Whats behind a name?

Whats behind a name? Kanan Dume is the name of a well traveled road in the hills of Malibu, home of several celebrities. Canaan, as Israel was known before it was named Israel. I guess Kanan Dume could be loosely translated, The beach of Israel?

There's no secret that Jews control a lot of major industries and that a lot of them live in Malibu, But whats really behind a name? Is there other such places around the world that directly translate to things of the past, as obvious as this one?

[edit on 23-9-2008 by StefanO]