List of city name changes

Amoy → Xiamen
Ji → Yanjing → Zhongdu → Dadu → Jingshi → Khanbalik (as Mongol capital) → Beijing (AKA Peking) → Beiping (AKA Peiping) → Beijing
Canton → Guangzhou
Chang'an → Xi'an
Jinling → Nanjing
Bianliang → Bianjing → Kaifeng
Lin'an → Hangzhou
Yinxu → Anyang
Tan-tung → Andong → Dandong
Shenyang → Shengjiang → Fengtianfu → Mukden → Fengtian → Shenyang
Ch'ing-ni-wa → Port Arthur → Dalnyi → Dairen; Ryojun → Luda → Dalian

Congo, Democratic Republic (Belgian Kongo, Zaire)

A number of places became cities under a Belgian colonial name, or rather two: in Dutch and French (the Belgian official languages), but were later renamed, such as:

Albertstad = Albertville → Kalemie
Coquilhatstad = Coquihatville → Mbandaka
Costermansstad = Costermansville → Bukavu
Elisabethstad = Elisabethville → Lubumbashi
Jadotstad = Jadotville → Likasi
Leopoldstad = Léopoldville → Kinshasa
Port Franqui → Ilebo
Stanleystad = Stanleyville → Kisangani

Croatia

Agram → Zagreb
Fiume → Rijeka
Iader → Jadera → Zara
Mursa → Osijek
Ragusa → Dubrovnik
Spalatum → Spalato → Split

Czech Republic

Německý Brod → Havlíčkův Brod
Zlín → Gottwaldov → Zlín

Egypt

Many cities had Ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Latin names

Syene → Aswan
Iunyt, Ta-senet → Latopolis → Laton → Lato → Esna

Estonia

Reval → Tallinn
Dorpat → Tartu

Finland

Helsingfors → Helsinki

France

Most cities had an ancient name, usually in Latin, often of older Celtic origin

Agedincum → Sens
Aginnum → Agen
Andemantunum → Langres
Antipolis → Antibes
Aquae Sextiae → Aix-en-Provence
Arausio → Orange
Arelate → Arles
Argentoratum → Strassburg → Strasbourg
Augustobona → Troyes
Augustodunum → Autun
Augustodurum → Bayeux
Augustonemetum → Clermont-Ferrand
Autessiodurum → Auxerre
Autricum → Carnotum → Chartres
Avaricum → Bourges
Avennio → Avignon
Burdigala → Bordeaux
Caesarodunum → Tours
Carcaso → Carcassonne
Cenabum → Cenabum Aureliani → Aurelianum → Orléans
Cularo → Gratianopolis → Grenoble
Divodurum → Metz
Divona → Cahors
Durocortorum → Reims
Elimberris → Auch
Forum Iulii → Fréjus
Gesocribate → Brest
Gesoriacum → Bononia → Bonen (aan zee)/ Boulogne-sur-Mer
Iluro → Oléron
Iuliomagus → Angers
Lapurdum → Bayonne
Limonum → Poitiers
Lugdunum → Lyon
Lutetia → Paris
Massilia → Marseille
Matisco → Macon
Mediolanium → Saintes
Mediolanum Aulercorum → Évreux
Metis → Metz
Narbo Martius → Narbonne
Nemausus → Nîmes
Nemetacum → Arras
Noviodunum Aeduorum → Nevirnum → Nevers
Portus Namnetum → Nantes
Rotomagus → Rouan
Samarobriva → Amiens
Segodunum → Rodez
Senones → Sens
Tolosa → Toulouse
Valentia → Valence
Vesontio → Besançon
Vienna → Vienne

Germany

Aquisgranum → Aix-la-Chapelle → Aachen
Augusta Treverorum → Trier
Augusta Vindelicorum → Augsburg
Aurelia Aquensi → Baden-Baden
Batavis → Passau
Bona → Bonn
Castellum apud Confluentes → Koblenz
Castra Regina → Regensburg
Chemnitz → Karl-Marx-Stadt → Chemnitz
Colonia Agrippina → Cologne (Köln)
Colonia Nemetum → Speyer
Constantia → Konstanz
Fürstenberg (Oder) → Stalinstadt → Eisenhüttenstadt
Moguntiacum → Mainz
Sorviodurum → Straubing

Greece

Hungary

Dunapentele → Sztálinváros (1949) → Dunaújváros (1961)
Tiszaszederkény → Leninváros (1970) → Tiszaújváros (1990)

