Alex Barnett explains the origins of ADO.NET Data Services in this blog post
When I first heard the technology, it was still using known by its code name: Astoria.
Naturally, I thought it was somehow named after the neighborhood in Queens, NY.
I was wrong: It was named for Astoria, Oregon.
When it came to brainstorming the code name, the team agreed on a "cloud" theme. A number of proposals were floated around along with their rationales, including "cumulus" and "cirrus". We were then advised that city and town code names were legal-safe. So there we were, struggling to agree on some city or town name we all liked (or at least not hate nor be confused by..."how about Nameless?"...), and then Mike Pizzo's proposal came in: "Astoria - hey, it's the cloudiest city in the USA!" (at least it was in 2006). Sold.
There is a link between the two Astorias, however, they are both named in honor of the same person.