When did the custom of naming newly founded cities/areas with the prefix new- start? What was the first new city?

by kaffeestrasse

And did it start with the Americas or where there new cities in the old world as well?

tomdidiot

This practice is ancient. The Greeks named a town they founded on the Italian coast Neapolis (New City); this is what is now known as Naples. Constantine renamed Byzantium to New Rome when he refounded it in 330 AD. The town of Salisbury was relocated in the mid 12th/13th century, with the new site being called New Sarum to distinguish it from Old Sarum.

gelastes

How about 9th century before our time? This was when Carthage was founded - the name meaning 'New City' in Phoenician.

Edit: The oldest 'New' City in Germany that I know of is Neuötting - founded after a hungarian raid destroyed Oetting around 900 AD.