India

Madras → Chennai (changed August 1996)
Fort William → Calcutta → Kolkata (changed January 2001)
Mumba → Boa Baia → Bombay → Mumbai (changed 1995 or 1996)
Pataliputra → Patna
Pondicherry → Puduchery
Poona → Pune
Qila Rai Pithora → Siri → Tughluqabad → Jahanpanah → Kotla Firoz Shah → Purana Qila → Shahjahanabad → Delhi
Trivandrum → Thiruvananthapuram
Quilon → Kollam
Aleppey → Alappuzha
Cochin → Kochi
Calicut → Kozhikode
Coimbatore → Koyamutthoor
Indravati → Umravti → Amravati

Indonesia

Bencoolen → Bengkulu
Port Numbay → Hollandia → Kota Baru → Sukarnopura → Jayapura
Kalapa → Jayakarta → Batavia → Jakarta
Makasar → Ujungpandang → Makassar
Tanjungkarang-Telukbetung → Bandar Lampung
Aceh → Kotaraja → Banda Aceh

Iran

Ecbatana → Hamadan

Israel

Acre → Ptolemais → Acre → Akko/Akka
Yvus → Yerushalayim → Ilea Capitolina → Al-Quds → Yerushalayim/Al-Quds (Jerusalem)
Ashkelon → Ascalon (Majdal) → Ashqelon
Joppa → Jaffa → Tel Aviv-Yafo
Raanania→ Ra'anana

Italy

From history, most Italian cities have Latin names, some have Greek or Etruscan names.

Acragas → Agrigentum → Agrigento
Beneventum → Benevento
Bozen; Bozen-Bolzano
Felsina → Bononia → Bologna
Brundisium → Brindisi
Carales → Cagliari
Crotona → Crotone
Florentia → Florence (Firenze)
Genua → Genoa (Genova)
Lavinium → Lavinio
Mediolanum → Milan (Milano)
Messana → Messina
Mutina → Modena
Neapolis → Napolis → Naples (Napoli)
Panormus → Palermo
Pisae → Pisa
Rhegium → Reggio di Calabria
Rome → Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana → Rome (Roma)
Syracuse → Siracusa
Taras → Tarentum → Taranto

Japan

Heiankyo → Kyoto
Edo → Tokyo

Kazakhstan

Akmolinsk → Tselinograd → Aqmola → Astana
Almaty → Verny → Alma-Ata → Almaty
Awlie-Ata → Jambul → Taraz
Gur'yev → Atyrau

Korea

Hanseong → Gyeongseong → Keijo → Seoul
Wonsanjin → Gensan → Wonsan
Pusan → Fusan → Pusan → Busan
Sinuiju → Shingeishu → Sinuiju → Sineuiju
Wanggŏmsŏng → Sŏgyŏng → Ryugyŏng; Kisŏng; Hwangsŏng; Rangrang; Sŏgyŏng; Sŏdo; Hogyŏng; Changan → Heijo → Pyongyang → Pyeongyang
Dalgubeol → Taegu → Daegu
Hanbot → Taejon → Daejeon
Ungjin → Kongju → Gongju

Kyrgyzstan

Pishpek → Frunze → Bishkek

Lebanon

Berytus → Beirut
Heliopolis → Baalbek
Sidon → Saida
Tyre → Sur

Libya

Oea → Tripoli

Lithuania

Kowno, Kovno → Kaunas
Memel → Klaipėda
Wilno, Vilna → Vilnius
Kapsukas → Marijampolė

Malaysia

Jesselton → Kota Kinabalu
Port Swettenham → Port Klang

Morocco

Tingis → Tangier

Mozambique

Lourenço Marques → Maputo

Myanmar

Akyab → Sittwe
Amherst → Kyaikkame
Bassein → Pathein
Maymyo → Pyin U Lwin
Moulmien → Mawlamyine
Myohaung → Mrauk U
Pagan → Bagan
Pegu → Bago
Prome → Pyay
Dagon → Rangoon → Yangon
Sandoway → Thandwe
Syriam → Thanlyin
Tavoy → Dawei
Yaunghwe → Nyaung Shwe

Netherlands

Noviomagus Batavorum (or Batavodurum) → Nijmegen
Traiectum ad Mosam → Maastricht
Traiectum Eriditum → Utrecht

Norway

Oslo → Christiania → Kristiania →Oslo
Kaupangen → Nidaros → Trondhjem → Nidaros → Trondheim
Fredrikshald → Halden

