This material is a compilation of resources available. The inclusion of a link does not constitute an endorsement of its content or accuracy. Please send any additions or corrections to webmaster@nygbs.org.
List of towns, formation dates, and other details
| Brooklyn (city) 1834–1898 | |
| 1834 Town and village of Brooklyn incorporated as a city | |
| 1854 Annexed City of Williamsburg and Town of Bushwick which were afterwards known as the Eastern District (E.D.), rest of Brooklyn briefly called Western District (W.D.) | |
| 1886 Annexed Town of New Lots | |
| 1894 Annexed towns of Flatbush, Gravesend, and New Utrecht | |
| 1896 Annexed Town of Flatlands; City of Brooklyn then constituted all of Kings County (city and county were coterminous) | |
| 1898 City dissolved, becomes Borough of Brooklyn—one of the five boroughs of New York City | |
| Brooklyn (town) 1636–1834 | |
| 1636–37 First land purchases from American Indians, at Gowanus and Wallabout, followed by French and Walloon, Dutch, Scandinavian, Italian, German, and other settlers | |
| 1646 New Netherland government gives dorp (village) of Breuckelen (including Gowanus and Wallabout) its own court | |
| 1664 Town recognized by new English government; part of English colonial jurisdiction of the West Riding of Yorkshire | |
| 1788 Recognized as a town by State of New York | |
| 1834 Town and village of Brooklyn incorporated as City of Brooklyn | |
| Bushwick 1650–1854 | |
| 1638 Dutch West India Company purchased area from American Indians | |
| 1650 European settlers arrived by this date, Dutch, Scandinavians, later French and Walloons | |
| 1661 New Netherland government recognized village (dorp) of Boswijck with its own court | |
| 1664 Town recognized by new English government; part of English colonial jurisdiction of the West Riding of Yorkshire; town patented 1667 | |
| 1788 Recognized as a town by State of New York | |
| 1840 Daughter town Williamsburgh created from Village of Williamsburgh | |
| 1854 Town dissolved, becomes wards 17 and 18 of the City of Brooklyn, part of the Eastern District (E.D.) of the city | |
| Flatbush 1651–1894 | |
| 1651 Settled by this date by Dutch and others | |
| 1652 New Netherland government gave (dorp) village a patent and its own court | |
| 1664 Town recognized by new English government; part of English colonial jurisdiction of the West Riding of Yorkshire; town patented 1667 | |
| 1677 Received separate patent for New Lots section | |
| 1788 Recognized as a town by State of New York | |
| 1852 Daughter town New Lots formed | |
| 1894 Town dissolved, becomes ward 29 of the City of Brooklyn | |
| Flatlands 1636–1896 | |
| 1636 Dutch purchased land from American Indians and began settlement | |
| 1647 Settlements combined to form dorp (village) of Nieuw Amersfoort | |
| 1661 New Netherland government granted Nieuw Amersfoort its own court | |
| 1664 Town recognized by new English government; part of English colonial jurisdiction of the West Riding of Yorkshire; town patented 1667 as “Amersfoort alias Flatlands” | |
| 1788 Recognized as Town of Flatlands by State of New York | |
| 1896 Town dissolved, becomes ward 32 of the City of Brooklyn | |
| Gravesend 1645–1894 | |
| 1645 English settlers from New England, led by Lady Deborah Moody, granted patent by New Netherland Director-General Kieft [ | |
| 1664 Town recognized by new English government | |
| 1788 Recognized as a town by State of New York | |
| 1894 Town dissolved, becomes ward 31 of the City of Brooklyn | |
| New Lots 1852–1886 | |
| 1670 Flatbush settlers laid out “the new lots” in their town’s east end, and begin settlement | |
| 1677 Flatbush received separate patent for New Lots section | |
| 1852 Formed from Town of Flatbush | |
| 1886 Town dissolved, becomes ward 26 of the City of Brooklyn | |
| New Utrecht 1639–1894 | |
| 1639 Director-General Kieft granted tract on future New Utrecht-Gravesend border patented 1643, known as Turk’s Plantation | |
| 1652 Nyack patent granted | |
| 1657 Settlement of Utrecht established | |
| 1662 New Netherland government gave dorp (village) of (Nieuw) Utrecht its own court | |
| 1664 Recognized as Town of New Utrecht by new English government | |
| 1788 Recognized as a town by State of New York | |
| 1894 Town dissolved, becomes ward 30 of the City of Brooklyn | |
| Williamsburg (town/city) 1840–1854 | |
| 1840 Village of Williamsburgh in Town of Bushwick becomes Town of Williamsburgh | |
| 1851 Town of Williamsburgh becomes the City of Williamsburgh | |
| 1852 City removes the “h” from Williamsburgh | |
| 1854 City dissolved; the three wards of Williamsburg become wards 13, 14, 15, 16, and part of 19 of the City of Brooklyn; constituted part of the Eastern District (E.D.) of the City of Brooklyn |
Place Names 1898-Present
Many of the names of early cities, towns, villages, and settlements listed in the preceding gazetteer, have survived as neighborhood names—although their boundaries may have changed. Sources consulted to compile this list include the Community Portal of the New York City Department of City Planning, the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), and the New York State Department of Health Gazetteer, 2007.
| Adelphi | East Williamsburg | Northside |
| Barren Island | Eastern Parkway | Ocean Parkway |
| Bath Beach | Farragut | Paerdegat (Basin) |
| Bay Ridge | Flatbush | Park Slope |
| Bedford | Flatlands | Parkville |
| Bedford-Stuyvesant | Fort Greene | Plumb Beach |
| Bensonhurst | Fort Hamilton | Pratt |
| Bergen Beach | Fulton Ferry | Prospect Heights |
| Boerum Hill | Georgetown | Prospect Lefferts |
| Borough Park | Gerritsen | Prospect Lefferts Gardens |
| Brevoort | Gerritsen Beach | Prospect Park South |
| Brighton Beach | Gowanus | Red Hook |
| Broadway Junction | Gravesend | Remsen Village |
| Brooklyn Heights | Gravesend Beach | Rugby |
| Brooklyn Navy Yard | Greenpoint | Ryder |
| Brownsville | Highland Park | Sea Gate |
| Bushwick | Homecrest | Sheepshead Bay |
| Canarsie | Industry City | South Brooklyn |
| Carroll Gardens | Kensington | Southside |
| City Line | Kings Highway | Spring Creek |
| Clinton Hill | Kouwenhoven | Starrett City |
| Cobble Hill | Lefferts Manor | Stuyvesant Heights |
| Coney Island | Manhattan Beach | Sunset Park |
| Crown Heights | Manhattan Terrace | Times Plaza |
| Crown Heights South | Mapleton | Tompkins Park North |
| Cypress Hills | Marine Park | Vinegar Hill |
| Ditmas Park | Metropolitan | Weeksville |
| Downtown Brooklyn | Midwood | West Brighton |
| DUMBO | Mill Basin | Williamsburg |
| Dyker Heights | Mill Island | Windsor Terrace |
| East Flatbush | New Lots | Wingate |
| East New York | New Utrecht | Wyckoff Heights |
| Northeast Flatbush |