New York City wasn't always a densely packed metropolis of subways and skyscrapers, just as Los Angeles wasn't always a sprawling concrete city.

Throughout their histories, US cities have undergone massive changes, from their residents and leaders to their size, shape, and infrastructure. Native Americans inhabited the regions around most cities before being driven out by European settlers, and the new cities often saw changes in rulers afterward.

But among some cities' biggest changes are their names themselves. The area that eventually became Jacksonville , Florida, was at different points controlled by the Native Americans, French, Spanish, and British, leading to several name changes before being named after Andrew Jackson.

Other cities' early names reflected their geographic importance or environmental factors.…