Why Do We Have Two Names For The Same Season?

Autumn is derived from the Latin name for the season, autumnus, and dates back at least to the 1300s. People didn’t start using fall for another 300 years, when poets began using the phrase “the fall of the leaves.”  Nowadays, the difference is basically if you’re speaking British English or American English. Brits generally prefer autumn, but Americans favor fall, which sounds more rustic and less stuffy.