Belgian Place Names in the USA: Brussels, Ghent and Many More

Belgium’s footprint in America reaches far beyond waffles and chocolate – it’s etched into the map. Here’s an overview of Belgian place names in the USA.

Scattered across the United States are towns and villages bearing the names of Belgian cities and regions. Many were christened by homesick 19th-century immigrants or patriots commemorating historic Belgian battlefields. In this post, we journey through these “Little Belgiums,” exploring their origins, the Belgian regions they honor, the immigrants who founded them, and the vibrant traditions that keep Belgian heritage alive today.

Thanks go to Discovering Belgium reader Tim Peeters for his initial input for this post.

Belgian Heartland in Wisconsin

In Door County, Wisconsin, a cluster of farming communities forms the largest Belgian-American enclave in the U.S. Brussels was first settled in 1858 and quickly became a hub for Belgian immigration – roughly 2,000 Belgians arrived in Wisconsin between 1853 and 1857. They named their new villages after the places they left behind: Brussels (after Belgium’s capital), Namur (after Wallonia’s capital), Rosiere (after Rosières in Walloon Brabant), Walhain (after a village in Walloon Brabant), Champion (after a village near Namur), and Luxemburg (after Belgium’s Luxembourg province). This northeastern Wisconsin “Belgian triangle” (in Brown, Door, and Kewaunee counties) to this day still has one of the nation’s highest concentrations of Belgian-American culture and customs.

Historical roots

The Walloon settlers, hailing largely from agrarian provinces like Namur and Brabant, brought their language (Walloon dialect of French) and farming traditions. They cleared dense forests and built distinctive red-brick farmhouses with bake ovens at the rear, along with small roadside chapels reflecting their Catholic faith.

Tragically, much of the original wooden architecture was lost in the Great Peshtigo Fire of 1871, which swept through the area. Nonetheless, many brick buildings survived, and the landscape is still dotted with Belgian roadside chapels and family shrines.

The entire Namur-Brussels area is so historically significant that the Namur Belgian-American Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark, recognizing its unique concentration of Belgian immigrant architecture and cultural landscape.

Belgian culture in Wisconsin today

Over 150 years later, descendants of those settlers continue to celebrate their heritage. The Walloon language is still spoken by a handful of elderly residents – as few as 50 speakers as of 2021 – and efforts are underway to preserve it.

Every summer, the community hosts Belgian Days, a festival in Brussels now in its 64th year. The festival features a Kermiss (traditional harvest fête) with live music, baseball tournaments, and plenty of Belgian fare.

“Belgian cuisine at this kermiss includes booyah, a type of slow-cooked chicken stew that’s more hearty and vegetable-loaded than the usual soup; trippe, a Belgian sausage similar to bratwurst but with cabbage ground in to give it its unique flavor; jutt, a sort of Belgian mashed potatoes with cabbage, veggies and other foods blended in; and traditional Belgian pies and tortes.” (Belgian Heritage Center)

A few miles south in Brown County lies Champion, WI. It was originally called “Aux Premiers Belges” (“To the First Belgians”) before being renamed Champion at the suggestion of Belgian immigrant Adele Brise in honor of her home village in Belgium. Champion gained fame as the site of America’s only approved Marian apparition and it remains a pilgrimage site with a strong Belgian imprint. From the Belgian barns to the annual church picnics serving trippe and Trappist beers, rural Wisconsin’s Belgian belt is a living museum of immigrant heritage.

Charleroi, Pennsylvania

In the Monongahela River Valley south of Pittsburgh lies Charleroi, PA, a borough named for the industrial city of Charleroi in Wallonia, Belgium. Founded in 1890, Charleroi, PA was established by a consortium of local investors and entrepreneurs who intentionally named the town “Charleroi” to attract Belgian glassworkers and capitalize on the Belgian city’s reputation as the “glass manufacturing capital of Europe”. At the time, Charleroi (Belgium) was the world’s largest center for plate-glass production, so the name signaled great ambitions.

The strategy worked: several glass companies set up shop in the new town, including the Charleroi Plate Glass Company (later part of Pittsburgh Plate Glass, today’s PPG Industries). Skilled glassblowers from Belgium and other European countries arrived, and by 1895 Charleroi, PA was booming – a local newspaper dubbed it the “Magic City” for its explosive growth. The town soon featured glass plants, a shovel works, and a bustling downtown, with a population that tripled between 1890 and 1910.

