William Rufus King County

Seattle can be found in King County. King County was named after Martin Luther King Jr. At least that's what they say. Personally, I don't agree.


King County used to be named after William Rufus King, who was vice president under Franklin Pierce. Years ago, King County successfully changed who they are considered to be named after. They did not change the name.

When we talk about who King County was named after, there are two ways to look at it. You could accept that they are now officially named after Martin Luther King Jr. You could also argue that it was named after the person who actually gave the county its name in the first place.

This was not a case in which King County was open to renaming but coincidentally decided on a different King. They did not change their name from King County to King County. Because of this, I still insist that they were named for William Rufus King. Telling people otherwise doesn't change this fact. By legally changing who they recognize as their inspiration, they did not change reality. They merely coded a lie into law.