Definition: Duke City is just another name for Albuquerque. Finding out how it got that name requires a look at some local history.
The Albuquerque region has been populated by Native Americans for centuries. In the 1500s, the first Spanish explorers arrived and brought settlers with them.
In the early 1700s, King Philip of Spain granted a group of Spanish colonists permission to to start a new city along the banks of the Rio Grande. The colony's governor, Francisco Cuervo y Valdez wrote a letter to the Duke of Albuerquerque in Spain, reporting the new settlement and its name: the Villa de Alburquerque. They had named their new city after the Duke.
The middle "r" was dropped from the city's spelling over the years, but the nomenclature remained. The city of Albuquerque is colloquially called the "Duke City" to this day.
Also Known As: Dukes
Examples:
Come to the Duke City to experience a one of a kind place.
