From Wikipedia 

Originally showcased in 1958 at Expo 58 in Brussels, Belgian waffles were introduced to North America by a Belgian named Walter Cleyman at the Century 21 Exposition in Seattle in 1962, and served with whipped cream and strawberries. The waffles were further popularized in the United States during the 1964 New York World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, New York City. These waffles were introduced by Maurice Vermersch of Brussels, Belgium.  Largely based on a simplified recipe for the Brussels waffles, Vermersch decided to change the name to the Bel-Gem Waffle upon observing that many Americans could not correctly identify Brussels as the capital of Belgium. These waffles were served with whipped cream and strawberries, and they were sold for a dollar.

In Europe

Waffles are named for the cities where they were created.  Liege and Brussels being the 2 main ones we are familiar with.

From: https://www.vbt.com/

The Liège Waffle

Legend has it that the Liège waffle was invented when the Prince-Bishop of Liège, a city in the Belgian region of Wallonia, asked his cook to create a pastry made with lots of sugar. The Prince-Bishop’s sweet tooth paid off for the rest of us, because Liège waffles have become a mainstay of Belgian cuisine. Liège waffles are largely made with a special sugar, known as pearl sugar, which creates a perfectly chewy level of caramelization when cooked, according to HuffPost.

The Brussels Waffle

The Liège waffle isn’t the only waffle in the spotlight; Brussels waffles are also a crowd favorite. Fluffy and golden, Brussels waffles are what Americans refer to as Belgian waffles, according to Go UNESCO. They caught on stateside after the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City, when Maurice Vermersch of Brussels set up a stand and doled out the sweet treats to visitors. He was going to name them Brussels waffles, but he switched to Belgian waffles because he figured most Americans didn’t know where Brussels was on a map.

In America: