Where did the name Washington DC come from?

Answer 1

The city was named after George Washington, the first president of the United States. "DC" stands for the District of Columbia. Columbia was a poetic name for the United States used at the time.

Answer 2

Actually it was originally going to be called Washingtonople by the designer of the city, Pierre L'Enfant

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This might be true but, if you are asking (because you read or are reading a certain book) as to whether Washington, DC was ever called Rome in a way it was. Rome was the name of an area that was beside the Tiber river in Rome, MD in which the Capitol building now sits. Though, the city did have several previous designation and Washington DC was not the original capital.

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I think the answer to this question depends on what you mean.

Washington DC was originally made up of what had previously been several different communities in Maryland and Virginia. Rome, Maryland was one, but Georgetown was the more important community at the time and had a charter, which Rome did not. Also included was Alexandria, which had previously been in Virginia and was later returned to Virginia. These communities were combined into the District of Columbia, which originally had three cities called Georgetown, Washington, and Alexandria. Later, after Alexandria had been returned to Virginia, the charter of Alexandria was revoked, and the entire district became Washington.

So if you are referring to Washington, the city of the early 19th century, the answer might best be Rome. If you are asking what the earliest name of the capital of the United States was, it was originally Washington, DC. If you are asking what was there before the capital was, perhaps it would be best to say Georgetown, or Georgetown and Alexandria. But if you are asking what the area was called by the Nacotchtank, who lived there before Europeans arrived, it was called by a name that has been anglicized into Anacostia.

There are links below.

Answer 3

"Washington" was named after President George Washington, who selected the location of the city along the Potomac River.

"D.C." stands for the District of Columbia. "Columbia" was a poetic name for the United States used in the 19th century.

Answer 4

George Washington called it the same thing everyone else did at the time - the district of Columbia. The name "Washington, DC" came from the fact that the District originally had two counties - Washington County on the Maryland side of the Potomac River and Alexandria County on the Virginia side. Alexandria County was returned to Virginia in 1846, leaving only Washington County. After that, the capital city gradually became known as Washington, DC.

Answer 5

It didn't exist so it wasn't anything. Washington DC was built to be Washington DC the national capital.