Many places throughout the United States of America take their names from the languages of the indigenous Native American/American Indian tribes. The following list includes settlements, geographic features, and political subdivisions whose names are derived from these ous languages.
Alabama – Named for the Alibamu, a tribe whose name derives from a Choctaw phrase meaning "thicket-clearers" or "plant-cutters" (from albah, "(medicinal) plants", and amo, "to clear"). The modern Choctaw name for the tribe is Albaamu.
Alaska – from Aleut alaxsxaq, "the mainland" (literally "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed").
Arizona – may be from O'odham ali ṣona-g, "having a little spring", though it may come from Basque: aritz zonak ("Good oaks").
Arkansas – from the Illinois rendering of the tribal autonym kką:ze (see Kansas, below), which the Miami and Illinois used to refer to the Quapaw.
Connecticut – from some Eastern Algonquian language of southern New England (perhaps Mahican), meaning "at the long tidal river" (after the Connecticut River). The name reflects Proto-Eastern-Algonquian *kwən-, "long"; *-əhtəkw, "tidal river"; and *-ənk, the locative suffix
Hawaii - Hawaiian language name Hawaiʻi - from Hawaiki, legendary homeland of the Polynesians. Hawaiki is believed to mean "place of the gods"
Idaho – may be from Plains Apache ídaahę́, "enemy", used to refer to the Comanches, or it may have been an invented word.
Illinois – from the French rendering of an Algonquian (perhaps Miami) word apparently meaning "s/he speaks normally" (c.f. Miami ilenweewa), from Proto-Algonquian *elen-, "ordinary" + -wē, "to speak", referring to the Illiniwek.
Iowa – from Dakota ayúxba or ayuxwe, via French Aiouez.
Kansas – from the autonym kką:ze.
Kentucky – from an Iroquoian word meaning "at the meadow" or "on the prairie" (c.f. Seneca gëdá’geh [kẽtaʔkeh], "at the field").
Massachusetts – from an Algonquian language of southern New England, and apparently means "near the small big mountain", usually identified as Great Blue Hill on the border of Milton and Canton, Massachusetts (c.f. the Narragansett name Massachusêuck).
Michigan – from Ottawa mishigami, "large water" or "large lake".".
Minnesota – from Dakota mni-sota, "turbid water".
Mississippi – from an Algonquian language, probably Ojibwe, meaning "big river" (Ojibwe misiziibi).
Missouri – named for the Missouri tribe, whose name comes from Illinois mihsoori, "dugout canoe".
Nebraska – from Chiwere ñįbraske, "flattened water".
New Mexico – the name "Mexico" comes from Nahuatl Mēxihco, of unknown derivation.
North and South Dakota – dakhóta comes from the Sioux word for "friend" or "ally".
Ohio – from Seneca ohi:yo’, "beautiful river".
Oklahoma – invented by Chief Allen Wright as a rough translation of "Indian Territory"; in Choctaw, okla means "people", "tribe", or "nation", and homa- means "red", thus: "Red people".
Tennessee – Derived from the name of a Cherokee village, Tanasi, whose etymology is unknown.
Texas – ultimately from Caddo táyshaʔ, "friend".
Utah – from a language of one of the Ute tribe's neighbors, such as Western Apache yúdah, "high up".
Wisconsin – originally "Mescousing", from an Algonquian language, though the source and meaning is not entirely clear; most likely from the Miami word Meskonsing meaning "it lies red" (c.f. Ojibwe miskosin).
Wyoming – from Munsee Delaware xwé:wamənk, "at the big river flat".
Tuscaloosa and Tuscaloosa County - derived from Muskogean words tashka (warrior) and lusa (black). Chief Tuskaloosa is remembered for leading a battle against Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto in southern Alabama in 1540. The Black Warrior River, originally named Tuskaloosa River, is also named in his honor.
Tuskegee - from the Koasati word tasquiqui (warriors).
Denali, Denali National Park – from Koyukon deenaalee, "the tall one" (with -naał-, "be long/tall").
Tucson – from Pima O'odham cuk ṣon, "black base".
Malibu – from Ventureño <Umalibu>, perhaps reflecting [(hu)maliwu], "it (the surf) makes a loud noise all the time over there".
Pismo Beach - from Chumash "Pismu" for "tar"
Simi Valley – from Ventureño <Simiyi>.
Housatonic River From the Mohican phrase "usi-a-di-en-uk", translated as "beyond the mountain place"
Niantic River and Niantic village – For the Niantic tribe, called the Nehântick or Nehantucket in their own language
Quinnipiac River – From an Algonquian phrase for "long water land".
Anacostia—from the Piscataway name Anakwashtank, meaning 'a place of traders'. Originally the name of a village of the Piscataway tribe on the Anacostia River. Also rendered as Nacochtank or Nacostine.
Potomac River—from the Piscataway language or from a northern dialect of Virginia Algonquian, original form patawomek, meaning 'they bring it' (for trading).
Takoma—originally the name of Mount Rainier, from Lushootseed [təqʷúbəʔ] (earlier *təqʷúməʔ), 'snow-covered mountain'. The location on the boundary of DC and Maryland was named Takoma in 1883 by DC resident Ida Summy, who believed it to mean 'high up' or 'near heaven'.
