Why Do We Rename the World?

A small shift in language that makes you a better traveler.

Author

Jeff Rehmar
May 20, 2025

✈️ Why Do We Rename the World?

You’re in Venezia, but the signs say Venice. You land in München, but your boarding pass said Munich. We’re so used to these names that we don’t stop to ask: why do we change them in the first place?

Sure, there’s history behind many of these English versions — trade, colonization, habit. But at its core, this habit feels like a form of subtle control. If we can’t pronounce something easily, we reshape it. Flatten it. Fit it into our world.

We say Florence instead of Firenze, Prague instead of Praha, Cologne instead of Köln. But this isn’t just a European quirk.
– We say Beijing, but pronounce it incorrectly.
– We still call Mumbai Bombay in casual conversation.
– We refer to Kyiv as Kiev, long after its correction entered the global press.
– Even Ciudad de México gets reduced to Mexico City.

Imagine if a tourist came to New York and insisted it be called Nouvelle-York. It would feel absurd — and it should.

This isn’t about virtue signaling or linguistic perfection. It’s about presence. Calling a place by the name its people use is a small act of respect. You’re signaling: “I’m here to learn, not just consume.”

Say Lisboa and a local smiles. Say Saigon, and someone might gently correct you — now you know it’s Ho Chi Minh City. Say Istanbul without needing the “formerly Constantinople” footnote. These are moments of connection. Micro-interactions that turn transactions into memories.

We don’t need to translate the world to make it easier. We need to meet it where it is.

Start with the name.

🌍 Want to Dig Deeper?

This came to me while sitting in a quiet place with nothing but rain, birds, and time.

Coming Thursday at 945am PT/1245pm ET

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