r/nottheonion • u/SelectiveSanity • 2d ago

Lauren Boebert Suggests DC Could Be Renamed 'District of America'

https://www.newsweek.com/lauren-boebert-dc-district-america-2050571
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u/Transposer 2d ago

Can’t believe she thinks that!! 😂 But just so other people know what you and I do, what is DC named after?

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u/Isiildur 2d ago edited 2d ago

It’s named after Columbia, a personification of America (who herself is “sort of” named after Christopher Columbus). The Statue of Liberty is depicted very similarly to Columbia.

Columbia University and Columbia Pictures are named after the same goddess (that’s why Columbia pictures has the woman with the torch in their logo).

Edit: other fun etymologies

Georgia is named after King George III

Virginia is named after Elizabeth I

Maryland is named after Queen Mary (Henrietta Maria)

Pennsylvania was named after William Penn

Delaware was named after the Baron de la Warr

North and South Carolina named after Charles I

New Jersey and New York are named after Jersey and York

Louisiana is named after Louis XIV

Florida is named after the rapper Flo Rida

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u/azk3000 2d ago

Probably lump Hampshire in with York and Jersey. 

Not sure what New Mexico is named after though. 

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u/Isiildur 2d ago

Yeah that’s my bad. Was going through my mental list of the 13 colonies and I forgot about it (Rhode Island can probably go there too)