Despite America's love affair with food, not that many cities are named after food. Fruits are the most commonly used food in city names, while meats are rarely used. Somehow, “Porktown” just doesn’t seem like an appealing place to live.
CITY
1. Orange, CA
2. Citrus Heights, CA
3. Appleton, WI *
4. Walnut Creek, CA
5. Sugar Land, TX
6. Apple Valley, CA
7. Port Orange, FL
8. Apple Valley, MN
9. Coconut Creek, FL
10. Pearland, TX
This list does not include cities which have contributed to food names, like "K.C. Strip" or "Philly Cheesesteak."
* This is sort of a caveat. Appleton, Wisconsin was actually named after Samuel Appleton. But
how did the Appleton surname get its name? According to An Etymological Dictionary of Family and
Christian Names With an Essay on their Derivation and Import by William Arthur (1857), the surname
means (not surprisingly) "Locality. The town abounding in apples." Thus, due to the indirect link,
Appleton will be included here.
However, two other cities which were kept off this list, East Orange (69,824) and West Orange (44,943),
New Jersey, were named after Holland's Duke of Orange (who appears not to be named after the fruit). Source of Population: U.S. Census, 2000.
