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List of place names of German origin in the United States

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Relatively few place names in the United States have names of German origin, unlike Spanish or French names. Many of the German town names are in the Midwest, due to high German settlement in the 1800s. Many of the names in New York and Pennsylvania originated with the German Palatines (called Pennsylvania Dutch), who immigrated in the 18th century.

The entry of the United States into World War I was followed by anti-German sentiment, and local names were often changed to reflect this. Only one U.S. city with a German name has a population of greater than 100,000. Non-German city names with the German suffix "-burg," from the German word for "castle", is common for town and city names throughout the United States, such as Spartanburg, South Carolina and were not included.

Place name State Origin/notes
Anaheim California a blend of "Ana", after the nearby Santa Ana River, and heim, a common Germanic place name compound originally meaning "home".[1]
Anhalt Texas
Baden Georgia
Baden Maryland
Baden Pennsylvania
Bamberg South Carolina
Bavaria Kansas
Bavaria Wisconsin unincorporated community
Lake Bavaria Minnesota
Bergdorf Colorado the former name of Ault, Colorado
Berlin California the former name of Genevra, California
Berlin Connecticut
Berlin Georgia
Berlin Illinois
Berlin Indiana extinct town
Berlin Kansas
Berlin Kentucky
Berlin Maryland
Berlin Massachusetts
Berlin Michigan unincorporated community known as Berlin until 1919, and the name remains prominent in the area
Berlin Nebraska the former name of Otoe, Nebraska, anti-German sentiment extended to a town that bore the name of Germany's capital. A 1918 series of fires that destroyed a block of the town's main street was attributed to anti-German crusaders. In October 1918, less than a month before the war's end, the town's name was changed to its current Otoe.[2] Berlin Precinct was left unchanged, however.[3]
Birkenfeld Oregon
Berlin Nevada ghost town
Berlin New Hampshire
Berlin New Jersey
Berlin New York
Berlin North Dakota
Berlin, Holmes County Ohio
Berlin, Williams County Ohio
Berlin Pennsylvania
Berlin Tennessee unincorporated town
Berlin Texas unincorporated community
Berlin Vermont
Berlin West Virginia
Berlin Wisconsin
Berlin, Green Lake County Wisconsin town
Berlin, Marathon County Wisconsin town
Berlin Heights Ohio
Berlin Township, Bureau County Illinois
Berlin Township, Ionia County Michigan
Berlin Township, St. Clair County Michigan
Berlin Charter Township Michigan
Berlin Township Minnesota
Berlin Township New Jersey
Berlin Township, Cass County North Dakota
Berlin Township, Sheridan County North Dakota
Berlin Township, Wells County North Dakota
Berlin Township, Delaware County Ohio
Berlin Township, Erie County Ohio
Berlin Township, Holmes County Ohio
Berlin Township, Knox County Ohio
Berlin Township, Mahoning County Ohio
Berlin Township Pennsylvania
Bingen Washington Named for Bingen am Rhein in 1892 by founder P. J. Suksdorf[4]: 19 
Bismarck Arkansas
Bismarck Missouri
Bismarck North Dakota In 1873, the Northern Pacific Railway renamed the city as Bismarck, in honor of German chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Railroad officials hoped to attract German immigrant settlers to the area and German investment in the railroad.[5]
Brandenburg Kentucky
Bremen Alabama
Bremen Georgia
Bremen Indiana
Bremen Kentucky
Bremen Maine
Bremen North Dakota
Bremen Ohio
Bremen Township Minnesota
Bremen Township, Cook County Illinois
Bremerton Washington planned by German immigrant and Seattle entrepreneur William Bremer in 1891[4]: 27 
Breslau Texas
Brunswick County North Carolina King George I of Great Britain, Duke of Brunswick
Brunswick County Virginia The region of Brunswick in present-day Germany
Carlsbad California named after the famed spa in the Bohemian town of Karlsbad (now Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic)[6]
Coburg Oregon
Cologne Minnesota
Danube New York
Danzig North Dakota
DeKalb County Alabama Baron Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), a German soldier who fought on the side of the Americans in the Revolutionary War
DeKalb County Georgia Baron Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), a German soldier who fought on the side of the Americans in the Revolutionary War
DeKalb County Illinois Baron Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), a German soldier who fought on the side of the Americans in the Revolutionary War
DeKalb County Indiana Baron Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), a German soldier who fought on the side of the Americans in the Revolutionary War
DeKalb County Missouri Baron Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), a German soldier who fought on the side of the Americans in the Revolutionary War
DeKalb County Tennessee Baron Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), a German soldier who fought on the side of the Americans in the Revolutionary War
Dresden Kansas
Dresden Ohio
Dresden Tennessee
Elbe Washington Named for Elbe River by founder Henry C. Lutkens[4]: 77 
Frankenmuth Michigan "Franken" represents the Province of Franconia in the Kingdom of Bavaria, home of the Franks, where the original settlers were from. The German word "Mut" means courage; thus, the name Frankenmuth means "courage of the Franconians."[7]
Frankenstein Missouri
Frankfort Indiana
Frankfort Kentucky
Frederick Maryland Sources disagree as to which Frederick the town was named for, but the likeliest candidates are Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore (one of the proprietors of Maryland[8]), Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales,[9] or Frederick "The Great" of Prussia.
Fredericksburg Texas founded in 1846 and named after Prince Frederick of Prussia
Gering Nebraska Means little or insignificant in German.
Gluckstadt Mississippi
Guss Island Washington Named for a German shopkeeper[4]: 106 
Hamburg Arkansas
Hamburg California
Hamburg Connecticut
Hamburg Illinois village
Hamburg Precinct, Calhoun County Illinois
Hamburg, Clark County Indiana
Hamburg, Franklin County Indiana
Hamburg Iowa
Hamburg Louisiana
Hamburg Township Michigan
Hamburg Minnesota
Hamburg Missouri
Hamburg New Jersey
Hamburg New York three places
Hamburg North Carolina formerly Hamburg
Hamburg, Fairfield County Ohio unincorporated community
Hamburg, Preble County Ohio unincorporated community
Hamburg Pennsylvania borough
Hamburg, Aiken County South Carolina
Hamburg, Marathon County Wisconsin unincorporated community
Hamburg, Marathon County Wisconsin town
Hamburg, Vernon County Wisconsin town
Hamburg State Park Georgia
Hamburg Street Maryland Baltimore Light Rail station
Hanover County Virginia named for the Electorate of Hanover in Germany, because King George I of Great Britain was Elector of Hanover at the time
Hamburg State Park Georgia
Heidelberg Kentucky
Heidelberg Minnesota
Heidelberg Mississippi
Heidelberg Pennsylvania
Heidelberg Texas
Hermann Missouri named after Hermann der Cherusker, a Germanic leader who defeated the Romans in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in the year 9[10]
Hoffman Estates Illinois
Humboldt Bay California named after Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), German naturalist and explorer
Humboldt County California named after Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), German naturalist and explorer
Humboldt County Iowa named after Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), German naturalist and explorer
Humboldt County Nevada named after Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), German naturalist and explorer
King of Prussia Pennsylvania took its name in the 18th century from a local tavern named the King of Prussia Inn, named after King Frederick the Great of Prussia
Krupp Washington the former name of Marlin, Washington
Lunenburg County Virginia named for the German Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Lynden Washington for the name of Hohenlinden
Manheim Pennsylvania
Mecklenburg New York A hamlet in the town of Hector, New York
Mecklenburg County North Carolina Named after the German state of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, or for Charlotte of Mecklenburg, queen consort of George III of Great Britain
Mecklenburg County Virginia Named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg, queen consort of George III of Great Britain
Meiners Oaks California Named after German Native John Meiners
Munich North Dakota
Munster Indiana
Nassau New York Town in Rensselaer County
Nassau County Florida Named for the Duchy of Nassau in Germany
Nassau County New York Named for the Duchy of Nassau in Germany
Newberg Oregon
New Berlin Illinois
New Berlin New York town
New Berlin New York village
New Berlin Pennsylvania
New Berlin Texas
New Berlin Wisconsin Area residents put the accent on the first syllable of Berlin /nuːˈbɜːrlɪn/, rather than the second.
New Braunfels Texas established in 1845 by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, Commissioner General of the Adelsverein; Prince Solms named the settlement in honor of his home of Solms-Braunfels, Germany.
New Bremen New York
New Bremen Ohio
New Paltz New York
New Trier Illinois
New Trier Minnesota
New Ulm Minnesota
Nuremberg Pennsylvania
Oldenburg Indiana
Oppenheim New York
Palatine New York
Potsdam Ohio
Potsdam New York The town is named after the city of Potsdam in Germany.
Prussia Iowa
Pyrmont Indiana
Pyrmont Ohio
Rosenberg Texas Named after Swiss-German immigrant Henry Rosenberg.
Schaumburg Illinois
Schererville Indiana
Schleicher County Texas named in honor of Gustav Schleicher, a veteran of the Confederate Army[11][12]
Schley County Georgia named for William Schley, United States representative and thirty-sixth governor of Georgia
Schoeneck Pennsylvania
Silesia Montana
Spitzenberg Oregon
Steuben County New York Named for Baron von Steuben, a German general who fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War
Stettin Wisconsin
Strasburg Colorado
Strasburg Virginia
Stuttgart Arkansas
Stuttgart Kansas
Ulm Arkansas
Vader Washington Named in 1913 for Martin Vader[4]: 323 
Vienna Illinois
Vienna Virginia
Vienna West Virginia
Waldeck Kansas ghost town
Waldeck Texas Named after Count Ludwig Joseph von Boos-Waldeck.
Waldheim Louisiana Name meaning forest home.
Waldport Oregon Compound Wald as German Word for forest meaning "forestport"
Weimar California
Wrangell Alaska Named after Baltic German explorer Ferdinand von Wrangel.

