This is a list of renamed places in Romania.
Background During the twentieth century, a number of places in Romania had their names changed for various reasons. For instance, Brașov was called Orașul Stalin by the Communist regime in order to pay homage to the Soviet leader. Some of those names were changed back to the original; Brașov regained its old name as Romania's leadership began to develop policies more independent of the Soviet Union. The reason for many Transylvanian name changes was to give a more "Romanian-sounding" name to certain settlements, since in many case the original Romanian name was too close to the Hungarian or German one, from which it was derived (usually a simple re-writing of the name according to Romanian phonetics). Many places had their names changed by a decree from 1964 due to their perceived inappropriate nature.https://legislatie.just.ro/public/DetaliiDocument/19380 Decree nr. 799 from December 17, 1964 (in Romanian)
Since 1921 This list enumerates the changes made from 1921 onwards.
Not included are the names of localities in the Banat, in Transylvania, and in Bukovina that were changed from Hungarian and/or German to Romanian immediately after World War I, the names of localities in Northern Transylvania that were changed back to Hungarian from 1940 to 1944, and those of localities in Greater Romania that today no longer form part of Romania, such as Southern Dobrudja and the Bugeac.
Alba 38 Arad 26 Argeș 4 Bacău 5 Bihor 19 Bistrița‑ Năsăud 42 Botoșani 1 Brașov 12 Brăila 5 Buzău 1 Caraș‑Severin 17 Călărași 2 Cluj 135 Constanța 24 Covasna 2 Dâmbo- vița 1 Dolj 1 Galați 4 Giurgiu 1 Gorj 0 Harghita 12 Hunedoara 16 Ialomița 0 Iași 3 Ilfov 0 Maramureș 16 Mehe- dinți 1 Mureș 64 Neamț 0 Olt 0 Prahova 0 Satu Mare 14 Sălaj 22 Sibiu 33 Suceava 3 Teleorman 0 Timiș 22 Tulcea 12 Vaslui 1 Vâlcea 0 Vrancea 1 București
Original name New name Period Akbaș Albești, Constanța County unknown Alakap Poarta Albă, Constanța County unknown Arpătac Araci, Covasna County 1925 Aziza Saligny, Constanța County unknown Bairamdede Independența, Constanța Countysince the 1930s Bendorf Benești, Sibiu County 1925 Beșeneu Pădureni, Covasna County 1960 Biulbiul (Bülbül) Ciocârlia, Constanța County unknown Binținți Aurel Vlaicu, Hunedoara County 1925 Brașov Orașul Stalin, Brașov County8 September 1950 – 24 December 1960 Brătieni Brăduleț, Argeș Countysince 1949 Budiul de Câmpie Papiu Ilarian, Mureș County 1925 Canara, Kanara Ovidiu, Constanța County 1930 Caracoium (Karakoium), Carachioi Năvodari, Constanța County 1927 Caracicula Limanu, Constanța County 1920–1940 (?) Caraomer, Cara Omer (Karaomer) Negru Vodă, Constanța Countysince 1926 Caranasuf Istria, Constanța County 1920–1940 (?) Carasu (Karasu) Medgidia, Constanța County since 02.09.1856 Cartal (Kartal) Vulturu, Constanța County unknown Cerchezchioi Cerchezu, Constanța County unknown Chiostel (Köstel) Castelu, Constanța County unknown Cioara Bărăganul, Brăila Countysince the 1950s (?) Cioara Săliștea, Alba County 1960 Cluj Cluj-Napoca since October 16, 1974 (in Romanian, containing decree on renaming Cluj into Cluj-Napoca dated October 16th, 1974) Coronini Pescari, Caraș-Severin County 1960–1996 Cogealia, Kogea Ali (Koca Ali); Valea Neagră Lumina, Constanța County Cogealia until 1929; Valea Neagră between 1929 and 1965 Coșlar Coșlariu, Alba County 1956 Coaciu Făureni, Cluj County 1925 Cristuru Secuiesc I. G. Duca, Odorhei County 1933–1940 Cuhea Bogdan Vodă, Maramureș County 1974 Cuzgun (Kuzgun) Ion Corvin, Constanța County 1920–1940 (?) Cetad Lenauheim, Timiș County 1925 Danachioi, Carol I Nicolae Bălcescu, Constanța County unknown Dealul Calului Poiana Horea, Cluj County 1956 DiciosânmărtinTârnăveni, Mureș Countysince 3 May 1941 Docuzol Cuza Vodă, Constanța County unknown Domnești Cogealac, Constanța County unknown Eforie Sud Vasile Roaită, Constanța County1949–1965 Enge-Mahale Mereni, Constanța County 1920–1940 (?) Fărcădinul de Jos General Berthelot, Hunedoara County Berthelot 1923–1960, Unirea 1965 and 2001 Fărcașfalău Lupeni, Harghita County 1921 Felța Florești, Sibiu County 1950 Feneșul Săsesc Florești, Cluj County 1925 Florica Ștefănești, Argeș Countysince 1949 Frâua Axente Sever, Sibiu County 1950 Gargalâcul-Mic Corbu, Constanța