The so-called “Capital of the North” now goes by a new official name: Akureyrarbær.
Up until yesterday, the town was officially known as Akureyrarkaupstaður; an old appellation that hearkens back to Danish colonial times, when the crown would give official mercantile status to select Icelandic towns. RÚV reports that Akureyri town council voted in favour of changing the name of the town to be more in keeping with what the people living there actually call it.
The proposal to change the name was submitted last November, and had a relatively smooth ride through committee before being put to a final vote in town council.
If anything, the proposal reflects the last place where the name of the town is changed. Even the official site of Akureyri calls it Akureyrarbær. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find Akureyrarkaupstaður anywhere in the region, officially or otherwise.
For those visiting the town for the first time, the name change will likely make little difference, but the proposal pretty much just confirms what everyone refers to the town as already.
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