Vol. 40 No. 3 (1992)
Research Article

How New Naming. Systems Emerge: The Prototypical Case of Columbus and Washington

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  • Lawrence M. Baldwin,
  • Michel Grimaud
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1179/nam.1992.40.3.153

Published 1992-09-01

Copyright (c) 1992 Maney

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Abstract

A new, generalized commemorative use of personal names as toponyms began and spread at about the time of the French and American Revolutions as a consequence of the personalities involved and of the events themselves. Three of the most important names – Washington, Columbus, and Columbia – are frequently and significantly used for counties, towns, and streets in the United States. Also, the American Revolution may have been instrumental in enabling the birth of several anthroponymic naming systems.

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References

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