Abacoa, Florida – Originally the name of a village of the Jaega tribe.
Alachua County and Alachua – from the Timucuan chua, meaning sinkhole .
Alafaya – After the Alafay people, a sub-group of the Pohoy
Apalachicola – from Choctaw Apalachee + oklah, "people". Name of the Apalachicola tribe.
Apopka, Florida – from probably Seminole Aha, meaning "Potato," and papka, meaning "eating place".
Caloosahatchee River – from Calusa + hatchee, Choctaw for river.
Hialeah – From Muscogee meaning "pretty prairie".
Immokalee – from Choctaw(?) im-okli, "his/her home".
Kissimmee - Disputed meaning, perhaps derived from Ais word "Cacema" meaning "long water".
Loxahatchee River – from Seminole for river of turtles.
Manatee County – from Taíno manatí meaning "breast".
Miami – Native American name for Lake Okeechobee and the Miami River, precise origin debated; see also Mayaimi.
Micanopy – named after Seminole chief Micanopy.
Myakka City, Florida – from unidentified Native American language.
Ocala, Florida – from Timucua meaning "Big Hammock".
Okaloosa County, Florida – Okaloosa is named from the Choctaw words oka (water) and lusa (black).
Okeechobee County, Florida – Okeechobee is named from the Hitchiti words oki (water) and chobi (big), a reference to Lake Okeechobee, the largest lake in Florida.
Osceola County, Florida – Osceola is named after Osceola, the Native American leader who led the Second Seminole War.
Paynes Prairie – Named after leading chief of the Seminoles King Payne.
Pensacola – from the Choctaw name of a Muskogean group, "hair people", from pashi, "hair" + oklah, "people".
Seminole County, Florida – Seminole is named after the Seminole Native American tribe.lp
Steinhatchee – From the Muscogee "hatchee" meaning creek
Suwannee River – From Timucua "suwani" meaning echo river.
Tallahassee – from the name of a Creek town, talahá:ssi, perhaps from (i)tálwa, "tribal town" + ahá:ssi, "old, rancid".
Tampa – probably from the name of a Calusa village, with no further known etymology.
Tequesta – Named for the Tequesta tribe.
Thonotosassa, Florida – from the Seminole-Creek words thlonto and sasse, meaning the place was a source of valuable flint.
Wekiva Springs, Florida – from Creek word for "spring".
Withlacoochee River (Florida) – from Creek we (water), thlako (big), and chee (little), or little big water.
Benewah County
Kootenai County
Latah County
Potlatch
Shoshone County
Algonquin
Chicago - derived from the French rendering of a Miami-Illinois word for a type of wild onion
Peoria - named after the Peoria Tribe which previously lived in the area
Pocahontas, Illinois
Mishawaka - named after Shawnee Princess Mishawaka
Shipshewana - named after Potawatomi Chief Shipshewana
Wanatah - named after the Potawatomi Chief Wanatah, meaning ‘Knee Deep in Mud’, "He who Charges His Enemies" or "The Charger".
Delaware County - named for the Delaware, who were moved to the area in the 1840s.
Miami County - named for the Miami, a Native American people, many of whom still live in this area.
Mississinewa River - partly derived from the Miami Indian word namahchissinwi which means "falling waters" or "much fall in the water".
Tippecanoe River - name comes from a Miami-Illinois word for buffalo fish, reconstructed as */kiteepihkwana/.
Salamonie River - derived from the Miami Indian word osahmonee which means "yellow paint". The Indians would make yellow paint from the bloodroot plant that grew along the river banks.
Wabash River - French traders named the river after the Miami Indian word for the river, waapaahšiiki, meaning "it shines white", "pure white", or "water over white stones"
Lake Wawasee - named for Miami chief Wawasee (Wau-wuh-see), brother of Miami chief Papakeecha, which translated means "Flat Belly."
Wapahani High School - Wapahani is a Delaware Indian word for "White River".
Topeka – from Kansa dóppikʔe, "a good place to dig wild potatoes".
Wichita – Wichita (/ˈwɪtʃᵻtɔː/ WICH-ə-taw) disputed; from Choctaw, "Big Arbor".Osage, "Scattered Lodges". Kiowa, "Tattooed Faces". Creek, "Barking Water".
Atchafalaya River - from Choctaw words meaning 'long river' (similar to Bogue Falaya's meaning, below); a distributary of the Red River and Mississippi River
Atchafalaya Swamp - the largest wetland area in the United States
Avoyelles Parish - for the Avoyel people
Baton Rouge - meaning 'red stick,' in French; a red stick was used by area Native Americans to mark the boundaries of tribal territory; Louisiana's capital city since 1849.
