this has gone horribly off-topic...

(PS: what I wrote was using Mandarin grammar, not sure if Cantonese grammar is the same in that sentence as I can't speak much Cantonese at all).


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## Knitemplar (Aug 16, 2008)

null said:


> I was disturbed by your ignorance, not your preference.


I am glad.


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## :jax: (Sep 28, 2007)

I am pretty sure the city with the most name changes will be Chinese, too much history, too many emperors, foreign and domestic. Take a newcomer like Dalian, barely a century old, and still it has an impressive list, Qingniwa, Dalny/Dalnij (the root of the modern name, and one that makes sense, seen from Moscow a town by the Bohai bay would be remote indeed), then Dairen when Russia lost to Japan, possibly back to Dalnij again under a Soviet Union interlude, Dálǐní, Lüda when merged with Lüshun (formerly Port Arthur, with British, Russian, Japanese, Chinese owners), and then to current-day Dàlián. Of course most of these names are just variants of the original Russian name.


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## null (Dec 11, 2002)

Yup, we even have FAT dictionaries on these issues:

_A Grand Dictionary of Historical Names of Chinese Cities [2005]_










_A Dictionary of Historical and Modern Names of Chinese Cities [2005]_


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## DanielFigFoz (Mar 10, 2007)

Knitemplar said:


> What about the city of San Sebastian in Spain? I think the Basques call it a different name, but official Spanish documents use San Sebastian?


Basque for San Sebastian is Donostia. For a while it was officially called Donostia-San Sebastian, but now its officially San Sebastian in Spanish and Donostia in Basque, presumably meaning that official Spanish documents would state San Sebastian if they were written in Spanish, or Donostia if they were written in Basque


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## anak_mm (Apr 8, 2011)

Manila
other historical names that refers to present day Manila
Kota Selurong, May Nilad, Kingdom of Tondo, Kingdom of Namayan/Sapa, Kingdom of Maynila


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