See also

References

  1. ^ Gudde, Erwin; William Bright (2004). California Place Names (Fourth ed.). University of California Press. p. 12. ISBN 0-520-24217-3.
  2. ^ Paap, Verena, and Loris Roettger. "Otoe—Otoe County". Nebraska... Our Towns. Archived 2011-11-23 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2012-04-18.
  3. ^ Fitzpatrick, Lillian L. (1960). Nebraska Place-Names. University of Nebraska Press. p. 109. ISBN 0-8032-5060-6. A 1925 edition is available for download at University of Nebraska—Lincoln Digital Commons.
  4. ^ a b c d e Meany, Edmond S. (1923). Origin of Washington Geographic Names (PDF). University of Washington Press. OCLC 1963675. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2018 – via Oregon State University Libraries.
  5. ^ "Bismarck City Portrait". City of Bismarck. Archived from the original on 2010-09-19. Retrieved 2010-09-19.
  6. ^ City of Carlsbad - History of Carlsbad Archived 2012-11-23 at WebCite, retrieved March 1, 2012.
  7. ^ Frankenmuth. Images of America. Arcadia Publishing. 2008. ISBN 978-0-7385-6175-2.
  8. ^ "Fort Frederick State Park History". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on October 5, 2007. Retrieved October 7, 2007.
  9. ^ "Frederick, Maryland". Maryland Municipal League. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007. Retrieved October 9, 2007.
  10. ^ MacGregor, Neil (2014). Germany. BBC. p. 128.
  11. ^ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
  12. ^ Smyrl, Vivian Elizabeth. "Schleicher County". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
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