E. Baton Rouge Parish - see Baton Rouge
W. Baton Rouge Parish - see Baton Rouge, above
Bayou Nezpique - French for 'tattooed nose bayou,' a reference to the art of tattooing practiced by Native Americans in the area
Bayou Plaquemine Brule - Acadian French, translating as 'burnt persimmon bayou,' from the Atakapa language
Bogue Falaya - tributary of the Tchefuncte River, from the Choctaw words for 'long' and 'river'
Caddo Parish - for the Caddo Native Americans
Calcasieu Parish - means 'crying eagle,' the name of an Atakapa leader
Catahoula Lake - from a Taensa word meaning 'big, clear lake'
Catahoula Parish - for Catahoula Lake
Houma - for the Houma people; seat of Terrebonne Parish
Mississippi River - from the Ojibwe name for the waterway, 'Great River'
Natchez, Louisiana - present-day village in Natchitoches Parish; after the Natchez people
Natchitoches - after the Natchitoches people; Natchitoches was founded in 1714.
Natchitoches Parish - for the town
Opelousas – for the native Appalousa people who formerly occupied the area
Ouachita Parish - for the Ouachita River
Ouachita River - for the Ouachita tribe, one of several Native American tribal groups who lived along the river.
Plaquemine - town in Iberville Parish, in the vicinity of Bayou Plaquemine Brulé (see above)
Plaquemines Parish - based on the Atakapa word for persimmon, as the early French colonists found persimmon trees growing in the lands near the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Ponchatoula is a name signifying "falling hair" or "hanging hair" or "flowing hair" from the Choctaw Pashi "hair" and itula or itola "to fall" or "to hang" or "flowing". The Choctaw name Ponchatoula means "flowing hair", arrived at by the Choctaw as a way of expressing the beauty of the location with much moss hanging from the trees. "Ponche" is a Choctaw word meaning location, an object, or a person [1]. See the eponymous Ponchatoula Creek.
Saint Tammany Parish - for the legendary Native American chief Tamanend
Tangipahoa, Louisiana - a present-day village in Tangipahoa Parish (see below)
Tangipahoa Parish - for the Tangipahoa River
Tangipahoa River - for the Tangipahoa tribe, closely related to the Acolapissa people; the name is said to refer to those who grind corn.
Tchefuncte River - for the historic Tchefuncte culture
Tensas Parish - for the Taensa people
Tickfaw, Louisiana - a present-day village in Tangipahoa Parish (see Tickfaw River)
Tickfaw River - appears to have the same linguistic roots as Tangipahoa River.
Tunica - a community in West Feliciana Parish, for the Tunica people
Tunica Hills - a forest region and wildlife management area, also for the Tunica people
Housatonic River From the Mohican phrase "usi-a-di-en-uk", translated as "beyond the mountain place"
From the Ottawa word mishigani meaning Large Water or Large Lake
Menominee, Michigan - named for Menominee tribe which roughly translates into "wild rice".
Muskegon, Michigan - derived from the Ottawa tribe term "Masquigon", meaning "marshy river or dulce".
Pontiac, Michigan - derived from the Ottawa Chief 1720 – April 20, 1769.
The following are state, county, townships, cities, towns, villages and major city neighborhoods of Minnesota with placenames of indigenous origin in the Americas.
Ah-gwah-ching, Minnesota – From the Ojibwe language: Agwajiing "Outdoors"
County and City of Anoka
Bejou, Minnesota
Bemidji, Minnesota – Shortened from the Ojibwe language: Bemijigamaag "Traversing lake".
Bena, Minnesota
Chanhassen, Minnesota
Chaska, Minnesota
Chengwatana, Minnesota – From the Ojibwe language: Zhingwaadena "Pine-town"
Chippewa County, Minnesota
Chisago County, Minnesota – Shortened from the Ojibwe language: Gichi-zaaga'igan "Big lake".
Chokio, Minnesota
Cohasset, Minnesota
Cokato, Minnesota
Dakota County, Minnesota
Endion, Duluth, Minnesota
Eyota, Minnesota
Hackensack, Minnesota
Hanska, Minnesota
Hokah, Minnesota
County and City of Isanti
Kanabec County, Minnesota – From the Ojibwe language: Ginebiko-ziibiing "At the Snake River"
County and City of Kandiyohi
Kasota, Minnesota
Keewatin, Minnesota – From the Ojibwe language: Giiwedin "North"
Keewaydin, Minneapolis, Minnesota – From the Ojibwe language: Giiwedin "North"
Koochiching County, Minnesota – From the Ojibwe language: Goojijiing "At the inlet"
County and City of Mahnomen – From the Ojibwe language: Manoomin "Wild rice"
former Manomin County, Minnesota – From the Ojibwe language: Manoomin "Wild rice"
Mahtomedi, Minnesota
Mahtowa, Minnesota
Mankato, Minnesota
Menahga, Minnesota
Mendota, Minnesota
Mendota Heights, Minnesota
Minnehaha, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneiska, Minnesota
Minnetonka, Minnesota
Nashwauk, Minnesota