County unknown Gherengic (Gerencik) Pecineaga, Constanța Countyunknown, I.G. Duca between 1933–1940 Ghiurfalău Gheorghieni, Cluj County 1925 Ghiuvenlia (Güvenli) Chirnogeni, Constanța County unknown Ghiriș Câmpia Turzii, Cluj County 1925 Hairanchioi (Hayranköy) Dumbrăveni, Constanța County unknown Hasancea Valu lui Traian, Constanța Countysince 1925 Hașiduluc Cumpăna, Constanța County since 1926 Hărăstaș Călărași, Cluj County 1925 Hermeziu Lunca Prutului, Iași Countyunknown-1996 Hidiș Podeni, Cluj County 1925 Hususău Valea Lungă, Alba County 1925 Iad Livezile, Bistrița-Năsăud County 1960 Ibașfalău Dumbrăveni, Sibiu County 1925 Ienidja, Ienigea, Enigea Deleni, Constanța Countysince 1940 Ilanlâc Vama Veche, Constanța County 1920–1940 (?) Inancișmea (İnançeșme) Fântânele, Constanța County unknown Indol Deleni, Cluj County 1925 Jădani Cornești, Timiș County 1960 Kara Murat, Ferdinand I Mihail Kogălniceanu, Constanța County Kara Murat until the 1930s; Ferdinand I until 1948 Luca Gheorghe Doja, Mureș Countysince 1952 Mețențiu Ady Endre, Satu Mare County 1957 Milișăuți Emil Bodnăraș, Suceava County1970 (?) – 1996 Murfatlar Basarabi, Constanța CountyBasarabi between 1924 and 1965 and between 1980 and 2007 Mustafa Agi (Mustafa Aci) Comana, Constanța County unknown Musubei (Musubey) Horia, Constanța County unknown Nirașteu Ungheni, Mureș County 1921 Ocna Șugatag Ocna Maramureșului, Maramureș County1987–1990 Onești Gheorghe Gheorghiu Dej, Bacău County1965–1996 Osmanfacâ Bărăganu, Constanța County 1920–1940 (?) Osmanu Unirea, Brăila Countysince the 1950s (?) Parachioi Băneasa, Constanța Countysince the 1930s (?) Pazarlia Târgușor, Constanța County unknown Peletlia Săcele, Constanța County 1920–1940 (?) Porcești Turnu Roșu, Sibiu County 1960 Potoc Deleni, Mureș County 1921 Reghinul Săsesc Reghin, Mureș County 1925 Satișchioi (Satișköy) Crucea, Constanța County unknown Sănmărtinul Sărat Gligorești, Cluj County 1925 Sânmicloș Nicoleni, comuna Șimonești, Harghita County 1921 Sânmihaiu Mihăileni, comuna Șimonești, Harghita County 1921 Sânmihaiu de Jos + Sânmihaiu de Sus Mihai Viteazu, Cluj County 1925 Slujitorii Albotești Zăvoaia, Brăila Countysince the 1950s (?) Somfalău Cornești, Mureș County 1925 Șard Noroieni, Satu Mare County 1921 Șaroșul Unguresc Deleni, Mureș County 1960 Ștei Orașul Dr. Petru Groza, Bihor County1958–1996 Șiminfalău Șimonești, Harghita County 1921 Șocariciu Unirea, Călărași Countyunknown Ștena Dacia, Brașov County 1950 Tașaul Piatra, Mihail Kogălniceanu commune, Constanța County since the 1950s Tașpunor (Tașpınar) Siliștea, Constanța County unknown Tatlâgeac Mare, Domnița Elena 23 August, Constanța County ? Tăul Boilor Deleni, Mureș County 1960 Tâmpăhaza Rădești, Alba County 1925 Trascău Rimetea, Alba County 1925 Turnu-Severin Drobeta-Turnu Severin since May 15, 1972Decree nr. 197/1972 concerning the renaming of Turnu-Severin into Drobeta-Turnu Severin (in Romanian) Uifalău Ferdinand (interwar); Nicolae Bălcescu, Bacău Countysince 1948 Uifalău Traian, Bacău Countyunknown since when Uioara Ocna Mureș, Alba County Ocna Mureșului 1925–1956 Unguri Arini, Bacău Countysince 1967 Vaidasig Gura Arieșului, Alba County 1925 Valea Boierească Viișoara, Argeș Countysince the 1950s Verpolea Pădureni, Suceava County1968 Vințu de Sus Unirea, Alba County 1925 Vorumloc Valea Viilor, Sibiu County 1960 Zaclău I. C. Brătianu, Tulcea Countyunknown since whenZălauZalău 1956
Historical name changes Axiopolis → Cernavodă Abruttus → Abrud Ad Mediam → Băile Herculane Aegyssus → Tulcea Ampelum → Zlatna Apulum → Bălgrad → Gyulafehérvár → Alba Iulia Arrubium → Măcin Kronstadt → Brașov → Orașul Stalin → Brașov Bucureșci → București (Bucharest) Callatis → Mankalya → Mangalia Carsium → Hârșova Cibinum → Hermannstadt → Nagyszeben → Sibiu Dierna → Orșova Marosvásárhely → Târgu Mureș Napoca → Klausenburg → Kolozsvár → Cluj → Cluj-Napoca Noviodunum → Isaccea Varadinum (Latin) → (Nagy)várad (Magyar) → Varat (Turkish) → Großwardein (German) → Oradea Mare (Romanian) → (1925 shortening) Oradea Pelendava → Craiova Porolissum → Zalău Potaissa → Turda Temesvár → Tamışvar → Temesvár → Timișoara Tomis → Constanța Drobeta → Turnu Severin → Drobeta-Turnu Severin
See also List of renamed populated places in Moldova
References