Blacktown Council votes to keep its name

Blacktown in Sydney's west will keep its name, after overwhelming community opposition to a proposal for a change over worries it was disrespectful towards indigenous people.

Blacktown City Council voted along party lines at a two-hour debate on Wednesday night to not take further action about changing its name.

Surveys which cost almost $100,000 found nearly 80 per cent of residents opposed a name change.

"This was the best possible outcome," Blacktown City mayor Stephen Bali said on Wednesday.

"It cost council $98,000 to find out what everyone living here should already have known - we love Blacktown."

Last year a group of councillors moved to change the name when it was suggested the name Blacktown was disrespectful to indigenous Australians.

Blacktown was previously named the Black Town because of the number of Aboriginal people who lived in the area.

But members of the Blacktown Aboriginal Advisory Sub-committee said in December they unanimously opposed the move to change the name.