Nokomis, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nokomis East, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nisswa, Minnesota
Township and City of Ogema
Okabena, Minnesota
Onamia, Minnesota
Otsego, Minnesota
Owatonna, Minnesota
Pequot Lakes, Minnesota
Pokegama, Minnesota – From the Ojibwe language: Bakegamaa "Side lake"
Shakopee, Minnesota – From the Dakota language: Shák'pí "Six"
Squaw Lake, Minnesota
Wabasso, Minnesota
Waconia, Minnesota
Wadena, Minnesota
Wahkon, Minnesota
Waseca, Minnesota
Waubun, Minnesota – From the Ojibwe language: Waaban "Dawn/East"
Wayzata, Minnesota
Wenonah, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Winona, Minnesota
Lake Bemidji
Kawishiwi River
Minnehaha Creek and Falls
Minnesota River
Mississippi River
Nemadji River
Sauk River (Minnesota)
Us-kab-wan-ka River
Watab River
Lake Winnibigoshish
Mesabi Range
Attala County
Biloxi
Bogue Chitto
Chickasaw County
Coahoma County
Conehatta
Copiah County
Choctaw, Bolivar County, Mississippi
Choctaw, Neshoba County, Mississippi
Choctaw County
Issaquena County
Itawamba County
Lake Tangipahoa
Leflore County - named for an influential, mixed-race Choctaw chief, Greenwood LeFlore
Mississippi River - from the Ojibwe 'Great River'
Natchez
Neshoba County
Noxubee County
Panola County
Oktibbeha County
Pontotoc County
Pascagoula
Pascagoula River
Tallahatchie County
Tallahatchie River
Tangipahoa River
Tennessee River
Tippah County
Tishomingo County
Tombigbee River
Tunica
Tunica County
Tunica Resorts
Tuscumbia River
Yalobusha County
Yazoo City
Yazoo County
Yazoo River
Chilhowee, Missouri
Chillicothe, Missouri
Koshkonong, Missouri
Lake Tapawingo, Missouri
Lake Winnebago, Missouri
Meramec River, Missouri
Miami, Missouri
Neosho, Missouri
Niangua, Missouri
Osage Beach, Missouri
Osage County, Missouri
Osceola, Missouri
Saginaw, Missouri
Sarcoxie, Missouri
Seneca, Missouri
Shawnee Mac Lakes, Missouri
Syracuse, Missouri
Tallapoosa, Missouri
Tecumseh, Missouri
Wasola, Missouri
Canandaigua
Coxsackie (town), New York - <cook-sakē>, it means 'Hoot of the Owl'.
Geneseo - Gen-nis-he-yo it means "beautiful valley"
Manhattan – probably from <man-ǎ-hǎ-tonh>, which seems to reflect Munsee Delaware [ˈeːnta mənaˈhahteːŋk], "where one gathers bows" (with -/aht/-, "bow").
Niagara Falls
Oneida
Onondaga
Poughkeepsie
Seneca Lake
Skaneateles
Schoharie
Ahoskie
Catawba
Cherokee
Lumber River
Chowan County
Cullowhee
Currituck County
Eno River
Hatteras
Manteo
Lake Mattamuskeet
Neuse River
Ocracoke
Pamlico County
Pasquotank County
Perquimans County
Roanoke Island
Sauratown Mountains
Saxapahaw
Swannanoa
Wanchese
Watauga County
Waxhaw
Yadkin River
Ashtabula—from Lenape ashtepihəle, 'always enough (fish) to go around, to be given away'; contraction from apchi 'always' + tepi 'enough' + həle (verb of motion).
Chillicothe—from Shawnee Chala·ka·tha, referring to members of one of the five divisions of the Shawnee people: Chalaka (name of the Shawnee group, of unknown meaning) + -tha 'person'; the present Chillicothe is the most recent of seven places in Ohio that have held that name, because it was applied to the main town wherever the Chalakatha settled as they moved to different places.
Conneaut—probably derived from Seneca ga-nen-yot, 'standing stone'. See the article conneaut. Compare Juniata, originating from the name Onayutta or Onojutta in another Iroquoian language (probably Susquehannock), and the Oneida nation, whose name Onę˙yóteˀ also means 'standing stone'.
Coshocton—derived from Unami Lenape Koshaxkink 'where there is a river crossing', probably adapted as Koshaxktun 'ferry' ('river-crossing device').
Cuyahoga—originally Mohawk Cayagaga 'crooked river', possibly related to kayuha 'creek' or kahyonhowanen 'river'. The Mohawk form of the name "Cayagaga" means 'crooked river', though it became assimilated to the Seneca name "Cuyohaga," meaning 'place of the jawbone' in Seneca. The river is in an area mainly settled by the Seneca people in the 18th century, and the Seneca name stuck.
Geauga—Onondaga jyo’ä·gak, Seneca jo’ä·ka’, 'raccoon' (originally the name of the Grand River).
Mingo and Mingo Junction—named after the Mingo people, Iroquoians who moved west to Ohio in the 18th century, largely of the Seneca nation; alternate form Minqua, both derived from Lenape Menkwe, referring to all Iroquoian peoples in general, possibly from Onondaga yenkwe, 'men'.
Muskingum—Shawnee Mshkikwam 'swampy ground' (mshkikwi- 'swamp' + -am 'earth'); taken to mean 'elk's eye' in Lenape by folk etymology, as if < mus 'elk' + wəshkinkw 'its eye'.
Ohio River—from Seneca Ohiyo 'the best river' or 'the big river'. Ohiyo (pronounced "oh-ˈhee-yoh") is the Iroquois translation of the Algonquian name Allegheny, which also means 'the best river'. The Indians considered the Allegheny and Ohio to be all one river.
