The Origins of Berlin, Maryland's Name
Mayor Williams of Berlin, Maryland explains how present day Berlin, Maryland got its name from a contraction of the name of a local plantation, the Burley Inn. According to our research, Berlin, Maryland is one of the few American Berlins which has no connection to German historical roots in its name. Maryland was settled primarily by colonists from Great Britain and therefore the Mayor’s story does seem to stand to reason.
Interestingly, according to Wikipedia:
The name Berlin is of unknown origin, but may be related to the Old Polabian stem berl-/birl- “swamp”.
This makes for a nice, however accidental, secondary meaning for Berlin, Maryland, as it is located so close to the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem known for its wetland habitat.


