After what George was Georgetown University named? Or was it named that because of where it is located?
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3 Answers
Georgetown University is named after the village Georgetown it is in or close to. Georgetown predates the creation of Washington D.C. by a significant margin and one can speculate that, like many other places up and down the East Coast of the United States, it was founded by settlers from Britain who named all sorts of places after British kings, queens, and localities. Other origins for the name are also possible, of course, and the linked to wikipedia article states this:
Since Georgetown was founded during the reign of George II of Great Britain, some speculate that the town was named after him. Another theory is that the town was named after its founders, George Gordon and George Beall.
answered May 12, 2022 at 22:17
Wolfgang Bangerth
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From what I can find with a short search, the provenance of the name appears to be disputed. The university is named after Georgetown, but there are some competing theories for the origin of the name of the town. In 1751 when the town was founded, it was common for locations in British colonies to be named after the sovereign at that time (George II), but there are other possibilities in this case.
The part of Washington which was formerly Georgetown was laid out pursuant to an act of the provenance of Maryland dated June 8, 1751, passed in response to a petition of several inhabitants of Frederick County, in said State. This act appointed seven commissioners to purchase 60 acres belonging to Messrs. George Gordon and George Beall, on the Potomac River... The act then adds that upon the completion of said proceedings the locality is "erected into a town, and shall be called by the name of Georgetown." It was never incorporated as a city, but was commonly called the City of Georgetown as a consequence of the casual reference to it by that title in numerous acts of Congress.
The general supposition is that the town was named in honor of George II, then the reigning sovereign of Great Britain, but it is also contended that it was named as a compliment to the two Georges from whom the site was obtained.
(Tindall, W. (1900) The Establishment and Government of the District of Columbia. U.S. Senate reports of 1900 (Congressional Edition), Volume 4043, p. 15.)
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I've even heard it was named after George Washington, but cannot verify that claim.Geremia– Geremia2022-05-12 23:57:50 +00:00Commented May 12, 2022 at 23:57
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6@Geremia: George Washington was a 19-year-old surveyor at the time that Georgetown was founded; he was not well-known or accomplished at that time. So I don't think that is a plausible origin for the name.Ben– Ben2022-05-13 01:49:06 +00:00Commented May 13, 2022 at 1:49
It's named Georgetown because it overlooked a village named that: "Georgetown University History":
John Carroll’s founding of Georgetown College coincides with the birth of our nation. […] In 1789, Carroll secured the deed to 60 acres of land on a hilltop overlooking the village of Georgetown. He was appointed Archbishop of Baltimore in 1808.