Olentangy—an Algonquian name, probably from Lenape ulam tanchi or Shawnee holom tenshi, both meaning 'red face paint from there'. The Vermilion River likewise was named with a translation of the original Ottawa name Ulam Thipi, 'red face paint river'.
Piqua—Shawnee Pekowi, name of one of the five divisions of the Shawnee.
Sandusky—from Wyandot saandusti meaning 'water (within water-pools)' or from andusti 'cold water'.
Scioto—derived from Wyandot skɛnǫ·tǫ’, 'deer' (compare Shenandoah, also derived from the word for deer in a related Iroquoian language).
Tuscarawas—after the Iroquoian Tuscarora people, who at one time had a settlement along the river of that name.
Wapakoneta—from Shawnee Wa·po’kanite 'Place of White Bones' (wa·pa 'white'+(h)o’kani 'bone'+-ite locative suffix).
Anadarko - Caddo language - Derived from Nadá-kuh, means "bumblebee place."
Bokchito - Choctaw language - "Big creek"
Bokoshe - Choctaw language - "little creek"
Camargo - Cheyenne language - "little dog"
Catoosa - Cherokee language - phonetically pronounced "Ga-du-si" or "Ga-tu-si". Various interpretations of this word exist, including: "between two hills", "on the hill", "into the hills", and possibly signifying a prominent hill or place thereon.
Chickasha - Choctaw language - Chickasaw Indian tribe
Eucha - Cherokee language - named for Principal Chief Oochalata
Eufaula - Creek language - from the Eufaula tribe, part of the Muscogee Creek Confederacy
Gotebo - Kiowa language - named for Kiowa Gotebo (Qodebohon)
Inola - Cherokee language - "black fox"
Keota - Choctaw language - "the fire gone out"
Kinta - Choctaw language - "beaver"
Konawa, Oklahoma - Seminole language - "string of beads"
Neodesha - Osage language - Derived from ni-o-sho-de "The water is smoky with mud"
Nowata - Lenape - Derived from nuwita "Welcome"
Nuyaka (Creek Nation) - Creek language - Derived from "New York"
Oochelata - Cherokee language - named for Principal Chief Oochalata
Eufaula - Creek language - from the Eufaula tribe, part of the Muscogee Creek Confederacy
Okemah - Kickapoo language - "Things up high"
Okmulgee - Creek language - "Boiling waters"
Olustee - Creek language - "black water"
Oologah - Cherokee language - "Dark Cloud"
Owasso - Osage language - "End of the trail" or "turnaround"
Pawhuska - Osage language - "White hair"
Pocola - Choctaw language - "ten"
Sasakwa - Seminole language - "wild goose"
Skullyville - Choctaw language -derivation from iskuli - "money"
Tahlequah - Cherokee language - "Open place where the grass grows"
Talihina - Choctaw language - "iron road" (railroad)
Tamaha - Choctaw language - "town"
Taloga - Creek language - "beautiful valley" or "rocking water"
Tulsa - Creek language - Derived from tallasi "Old town"
Tushka - Choctaw language - "warrior"
Tuskahoma - Choctaw language - "red warrior"
Wapanucka - Lenape language -"Eastern land people"
Watonga - Arapaho language - "black coyote"
Weleetka - Creek language - "Running water"
Wetumka - Creek language - "Tumbling water"
Wewoka - Seminole language - "Barking water"
Alsea/Alsea River, named for the Alsea people
Clackamas, multiple places named for the Clackamas tribe
Clatskanie, a place on the Nehalem River
Clatsop County, named for the Clatsop tribe
Coos Bay/Coos County, named for the Coos people
Depoe Bay, named for a local Indian
Klamath, multiple places named for the Klamath Tribes
Multnomah Falls/Multnomah County named for the Multnomah people
Nehalem, multiple places named for the Nehalem people
Scappoose, means "gravelly plain" in an unknown native language
Tillamook, multiple places named for the Tillamook people
Tualatin, multiple places named for the Tualatin people
Umatilla, multiple places named for the Umatilla people
Willamette, multiple places from the Clackamas name for the Columbia River
Yachats/Yachats River, uncertain origin
Yamhill, multiple places named for a band of the Kalapuya people
Allegheny—probably from Lenape welhik hane or oolik hanna, which means 'best flowing river of the hills' or 'beautiful stream'. Originally the name of the Allegheny River, later used to name the Allegheny Mountains too. David Zeisberger published a divergent view in 1780, giving the original form of the name as "Alligewinenk, which means 'a land into which they came from distant parts'."
Aliquippa—Lenape alukwepi 'hat'; after Queen Aliquippa, who was named that because she wore a large hat.
Analomink—From "tumbling water."
Catawissa—Lenape, 'growing fat;' a reference to a Delaware Chief in the area, Lapachpeton.
Conemaugh—Lenape kwənəmuxkw 'otter'.
Conshohocken—Lenape kanshihakink 'in elegant land': kanshi 'elegant' + haki 'land' + -nk locative suffix.