Belgian roots in Charleroi PA

As Charleroi grew, it maintained ties with its Belgian namesake. In fact, Charleroi, PA and Charleroi, Belgium became sister cities, and exchanges have reinforced the connection. In 2018, Paul Magnette, the mayor of Charleroi (Belgium), led a delegation to visit Charleroi, PA for a “family reunion” of the two Charlerois. Mayor Magnette toasted the shared heritage, noting the pride that “a small community 3,000 miles away” carried the name and industrious spirit of his city.

The region today

Though the glass furnaces have cooled (the last big glass plant closed mid-20th century), Charleroi, PA still celebrates its Belgian connection. The town’s history is preserved in the Magic City Historical Museum, and street banners proclaim it “est. 1890 – Named for Charleroi, Belgium.”

Occasional cultural events or commemorations take place, often tied to the sister-city relationship. For example, the Mon Valley Summerfest has featured Belgian-themed booths when Belgian visitors are in town. The legacy is also architectural – the town boasts a distinctive Franco-Belgian streetscape, including a historic opera house and downtown buildings with Belgian-influenced design.

Ghent Across America

Belgium’s medieval city of Ghent (Gent) has inspired at least eight U.S. localities to adopt its name. From New York to Minnesota, “Ghent” dots the map, reflecting different chapters of history. Two early American towns – Ghent, New York and Ghent, Kentucky – were named in honor of the Treaty of Ghent, the pact signed in Ghent, Belgium that ended the War of 1812. These towns did not have Belgian settlers, but their names honor Belgium’s role in a pivotal historical event – a fascinating example of early American admiration for “Ghent” as a symbol of peace.

Far to the west, however, one tiny town truly brought Flanders to the prairie. Ghent, Minnesota, a village in Lyon County, was founded by Belgian (Flemish) immigrants in the late 1870s. Originally called Grand View, it was renamed “Ghent” in 1882 to attract more settlers from Flanders. Catholic bishop John Ireland had organized this area as a Catholic colony for Flemish and French-Canadian farmers, reserving several townships for them.

The pioneer Belgian settler, Engelbert “Angel” Van Hee, arrived in 1881, broke ground on a farm, then returned to Belgium to bring his family and friends to Minnesota. Dozens of families from crowded West Flanders heeded the call, lured by pamphlets describing Minnesota’s fertile, open land. They built the village of Ghent around a new Catholic church and even started their own-language newspaper.

By 1884, some 50 Belgian families lived around Ghent, MN, creating a true “New Flanders” on the American plains. The local economy flourished with skills the settlers brought: they opened a brickyard, a blacksmith shop, and introduced Belgian farm methods on the prairie. Flemish (Dutch) could be heard in local shops and saloons well into the 20th century.

Today, Ghent, MN proudly embraces its Flemish roots. The Belgian heritage is literally a sport here – the town is famed for rolle bolle, a Belgian form of lawn bowling introduced by the settlers. Generations have kept this quirky pastime alive, and Ghent now hosts Rolle Bolle Tournaments that draw players from around the Midwest.

Even the town’s Catholic parish has maintained a connection to Belgium, periodically hosting a visiting priest from Ghent, Belgium. In recognition of this unique heritage, a few years ago local leaders erected a historical marker in Dutch and English telling the story of Ghent’s Flemish founders.

Beyond Minnesota, other Ghents continue in name if not in active culture. Ghent, West Virginia (an unincorporated community in the Appalachians) and Ghent, Ohio (a hamlet near Akron) likely got their names from 19th-century Americans inspired by the Treaty of Ghent’s significance.

Meanwhile, Ghent, New York remains a peaceful Hudson Valley town whose very founding in 1818 commemorated the end of a war (its town history proudly notes it was “named for the peace of 1814”.

Each of these places, in its own way, carries forward the name of Belgium’s Ghent. And at least in Minnesota, the Flemish spirit endures vigorously – on any given summer evening in Ghent, MN, you might find locals yelling encouragement in a few words of Flemish dialect as polished wooden rolle bolle disks curl down the court, aiming for that perfect throw.

Antwerp in New York & Ohio

Belgium’s principal port city, Antwerp (Antwerpen), has also found its way onto the U.S. map. The most notable example is Antwerp, New York, a town in Jefferson County (upstate NY) founded in the early 19th century. Its naming is directly tied to transatlantic investment: much of the land in that area was purchased by a group of Belgian investors from Antwerp, often referred to as the “Antwerp Company.”