Paraguay

Puerto Flor de Lis → Puerto Presidente Stroessner → Ciudad del Este
Ajos → Coronel Oviedo

Poland

Dzierzgoń → Neu Christburg → Christburg → Dzierzgoń
Reichenbach → Dzierżoniów
Łęg → Lyck → Ełk
Gdynia → Gotenhafen → Gdynia
Nowa Wieś → Lötzen → Giżycko
Hirschberg → Jelenia Góra
Katowice → Stalinogród → Katowice
Rast → Rastenburg → Kętrzyn
Lignica→ Liegnitz → Legnica
Łódź → Litzmannstadt → Łódź
Żądzbork → Mrągowo
Nowe Miasto Korczyn → Nowy Korczyn
Margrabowa → Treuburg → Olecko
Pazluk → Hollandt → Preußisch Holland → Pasłęk
Piasek → Piaski Luterskie → Piaski
Melcekuke → Mehlsack → Pieniężno
Pisz → Johannisburg → Pisz
Ortulfsburg → Ortelsburg → Szczytno
Waldenburg → Wałbrzych
Wejherowska Wola → Neustadt → Wejherowo → Neustadt → Wejherowo
Wielka Wieś → Władysławowo
Zabrze → Hindenburg → Zabrze

Portugal

Aeminium → Coimbra
Bracara Augusta → Braga
Conimbriga → Condeixa-a-Nova
Iebora → Évora
Olisipo → Al-Usbuna → Lisbon (Lisboa)
Pax Iulia → Beja
Portus Cale → Porto (Oporto)
Sheberina → Serpa
Sintara → Sintra

Romania

Axiopolis → Cernavodă
Abruttus → Abrud
Ad Mediam → Băile Herculane
Aegyssus → Tulcea
Ampelum → Zlatna
Apulum → Bălgrad → Gyulafehérvár → Alba Iulia
Arrubium → Măcin
Braşov → Oraşul Stalin → Braşov
Bucureşci → Bucureşti (Bucharest)
Calatis → Mangalia
Carsium → Hârşova
Cibinum → Hermannstadt → Nagyszeben → Sibiu
Dierna → Orşova
Jassy → Iaşi
Marosvásárhely → Târgu Mureş
Napoca → Klausenburg → Kolozsvár → Cluj → Cluj-Napoca
Noviodunum → Isaccea
Porolissum → Zalău
Potaissa → Turda
Temesvár → Timişoara
Tomis → Constanţa
Drobeta → Turnu Severin → Drobeta-Turnu Severin

Russia

See List of city name changes in Russia and Soviet Union

Serbia and Montenegro

Cattaro → Kotor
Naissus → Nis
Singidunum → Belgrade
Sirmium → Sremska Mitrovica
Titograd → Podgorica

Singapore

Temasek → Singapore

Slovakia

Kaschau → Kosice
Pressburg, Pozsony → Bratislava

Slovenia

Laibach → Ljubljana

South Africa

Pietersburg → Polokwane
Potgietersrus → Makupane
Ellisrus → Lephalale
Louis Trichart → Makhado
Messina → Musina
Phalaborwa → BaPhalaborwa
Pretoria → Tshwane

Spain

Abula → Ávila
Acci → Guadix
Aurasiola → Orihuela
Augusta Emerita → Mérida
Barcino → Barcino Nova → Barcelona
Brigantium → Caronium → Corunna → La Coruña → A Coruña
Caesaraugusta → Saraqusta → Zaragoza
Carthago Nova → Cartagena
Colonia Caecilia Metellinum → Medellín
Colonia Iulia Romula → Hispalis → Isbilia → Seville (Sevilla)
Colonia Norba Caesarina → Norba → Cáceres
Colonia Patricia → Corduba → Córdoba
Complutum → Alcalá de Henares
Dertosa → Tortosa
Dianinum → Denia
Egara → Tarrasa → Terrassa
Gades → Cádiz
Gerunda → Gerona → Girona
Ilerda → Lérida → Lleida
Ilice → Elche
Legio → León
Lucentum → Laquant → Alicante
Lucus Augusti → Lugo
Malaca → Málaga
Onuba → Huelva
Pompaelo → Pamplona
Saguntum → Sagunto
Salamantica → Salamanca
Tarraco → Tarraco nova → Tarragona
Toletum → Toledo

Syria

Aleppo → Beroea → Aleppo
Emesa → Homs
Hamath → Hama
Laodicea → Latakia
Palmyra → Tadmor