Juniata River—from onoyutta, 'standing stone' in an Iroquoian language, probably Susquehannock. The Juniata Tribe lived by the river's banks and set up a tall standing stone with inscriptions in the center of their sacred meeting ground at the confluence of the Juniata River and Standing Stone Creek (in present-day Huntingdon). Compare Conneaut, Oneida.
Kingsessing—The name Kingsessing or Chinsessing comes from the Delaware word for "a place where there is a meadow".
Kiskiminetas—derived from Lenape kishku manitu 'make daylight' (kishku 'day' + manitu 'make' ), a command to warriors to break camp and go on maneuvers while it is still night (as though it were daylight), according to John Heckewelder.
Kittanning—Lenape kithanink 'on the main river': kit 'great, large, big' + hane 'swift river from the mountains' + -ink locative suffix, "the big river" or "the main river" being an epithet for the Allegheny-cum-Ohio, according to John Heckewelder.
Lackawanna—Lenape laxaohane 'fork of a river'
Loyalhanna—after the name of a Lenape town, Layalhanning, meaning 'at the middle of the river': layel or lawel 'middle' + hane 'river' + -ink locative suffix.
Loyalsock—Lenape, 'middle creek.' (It is located halfway between lycoming and muncy creeks.)
Lycoming—from Lenape lekawink 'place of sand' or lekawi hane 'sandy stream', from lekaw 'sand'.
Manayunk—Lenape məneyunk 'place of drinking': məne 'drink' + yu 'here' + -nk locative suffix.
Mauch Chunk—Lenape maxkw-chunk 'bear mountain'.
Mehoopany—Lenape, 'where there are wild potatoes."
Meshoppen Lenape, 'corals,' or 'beads.'
Monongahela—Lenape Mənaonkihəla 'the high riverbanks are washed down; the banks cave in or erode', inanimate plural of mənaonkihəle 'the dirt caves off (such as the bank of a river or creek; or in a landslide)' < mənaonke 'it has a loose bank (where one might fall in)' + -həle (verb of motion).
Muckinipattis—Lenape for 'deep running water', from mexitkwek 'a deep place full of water' or mexakwixen 'high water, freshet'.
Muncy–after the Munsee people < Munsee language mənsiw, 'person from Minisink' (minisink meaning 'at the island': mənəs 'island' + -ink locative suffix) + -iw attributive suffix.
Nanticoke—From the Nanticoke language, 'Tide water people.' (In reference to themselves)
Nemacolin—after the 18th-century Lenape chief Nemacolin.
Nescopeck—Shawnee, 'deep and still water.'
Nittany—'single mountain', from Lenape nekwti 'single' + ahtəne 'mountain'.
Ohiopyle—from the Lenape phrase ahi opihəle, 'it turns very white', referring to the frothy waterfalls.
Passyunk—from Lenape pahsayunk 'in the valley', from pahsaek 'valley' (also the name of Passaic, New Jersey).
Pennypack–Lenape pənəpekw 'where the water flows downward'.
Perkiomen—Lenape, 'where there are cranberries.'
Poconos—Lenape pokawaxne 'a creek between two hills'.
Punxsutawney—Lenape Punkwsutenay 'town of sandflies or mosquitoes': punkwəs 'sandfly' (<punkw 'dust' + -əs diminutive suffix) + utenay 'town'.
Pymatuning—Lenape Pimhatunink 'where there are facilities for sweating' < pim- 'to sweat in a sweat lodge' + hatu 'it is placed' + -n(e) inanimate object marker + -ink locative suffix.
Queonemysing—Lenape kwənamesink 'place of long fish': kwəni 'long' + names 'fish' + -ink locative suffix.
Quittapahilla Creek—Lenape kuwe ktəpehəle 'it flows out through the pines': kuwe 'pine tree' + ktəpehəle 'it flows out'.
Shackamaxon—Lenape sakimaksink 'place of the chiefs': sakima 'chief' + -k plural suffix + -s- (for euphony) -ink locative suffix
Shamokin—Lenape Shahəmokink 'place of eels', from shoxamekw 'eel' + -ink locative suffix.
Shickshinny—Lenape, 'a fine stream.'
Sinnemahoning—Lenape ahsəni mahonink 'stony lick', from ahsən 'stone' and mahonink 'at the salt lick'.
Susquehanna—Lenape siskuwihane 'muddy river': sisku 'mud' + -wi- (for euphony) + hane 'swift river from the mountains'.
Tamaqua—Lenape, 'little beaver;' named for a Delware chief, "King Beaver."
Tiadaghton—Seneca, 'pine creek.'
Tinicum—Lenape mahtanikunk 'Where they catch up with each other'.
Tulpehocken—Lenape tulpehakink 'in the land of turtles': tulpe 'turtle' + haki 'land' + -nk locative suffix.
Tioga—Onondaga, 'At the forks.'
Tionesta—Munsee, 'There it has fine banks.'
Towamensing—Lenape, 'pasture land,' (literally 'the place of feeding cattle.')
Towanda—Nanticoke, 'where we bury the dead.'
Tunkhannock—Lenape tank hane 'narrow stream', from tank 'small' + hane 'stream'.
