Why is there a Birmingham, AL and a Birmingham, ENG?

[trof]

Well, OK, it's BUR-min-ham and Buh-ming-hum,
but you get the idea.

[no name no slogan]

1. I thought the one in 'Bama was pronounced "Bumminham"

[djeseru]

2. The same reason that there's...

...a Memphis Tennessee, an Athens, Georgia, and a Paris, Texas? Un-originality by the town's founders? Or they really liked these other places so much they thought we needed ones here in America?

I like coming across these "junior" cities in the USA. =)

[qnr]

4. Those Europeans need to stop stealing our town names!

:hi:

[djeseru]

6. Yeah, those ancients need to get an original idea...

...for a change. Not ev'rbody can be like Merikans.


:hi:

[ZombieNixon]

12. Ironically, "junior" Portland, OR is now larger than its "senior" in Maine

and it was almost named "Boston".

[qnr]

13. But I think Bangor, ME is still larger than Bangor, WA

Don't quote me on that though.

Edit: Maybe not, with the base. I don't feel like checking at the moment. But they probably are both larger than Bangor, Wales.

[ZombieNixon]

14. Bangor, ME: 31,473 (2000)

Bangor, WA: 7,253 (2000)
Bangor, Wales: ~20,000

One out of two ain't bad.

[qnr]

15. Wow, I had no idea Bangor, Wales was that large.

the

[DBoon]

3. they both had steel mills?

is that it?

[trof]

5. Actually, yes.

Birmingham was also called "The Pittsburg of the South".
Steel mills all gone now.

[supernova]

7. For the same reason there's a Durham NC and a Durham, England.

:D

Durham Cathedral:



Durham Cathedral, Jr :

[trof]

9. Wonder why they didn't call it "New Birmingham".

Like "New" York?

[no name no slogan]

10. or "New Boston"

But I wonder if there will ever be a "New New York"-- maybe on the moon?

[trof]

11. Boston=St. Botolph's Town

Honest.

[tjwmason]

16. Some of my family come from near Boston

Boston in Lincolnshire (in England) that is.

[qnr]

8. I wonder if any place is named after a US city? Maybe something

in Liberia perhaps. (A city, I'm not referring to something along the lines of "Little America")

[tjwmason]

17. There's actually a "Washington" in England too.

Whence the family of the 1st U.S. President originates. Ironically they moved to Virginia during the Commonwealth because of their Royalist sympathies.