What is the only U.S. state capital city named after a Biblical character?

While many locations across the United States carry names with religious origins, only one state capital is named after a figure from the Bible. This distinction belongs to a major Midwestern city that was once a humble trading post. The city's name was officially changed in 1841 by a French Catholic priest named Father Lucien Galtier. He established a small chapel and, in honor of his favorite saint, dedicated it to the Apostle Paul. The settlement that grew around this chapel gradually adopted the name, becoming the city we know today.

Before it was named in honor of a biblical apostle, the area had a much more colorful and less dignified name: Pig's Eye. This moniker came from a French-Canadian whiskey trader named Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant, who was one of the first settlers in the area and operated a popular tavern. The settlement was known as Pig's Eye Landing until Father Galtier established his chapel and insisted on the more respectable name of Saint Paul.

The transition from "Pig's Eye" to "Saint Paul" marked a significant moment in the city's history, reflecting a desire for a more dignified identity as it grew in importance. When the Minnesota Territory was established in 1849, Saint Paul was named its capital, a status it retained when Minnesota became a state in 1858. While other state capitals have names with religious connotations, such as Salem, Oregon, which may be a reference to Jerusalem, or Santa Fe, New Mexico, which translates to "Holy Faith," Saint Paul remains the only one directly named for a person from the Bible.