Probably, meeting a person who has the same name as yours will not surprise anyone. Everyone smiles sweetly and says “namesake!” But cities that have the same names and are located almost on the other side of the world often come as a real shock to those who have not heard of them before. Often, locations of the same name can confuse travellers.
Cities with the same names often received their names from emigrant founders who were unable to completely part with their beloved homeland. This occasionally leads to confusion and funny incidents.
London
Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is the capital of Great Britain. You won’t believe it, but there are almost thirty settlements in the world called London. Of these, half are located in the United States: Oregon, California, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The thing is that America was once colonised by the British, and they scattered throughout the continent. When it came to naming new cities, their imagination was only enough to perpetuate the name of the capital of the United Kingdom in the American colonies. One of the largest American Londons is located in Ohio.
Nowadays many people are moving due to getting a new job. Or there are opposite situations when, due to the desire to change their place of residence, specialists try to find US relocation package jobs on online platforms and move to a new life. Since there are enough cities in the world in different countries with the same names, perhaps when you relocate to a new country you won’t have to get used to the name.
Birmingham
Surely, you are well aware of this city from the TV series Peaky Blinders. At one time they actually made the front pages of Birmingham newspapers and were famous for their unique approach. These were men who dressed impeccably, wore caps, and carried pistols in their trousers.
Birmingham, Alabama, began as an industrial centre, much like the English city of the Peaky Blinders. By the way, because of the same names, an absurd incident once happened: in Birmingham, England, thousands of tourist brochures with the image of their American counterpart were mistakenly distributed. American Birmingham gained popularity thanks to that scandal.
Liverpool
Well, when you hear the name of the settlement of Liverpool, the first thing that probably comes to mind is a port on the north-west coast of England, one of the largest cities in the UK. There are many similarities between American and English namesakes. Liverpool in the state of New York was named after its English brother after salt mining began to actively develop in the territory of the American settlement. So both cities were at one time famous for their salt-mining industrial complexes. And Texas' Liverpool became an important trading port, just like the English city.
Cambridge
British Cambridge needs no introduction, because everyone has at least once heard about the homeland of one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
American Cambridge is located in Massachusetts, north of the city of Boston. The history of the city begins with the arrival of the first English settlers. Initially, the city was known as Newtowne.
Cambridge is home to the well-known and prestigious Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in America, thanks to which the city is considered one of the intellectual centres of the United States.
Manchester
This name is given to the most visited city in Great Britain after London. However, in the state of New Hampshire you can find a place with the same name. According to the idea of the merchant Samuel Blodgett, who built a canal system in the local town of Derryfield, this city was to become a large industrial centre, like the original Manchester. A large cotton spinning factory operated here and trade was in full swing, so to encourage good luck, Derryfield was renamed Manchester. The idea paid off: the city began to develop at a rapid pace thanks to a successful transport interchange. Then a foundry appeared, producing rifles, sewing machines and various equipment. Over time, the city became a mega-center of international trade, so the big British brother can be proud of its American namesake.
Conclusion
They say that the new is the well forgotten old. As we see, this also works in the names of settlements. England, as an older sister, wise by experience and various historical events, shared its names with other countries. And America was no exception.