Tajikistan

Dyushambe → Stalinabad → Dushanbe
Khodzhent → Leninabad → Khujand

Turkey

Many cities were founded by the Ancient Greeks or their contemporaries, and renamed by the Romans, and later again by Muslim Arabs or Turks

European (Eastern Thrace)

Hadrianopolis/Adrianople → Edirne
Byzantion → Byzantium → Constantinopolis/Constantinople → Istanbul

Anatolia (Asia Minor)

Alexandretta → Iskenderun
Amida → Diyarbakır
Amisus → Samsun
Ancyra → Angora → Ankara
Antioceia -> Antiochia/Antioch → Antakya
Archelais -> Aksaray
Attalia → Attalea → Adalia → Antalya
Chalkedon → Chalcedon
Cius → Prusa → Bursa
Dorylaeum -> Eskischehir
Edessa → Sanli Urfa (Şanlıurfa)
Ephesos → Ephesus -> Efes
Halikarnassos → Halicarnassus → Bodrum
Iconium → Konya
Kyzikos → Cyzicus
Magnesia → Manisa
Mazaca → Caesarea Mazaca → Kayseri
Melitene → Malatya
Mylasa -> Milas
Nikaia → Nicaea → İznik
Nicomedia → İzmit/Kocaeli
Pergamon → Pergamum → Bergama
Sinope → Sinop
Smyrna → İzmir
Theodosiopolis → Erzurum
Tralles → Aydin
Trapezon → Trapezus → Trebizond → Trabzon

Ukraine

Aleksandrovsk → Zaporizhzhya
Bakhmut → Artemivs'k
Elisavetgrad → Zinovyevsk → Kirovo → Kirovohrad
Lviv (Lwow, Lvov) → Lemberg → Lviv
Stanislavov → Ivano-Frankivsk
Tarnopol' → Ternopil'
Yekaterinoslav → Dnipropetrovsk (Dnepropetrovsk)
Yuzovka-Trotsk-Stalino-Donets'k

United Kingdom

England

Aquae Solis → Bath
Brycgstow → Bristol
Camulodunum → Colchester
Cantiacorum → Durovurnum → Canterbury
Deva → Caester → Chester
Dubris → Dover
Durnovaria → Dorchester
Efrawg → Eboracum/Eburacum → Eoferwic → Jorvik → York
Glevum → Gloucester
Isca Dumnoniorum → Exeter
Lindum → Lincoln
Londinium → Lundenwic → Lundenburgh → London
Luguvallium → Carlisle
Pons Aelius → Monkchester → Newcastle upon Tyne
Ratae Coritanorum → Kaerleir → Leicester
Tigguo Cobauc → Snottingaham → Nottingham

Northern Ireland

Doire → Derry → Londonderry → Londonderry/Derry

Scotland

Dun Eideann → Edinburgh
Glascu → Glasgow

United States

Alburquerque → Albuquerque, New Mexico
Cleaveland → Cleveland, Ohio
Dearborn → Chicago, Illinois
Fort Duquesne → Fort Pitt → Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Fort Orange → Albany → Willemstad → Albany
Gay Head, Massachusetts → Aquinnah, Massachusetts
Halfway, Oregon → Half.com, Oregon
Hot Springs, New Mexico → Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
Jernigan → Orlando
Losantisville → Cincinnati, Ohio
Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania → Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
New Amsterdam → New York
North Tarrytown, New York → Sleepy Hollow, New York
Pig's Eye → St. Paul, Minnesota
Providence → Annapolis, Maryland
Swilling's Mill → Hellinwg Mill → Mill City → East Phoenix → Phoenix, Arizona
Vermilionville → Lafayette, Louisiana
Wintonbury → Bloomfield, Connecticut
Yerba Buena → San Francisco, California

Uzbekistan

Maracanda → Samarkand

Zimbabwe (former (Southern) Rhodesia)

Enkeldoorn → Chivhu
Essexvale → Esigodini
Fort Victoria → Masvingo
Gatooma → Kadoma
Gwelo → Gweru
Hartley → Chegutu
Marandellas → Marondera
Matopos → Matobo
Melsetter → Chimanimani
Que Que → Kwekwe
Salisbury → Harare
Selukwe → Shurugwi
Shabani → Zvishavane
Sinoia → Chinhoyi
Umtali → Mutare
Wankie → Hwange

Sources and References

(incomplete)

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia.
Westermann, Groβer Atlas zur Weltgeschichte (in German)

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