Manhattan Project (1942-46)
Because code names were meant to conceal the exact purpose of and details behind a project, it is widely believed that this is true of the Manhattan Project's name. However, the project was in fact named for where many of its early operations were conducted. According to historian Robert Norris, Manhattan contained at least ten sites where the project's work was being conducted--the island was ideal because of its port facilities, the military presence, a large available work force, and a population of expatriate European physicists--and Columbia University, a center of early nuclear research.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project
