Princeton

Princeton is the name of a town in New Jersey which also happens to be the home of Princeton University. There are other places so-called Princeton but this one is the most familiar. It is said that Princeton, NJ was named after Prince William of Orange who later became King of England around the time the town was settled (1680s) before the Revolutionary War. The college was named for and established in Princeton in 1756. The town’s etymology comes from the English word “Prince” which defines a hereditary royal title, from the Latin “princeps” derived from the elements “primus” (first) and “capio” (to seize). These are obviously fitting root elements since a “prince” is generally the first to seize the throne upon the death of a king (usually his father). The Olde English word for town was “tun” (meaning “homestead”) which is why many place names end with the “-ton” suffix. Princeton barely has any usage as a masculine given name but it recently landed a position on the U.S. Top 1000. Trenton is another New Jersey city name currently on the American list of boy names.