Popular Hero. Popular Name.
The Marquis de Lafayette is a national treasure who has inspired the names of 36 U.S. towns and cities all across the U.S. Fayetteville, N.C., Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Lafayette, Indiana are probably the three best known, but did you know Fayetteville in North Carolina is the only city actually visited by the French noblemen while in the U.S.?
The practice of naming a p
lace for Lafayette began even before the Revolutionary War officially ended. The North Carolina General Assembly assigned the name Fayetteville to a growing town right here in Cumberland County, N.C., to honor the Marquis. As the young, liberated nation grew westward, so did the practice of naming new towns and municipalities after him.
The practice didn't stop there. Over the years, colleges, parks, businesses, and even an American fighter squadron (the Lafayette Escadrille WWI combat pilots) serving overseas started naming themselves in honor of Lafayette. The practice has led Fayetteville's namesake to become the most famous Frenchman to ever step foot on American soil.
Here is a map of some notable towns and cities named after the Marquis.