ToponymicaUS City Name Origins
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Person

Denver

Colorado (CO)est. 1858pop. 715,522/DEN-ver/

The meaning

“Surname; ultimately 'from Denver, Norfolk' — the Danes' crossing”

How it got the name

Gold-rush speculator William Larimer named his claim after James Denver, hoping to flatter the territorial governor into making it a county seat. The flattery was wasted: Denver had already resigned. The English place-name behind the surname means 'ford or passage of the Danes.'

Former names

  1. Denver City
  2. Auraria (merged rival camp)
  3. Denver