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not set
Type Settlement
Usage English

Meaning & History

This is the name of 2 cities, one in Cambridgeshire (UK) and Ontario (Canada), and 3 towns, one in New Hampshire (US), Victoria & South Australia (Australia).

In the case for Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, it was originally a site of a monastery named Medeshamstede (later known as Peterborough Cathedral) but was given the name Peterborough from the late 10th century after a defensive wall was built around the abbey. The meaning of Peterborough may be a combination of the name Peter, who was the abbey's principal titular saint, and borough (from burg meaning "fort," owing to the fact that a defensive wall was built around the abbey).
In the case for Peterborough in South Australia, it was originally named Petersburg after the landowner, Peter Doecke, but it was renamed to Peterborough in 1917 due to anti-German sentiment during WWI.
Added 2/27/2015 by m4yb3_daijirou