What’s in a name?

I’ve been traveling I-75 South for a long time, and I’ve always wondered what the crazy or unique city names meant. So, on my last drive, while Alden handled the driving, I did some research. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did researching it. From south to north, I found out the following.

Valdosta (pop. 56,456) isn’t the very first or last exit, but it’s close and certainly has a unique name. Governor George Troup had a nearby plantation he had named Val d’osta, following the Piedmontese language of the Aosta Valley region of Italy. “Aosta” refers to Emperor Augustus. It was thought that Val d’osta meant “vale of beauty.” According to my search attempts, there is only one Valdosta in the U.S.

Hahira (pop. 2,737) is one of those names that people love to say out loud. There is no official name origin for Hahira, but according to legend, the town was named after a West African village, Hairaairee, which was described to the local plantation owner by an English traveler.

Next up the road, is Adel (pop. 5,333), which started out as Puddleville. The city’s first postmaster, Joel “Uncle Jack” Parrish, didn’t care for that name, so he changed it. It is believed that he saw the name “Philadelphia” on a croaker sack and struck out the first and last four letters to create the present name of Adel. There are seven other communities in the nation with the same name.

From there, we pass into Tifton (pop. 16,350), the only town with that name. Named after sawmill owner, Henry H. Tift in 1872, the newly formed county was given that name in 1905. Tifton is home to the Georgia Museum of Agriculture & Historic Village, showcasing farming from the 1870s to now, with an obvious reliance on cotton and peanuts. It’s very educational for those who think food comes from the grocery.

Sylvester (pop. 6,188) has interstate signs but is a few miles off I-75 to the west. Sylvester’s claim to fame is being named “The Peanut Capital of the World.” Its name comes from the Latin adjective silvestris, meaning “wooded” or “wild,” which derives from the noun silva, meaning “woodland.” Besides peanuts, they do have lots of trees. Only three other U.S. towns have that name.

Next is Sycamore (pop. 711). Named after a stand of sycamore trees in town, there is little of interest in this sleepy town. However, besides our Sycamore, there are at least 18 U.S. towns that have that name. Ashburn (pop. 4152) is its close neighbor. Ashburn also prominently showcases peanuts, but more importantly, they have an annual fire ant festival. The community was named after W.W. Ashburn, a pioneer citizen. Three other towns share that name.

Next comes Arabi (pop. 411). Only one other town in the U.S. shares that name, although many foreign towns use it. There is nigh mention of the origins of the name Arabi for Georgia’s town, but it appears to be named after the same guy Louisiana named their Arabi after: Ahmed ”Urabi” (pop. 1,841–1,911), also known as Arabi, Ahmed Ourabi, or Orabi Pasha. He was an Egyptian (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptians) nationalist and an officer of the Egyptian army (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_army) who turned into a rebel-rousing revolutionary, making headlines in Arab areas during the time around the naming of Arabi in Georgia. Why here? No idea.

Next stop is Cordele, “The Watermelon Capital of the World” (pop. 11,147), also of I-75 missile fame. Meant to be a tourist attraction in the 1960s, it has become a landmark without any apparent purpose. Called the “Confederate Nuclear Missile,” it was an operational Titan 1 missile before becoming parking lot memorabilia. Cordele is named after Cordelia Hawkins, eldest daughter of Colonel Samuel Hawkins, president of a local railroad. No other U.S. town shares that name.

Vienna (pop. 4,011). Easy, right. Twenty-one other U.S. cities call themselves Vienna. Originally called Berrien, it was changed to Drayton, and then finally to Vienna. Yes, but after Vienna, Austria. Why? No clue. And they pronounce it “VY-Anna,” not “Vee-enna.”

Getting closer to home, we pass through Unadilla (pop. 3,796). I’ve seen a few theories on the name’s origin, but apparently, it is an Indian name for a meeting house. There is a Unadilla, New York, which acknowledges the name’s meaning. 

Nothing weird about the name Perry (pop. 13,839), but it was originally called Wattsville. Founded in 1823, the town’s name was changed to honor Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Hazard_Perry), a hero of the War of 1812 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_1812). Eighteen other towns are so named.

Finally, we get to the Warner Robins/Centerville exit. Centerville (pop. 7,148) has been through more names than the CDC has opinions on mask-wearing. Originally called Busby, historical documents show this area called LaVilla, Gunn, Dunbar and Toy, ending with Busbayville. The community applied for a post office, but there was already a post office in Centerville in Gwinnett County using that name, as well as four other communities in Georgia. The name was thus changed to Hattie, which it remained until incorporated by the Legislature in 1958 as Centerville.

Pulling into the driveway, I am officially in Warner Robins (pop. 74,762). That’s a name no other town has, for sure. More on Warner Robins and surrounding area history in a future column.

Kelly Burke, retired attorney, former district attorney and magistrate judge, writes about the law, rock ’n’ roll, and politics or anything that strikes him. These articles are not designed to give legal advice but are designed to inform the public about how the law affects their daily lives. Contact Kelly atdakellyburke@gmail.com to comment on this article or suggest articles that you’d like to see, and visit his website at www.kellyrburke.com to view prior columns and contact Kelly. 

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