How 21 Houston suburbs got their names

Humble according to HumbleTX.com, they had to move to higher ground to avoid flooding. Humble is an oil town named after an original settler, Pleasant Smith Humble, who died in 1912. Humble's family had previously lived along the San Jacinto River, but, they had to move to higher ground to avoid flooding. less Humble according to HumbleTX.com, they had to Humble is an oil town named after an original settler, Pleasant Smith Humble, who died in 1912. Humble's family had previously lived along the San Jacinto River, but, they had to ... more Photo: Gunnar Liljequist, Houston Chronicle Photo: Gunnar Liljequist, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 66 Caption Close How 21 Houston suburbs got their names 1 / 66 Back to Gallery

The Houston area is home to some odd city names, from Humble to Kemah. Transplants eventually learn to pronounce everything properly, but does anyone remember where the names come from?

Some of Houston's suburbs started out when Texas was still part of Mexico, while others were formed by developers in the 1970s with the help of massive advertising campaigns.

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Many towns are named after one of their original founders - rich landowners, Civil War veterans, lumberjacks and cattle breeders.

Others, like a town named by railroad workers who were sick of winter, have less obvious origins.

Based on the information we found, the expansion of various railroads in the Houston and Galveston area led to the formation of many small towns in between. Agriculture has also had a big impact on the area.

Do you know how your town got its name? Click through the slideshow to find out.