… So, what’s in a name?

In the US at least, the toponym “Oakland” is extremely common. Wikipedia calls it the 30th most-common US place name; but get this – by my count (using their own, admittedly “highly incomplete” data), it’s more like … 2nd (tied with “Washington” and “Franklin”, and trailing only “Greenville”). Pending a more exact reckoning (by others even more obsessive than yours truly), at least 32 other US jurisdictions are so named, including

  • a village in RI;
  • boroughs/townships in MN, NJ and PA;
  • Census Designated Places (CDPs) in PA and SC;
  • towns in ME, MD, MS, OK, PA, TN, TX and WI, and
  • cities in FL, IL, IA, KY, MO, NE and OR.
  • note that there are also known or suspected “Oaklands” in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Ontario (but – for simplicity’s sake – let’s keep things domestic for now …)

Note that this list is not exhaustive. (I needn’t outrun the bear chasing us both; I need only outrun you … “you” in this case meaning “wikipedia”.) However, please don’t panic and risk losing continence before you consider how this site puts it:

“There’s really only one city named Oakland, and it’s in California.”

(Hmm … has a nice ring to it. Could be a nice tagline/motto for Oaklandwiki …!)

Places that aren't "Oakland"'s but are suspiciously close:

  • Oaklandon, Indiana

Here are all the other Oaklands for which there is an "Images in America" book by Arcadia Press:

 Oakland, Pennsylvania

 Oakland, New Jersey

 Oakland, Maine

 Oakland County, Michigan 

 Oakland University, Michigan (Oakland County)

 Oakland Station Resort, Maryland

 Oakland Park, Florida

 Oakland Cemetery, Shreveport, Louisiana

 Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia (3 vols.!)

 

Also: The Oakland Hills Country Club, a private golf club in Oakland County, Michigan; its two courses have hosted many major professional tournaments.

And, not a place, but named for Oakland County, Michigan: the Oakland Automobile!

 

TheOakland Motor Car Company, of Pontiac, Michigan, named after its location in Oakland County, was acquired by General Motors in 1909 and produced mid-market cars until 1931.

 

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