In 1810 when the township was created, it was named in honor of Antwerp, Belgium – the home of one of the major landowners. Antwerp, NY grew as a farming community and later as a gateway to the Adirondacks. While it never had a mass Belgian immigration, the name “Antwerp” served as a reminder of the Belgian connection. The town’s seal even incorporates an image of a castle said to represent Antwerp’s medieval fortress. Modern Antwerp, NY acknowledges its naming on its website, proudly noting it was “named after the famous European city” and the fact that the early landowner was an Antwerper.

In the American Midwest, Antwerp, Ohio carries the same name. This small village on the Maumee River was created in 1841, during Ohio’s canal boom. The founders chose the name “Antwerp” explicitly to honor the Belgian city, perhaps simply because they admired the name or it was distinct in Ohio. The village’s own historical accounts confirm “the place is named after the Belgian city of Antwerp.”

Today, an Antwerp Heritage Festival is more a general small-town fair than a specifically Belgian celebration. Still, the Belgian flag occasionally appears in town décor, and local school sports teams call themselves the Antwerp Archers (a nod, perhaps coincidentally, to the famous legends of Antwerp’s giant and the hand-thrower – the city’s name origin story).

Hoboken, New Jersey

While Hoboken, NJ is famously the birthplace of Frank Sinatra and a vibrant city across from Manhattan, fewer know that Hoboken’s name is Belgian. Originally, the area’s Lenape name (“Hopoghan Hackingh”) was anglicized as Hobuck or Hoboken by 17th-century Dutch settlers.

But in the 19th century, the spelling and usage shifted to “Hoboken,” influenced by Flemish immigrants and explicitly linked to Hoboken, Belgium – a district of Antwerp. Local history notes that the change was solidified when Colonel John Stevens developed the city in the early 1800s; a folk etymology emerged that the New Jersey Hoboken was named after the one in Belgium. Indeed, Hoboken, NJ and Hoboken, Belgium later became sister cities.

The Belgian connection

Hoboken (Belgium) is a suburban district south of Antwerp city, known for its docks and industry. Many 19th-century Belgian (and German) immigrants passed through the New York area, some settling in Hudson County, NJ. Hoboken, NJ’s burgeoning waterfront in the 1800s attracted a polyglot immigrant workforce – among them were Flemings who likely appreciated the familiar name. By mid-1800s, Hoboken had a significant German-speaking population as well (nicknamed “Little Bremen”), but the Belgian touch survived in its very name.

Cultural traces

Today Hoboken is thoroughly urban and multicultural, and you won’t find a “Little Antwerp” neighborhood. However, the city’s branding occasionally nods to the Belgian link – for instance, a plaque at Hoboken City Hall mentions the Flemish influence in naming.

In 2019, when Hoboken, Belgium celebrated its 400th anniversary, officials from New Jersey sent greetings. The nickname “Mile Square City” might be more famous, but Hoboken’s Belgian-origin name is a point of pride rarely lost on local historians. In a fun modern twist, Hoboken has become known for its Belgian beer bars and waffle trucks, perhaps serendipitously reconnecting to its namesake’s country. So next time you stroll Hoboken’s waterfront, remember that its name carries echoes of Antwerp’s harbor – a Belgian imprint on the Hudson.

Brussels in Wisconsin and Illinois

No survey of Belgian place names in America would be complete without Brussels – in fact there are two of them. We’ve already highlighted Brussels, Wisconsin, which remains “Belgian Central” in the U.S., with the largest Belgian-American population. To this day, highway signs at the village limits greet you with “Welcome to Brussels” and the flags of both the US and Belgium flying side by side at the town park during Belgian Days.

The other one is Brussels, IL, which has a different origin tale. It was first settled around 1822 by Anglo-American and German pioneers. The area eventually attracted a Belgian priest, Father John Molitor, to serve the Catholic community. In the 1850s, Father Molitor became the resident priest of the village (then known as “Savage Landing”). When he died in 1857 – only three months after arriving – the villagers chose to rename their town “Brussels” in his honor, as it was his birthplace.

Thus, unlike the Wisconsin namesake, Brussels, Illinois got its name through one man’s Belgian origin rather than a broad immigrant community. Over time, some Belgian farmers did move into Calhoun County (the region’s rich riverine soil was good for orchards and agriculture), but the village remained small.

Today, Brussels, IL is a tight-knit community of only a few hundred people, known for its historic church and scenic location between the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. In 1998, the Brussels Historic District – including St. Mary’s Church and a collection of 19th-century brick houses – was added to the National Register of Historic Places. While its population is more German-Irish by ancestry now, the town still cherishes the story behind its name. A statue of St. Ursula (patroness of the Brussels Cathedral in Belgium) stands in the churchyard, and every year the parish feast day is observed with a nod to Father Molitor’s memory.