Venango—From Lenape 'Onange,' meaning 'a mink.'
Wapwallopen—Lenape, 'where the white hemp grows.'
Wiconisco—Lenape wikin niskew 'A muddy place to live', from wikin 'to live in a place' + niskew 'to be dirty, muddy'.
Wissahickon—contraction of Lenape wisamekwhikan 'catfish creek': wisamekw 'catfish' (literally 'fat fish': <wisam 'fat' + -èkw, bound form of namès 'fish' ) + hikan 'ebb tide, mouth of a creek'.
Wyalusing—Lenape, 'the place where the aged man dwells,' a reference to the Moravian missionaries who set up a village in the area.
Wyoming Valley—Munsee, xwēwamənk 'at the big river flat': xw- 'big' + ēwam 'river flat' + ənk locative suffix.
Wysox—Lenape, 'the place of grapes.'
Youghiogheny—Lenape yuxwiakhane 'stream running a contrary or crooked course', according to John Heckewelder.
Chattanooga – based on cvto, a Muskogean term for 'rock'
Etowah – Muskogean term for 'town'
Euchee Old Fields (ceremonial planting ground)
Ooltewah
Sewanee
Unicoi County, Unicoi town, and Unicoi Range – Cherokee word meaning "white," "hazy," "fog-like," or "fog draped."
Waco – from Wichita [wiːko], the name of a tribal subgroup, the Waco people.
Nacogdoches - from Caddo language, Nacogdoche tribe of the Caddo
Quanah - named for the Comanche Chief, Quanah Parker
Utah County, Utah Lake, etc. – "Utah" via "Yudah" or "Yutah" from a language of one of the Ute tribe's neighbors, such as Western Apache yúdah, "high up".
Mount Timpanogos – from Paiute for "rocks and runny water."
Moab, Utah – from Paiute "moapa," meaning "mosquitoes;" possibly named after the biblical Moab.
Wasatch Mountains, Wasatch County, etc. – from "wasatch," a Ute word for "mountain passage."
Juab County – from Paiute word for "flat plain."
Kanab, Utah – from Paiute word for willow tree.
Kamas, Utah – from indigenous word for an edible, wild bulb.
Oquirrh Mountains – from Goshute for "glowing, or wooded mountain."
Uintah County – from Ute for "pine land."
Various municipal street names including Arapeen Drive ("Arapeen" was a notable 19th-century Paiute), Chipeta Way ("chipeta" is Ute for "rippling water") and Wasatch Boulevard ("wasatch" is Ute for "mountain pass").
Accomack County, Virginia
Allegheny Mountains and Alleghany County, Virginia
Appomattox River and Appomattox County, Virginia, after the Appomattoc
Chesapeake Bay and city of Chesapeake, Virginia
Chickahominy River, after the Chickahominy people
Mattaponi River, after the Mattaponi
Meherrin River, after the Meherrin
Nansemond River, after the Nansemond
Nottoway County, after the Nottoway people
Occoquan River
Pamunkey River, after the Pamunkey
Pohick Creek
City of Poquoson
Powhatan County
Rappahannock River, Rappahannock County, and town of Tappahannock, Virginia
Roanoke River and city and county of Roanoke, Virginia
Shenandoah River and Shenandoah Valley
Yeocomico River
Seattle – named after Chief Seattle, whose Lushootseed name was Siʔáł.
Tacoma – from Lushootseed [təqʷúbəʔ] (earlier *təqʷúməʔ), "snow-covered mountain".
Yakima
Puyallup
Kitsap Peninsula, Kitsap County – named after Chief Kitsap
Alki Beach
Snohomish – Lushootseed [sduhúbʃ], the name of a Salishan group (earlier *snuhúmʃ).
Chelan, Chelan County, Lake Chelan - a Salish language word, "Tsi - Laan," meaning 'Deep Water'.
Chiwawa River
Chinook, Chinook Pass
Cle Elum, Cle Elum River
Copalis Beach, Copalis Crossing
Cowlitz County, Cowlitz River
Dosewallips River
Duckabush River
Duwamish River
Entiat, Entiat River
Hamma Hamma River
Hoh River
Hoquiam
Humptulips, Humptulips River
Hyak
Issaquah
Kachess Lake
Kalaloch
Kittitas County, Kittitas
Neah Bay
Palouse
Pysht River
Sol Duc River
Spokane – from the Spokane dialect of Interior Salish spoqín.
Tillicum
Tonasket
Tulalip Bay
Tumwater
Twisp, Twisp River
Wishkah River
Walla Walla
Stehekin
Okanogan
Omak
Orondo
Sammamish
Sequim
Skagit River
Skookumchuck River
Squaxin Island
Stillaguamish River
Suquamish
Nooksack River
Nisqually River
Chehalis, Chehalis River
Wenatchee, Wenatchee River
La Push – lapoos or labush is the Chinook Jargon adaptation of the fr. la bouche ("mouth")
Nespelem
Pasayten River, Pasayten Wilderness
Snoqualmie, Snoqualmie Pass, Snoqualmie River
Skykomish River
Wenatchee
Toppenish
Wapato
Counties
Calumet County, Wisconsin
Chippewa County – the Ojibwe (or Chippewa) people
Iowa County – the Iowa people
Kenosha County – Kenosha (ginoozhe), an Ojibwe word meaning pike (fish).
