📷 GALLERY: New York Town Names From Around The World
This is a fun list. It seems that Upstate New York is sort of like its own United Nations. Well, in name only.
Why are so many places in Upstate New York named for faraway lands and cities? The answer is for various reasons. Some of our towns are named for them to pay tribute to early settlers and immigrants who came from other countries to settle in Upstate New York (such as Rotterdam, New York). Others are named randomly, perhaps because they like the sound of the international country or city. Others, well, we really have no idea how the name was picked.
Some were named for a foreign city and spelled likewise, but pronounce it differently. Delhi, N.Y. for example was named for Delhi, India. The Upstate New York Delhi is pronounced "Del-high" and the Indian city it was named for is actually pronounced "Del-eee." Curious.
Upstate New York has a Rome, Madrid, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Mexico, Cuba, Oxford and many other communities that are named for international locations.
This list is a sampler list of some of the most interesting place names. We know there are many others in the region (like Russia, Peru, and Lyons, which was named for Lyon, France), and perhaps you live in one of them. If so, please let us know!