Other Belgian place names in the USA

Beyond the major examples above, a few other U.S. locales carry Belgian names:

• Liège, Missouri: In the late 19th century, settlers in Montgomery County, Missouri named a hamlet after the city of Liège in eastern Belgium. It was likely a salute to French-speaking Walloons (as many area settlers were of French descent). Liège, MO was always tiny – essentially a rural post office stop – and the village no longer exists as a separate entity, although the name “Liège” survives in local road names and a cemetery. Residents pronounce it “Lije” with a Midwestern twang!

• Waterloo: Several American towns are named Waterloo, commemorating the famous 1815 Battle of Waterloo in what is now Belgium. For example, Waterloo, New York (founded 1816) and Waterloo, Illinois (founded 1818). Interestingly, Waterloo, NY later gained renown as the “Birthplace of Memorial Day” in the US, and to this day it holds an annual commemoration of those fallen in war. In Waterloo, Iowa, the name was adopted in the 1850s (the town had briefly been called Prairie Rapids Crossing) reportedly because the original name was already in use elsewhere.

• Rosière (Rosières), Wisconsin: We discussed Rosiere earlier as part of the Wisconsin Belgian settlement, but it deserves a note of its own. The name likely comes from Petite-Rosière, a hamlet in Belgium, and it means “place of roses” – ironically, local lore says early residents jokingly called a nearby poorer settlement “Misière” (misery) to contrast with Rosière (rosy). Rosiere, WI still has a Belgian church (St. Hubert’s) and a strong Walloon heritage

• Watervliet, New York: An intriguing case – Watervliet, NY (near Albany) shares its name with Watervliet in East Flanders, Belgium. The name is Dutch for “flowing water” and was commonly used by early Dutch colonists. However, Belgian history buffs point out that a Flemish village called Watervliet (founded by a 16th-century Lord of Watervliet) predates the New York town. According to one source, New York’s Watervliet was named after the Belgian Watervliet by early settlers of Flemish origin. Watervliet, NY (est. 1630s) became notable as the site of America’s first Shaker community in the 1770s. Today it’s an industrial suburb of Albany.

• Hoboken, Georgia & others: Interestingly, some places took Belgian names second-hand. For instance, Hoboken, Georgia is named after Hoboken, NJ – which, as we know, got it from Belgium. So Hoboken, GA is a sort of twice-removed Belgian namesake. Similarly, there’s a Brussels in Ontario, Canada and a Bruxelles in Manitoba, settled by Belgians and carrying on the legacy across borders. North America is sprinkled with these Belgian echoes.

Conclusion

Belgian-named towns in the United States may be small and sometimes overlooked, but together they paint a vivid picture of how immigrants and historical memory transplanted a bit of Belgium onto American soil.

From the Walloon-speaking enclaves of Wisconsin to the Flemish festival in a Minnesota prairie town, from a Rust Belt borough that still toasts its sister city in Hainaut to the commemorations of Waterloo’s victory, these places are living memorials. They remind us that the ties between Belgium and America are deep and enduring – forged in war and peace, faith and enterprise, food and family.

If you find yourself near any of the towns in our list, consider stopping by. You might just catch a whiff of fresh Belgian waffles or hear a few words of French-Walloon or Flemish, and for a moment you’ll feel like you’ve traveled to a village in Hainaut or Flemish Brabant without leaving the States.

Belgian Place Names in the USA on a map!

But this isn’t the whole story!

There’s one more twist to this story. Not only did American settlers borrow the names of Belgian cities like Ghent and Charleroi — in a few cases, they went further and named entire towns simply “Belgium.” Their histories are quirky, unexpected, and in one case the result of a clerical mix-up. I’ll be exploring this in Part 2, coming shortly.

Also of interest

I have also written about Belgian-born civil engineer Joseph Guinotte who had the vision and drive to try to form a colony of Belgians in the fledgling town of Kansas City.

Sources

The information for this article on Belgian place names in the USA is drawn from local historical accounts, newspaper archives, and heritage organizations. Key references include the Belgian Heritage Center of Wisconsin, the Brussels Times Magazine’s feature on Belgian place names, the Society for Architectural Historians essay on Charleroi, PA, and community records such as the City of Ghent, MN website and Door County Pulse news on Belgian Days.