Why are there so many ‘First’ banks, churches, etc

Question

You’ll see banks called “First National Bank of X”, or the “First Baptist Church of Y”. A bank or church, with the exact same name, will also exist somewhere else. I live and have traveled all over the US (specifically the Bible Belt) for years now and I’ve noticed this trend.

What gives? Maybe the answer is really obvious and I can’t put it together.

Edit: How come you almost never see the “Second National Bank/Church of X/Y”?

In: Other

Answer 1

Banks named themselves in the order that they were formed.

At one point in Cincinnati there was the 5th National Bank and the 3rd national bank. The two merged and became named the Fifth Third Bank.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Third_Bank