Kewaunee County – for either a Potawatomi word meaning river of the lost or an Ojibwe word meaning prairie hen, wild duck or to go around.
Manitowoc County – Manitowoc (manidoowag) is an Ojibwe word meaning spirits.
Menominee County – the Menominee people
Milwaukee and Milwaukee County – Algonguin word Millioke which means The Good Land, or Gathering place by the water. Another interpretation is beautiful or pleasant lands.
Oneida County – the Oneida people.
Oshkosh – Menominee Chief Oshkosh, whose name meant "claw" (cf. Ojibwe oshkanzh, "the claw").
Outagamie County – the Outagamie (Meskwaki, Fox) people.
Ozaukee County – Ozaukee (Ozaagii) is the Ojibwe word for the Sauk people.
Sauk County
Waukesha and Waukesha County – Potawatomi word meaning little foxes.
Waupaca County – Menominee word meaning white sand bottom or brave young hero.
Waushara County – a Native American word meaning good earth.
Winnebago County – the Winnebago people.
Cities, Towns and Villages
Algoma, Winnebago County, Wisconsin
Altoona, Wisconsin
Amnicon Falls, Wisconsin
Aniwa, Wisconsin
Antigo, Wisconsin
Arkansaw, Wisconsin
Ashippun, Wisconsin
Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin
Astico, Wisconsin
Aztalan, Wisconsin
Baraboo, Wisconsin
Carcajou, Wisconsin
Catawba, Wisconsin
Chetek, Wisconsin
Chenequa, Wisconsin
Chicago Junction, Wisconsin
Chippecotton, modern-day Racine, Wisconsin (so named "Chippecotton" or "Kipiwaki", meaning 'root'; "Racine" is French for 'root')
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Coloma, Wisconsin
Couderay, Wisconsin
Dakota, Wisconsin
Horicon, Wisconsin
Huron, Wisconsin
Iola, Wisconsin
Kaukauna, Wisconsin (named for early French settler pronunciation "Kakalin," and later Grand Kakalin, bastardized either from Menomonee "Ogag-kane" or "O-gau-gau-ning," meaning 'the place where fish stop' due to the massive amounts of fish they found where the river fell 52 feet beneath the falls. Because of the forceful rushing rapids, travelers were forced to carry their canoes around it)
Kegonsa, Wisconsin
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kekoskee, Wisconsin
Keshena, Wisconsin
Kewaskum, Wisconsin
Kinnickinnic, Wisconsin
Koshkonong, Wisconsin
Koshkonong Mounds, Wisconsin
Lake Koshkonong, Wisconsin
Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin
Lake Wisconsin, Wisconsin
Lake Wissota, Wisconsin
Manawa, Wisconsin
Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin
Manitowoc, Wisconsin (named 'Spirit's Home' for the Manitou spirit commonly seen at the mouth of the eponymous Manitowoc River, it is derived from Ojibwe "Manitou+woc", where "Manitou" means 'spirit' and "-woc" means a suffix for 'home')
Mazomanie, Wisconsin
Menasha, Wisconsin (from a Menominee phrase meaning 'thorn in the island')
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Menomonie, Wisconsin
Mequon, Wisconsin
Merrimac, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
South Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Minnesota Junction, Wisconsin
Minocqua, Wisconsin
Misha Mokwa, Wisconsin
Mishicot, Wisconsin
Monona, Wisconsin
Moquah, Wisconsin
Mosinee, Wisconsin
Mukwonago, Wisconsin (from Potowatomi, meaning 'a ladle/bend in the stream')
Muscoda, Wisconsin
Muskego, Wisconsin
Nashotah, Wisconsin
Niagara, Wisconsin
Necedah (town), Wisconsin
Neda, Wisconsin
Neenah, Wisconsin (from Winnebago "Neenah," meaning 'running water')
Nekoosa, Wisconsin
Neopit, Wisconsin
Neshkoro, Wisconsin
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin (from Potowatomi, meaning 'waterfall')
Oconto, Wisconsin
Oconto Falls, Wisconsin
Odanah, Bad River Reservation, Wisconsin
Ogema, Wisconsin
Okauchee Lake, Wisconsin
Onalaska, Wisconsin
Ono, Wisconsin
Ontario, Wisconsin
Oregon, Wisconsin
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Osseo, Wisconsin
Otsego, Wisconsin
Penokee, Wisconsin
Peshtigo, Wisconsin
Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Pokegama, Wisconsin
Potosi, Wisconsin
Poy Sippi, Wisconsin
Poynette, Wisconsin
Requa, Wisconsin
Sauk City, Wisconsin
Saukville, Wisconsin
Shawano, Wisconsin
Sheboygan, Wisconsin (of obscure but likely Algonquian origins, it may derive from "Shawb-wa-way-kum", meaning either 'thundering under the ground' or 'path between the lakes'; bastardized through French "Cheboigan")
Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin
Sioux, Wisconsin
Suamico, Wisconsin
Tamarack, Wisconsin
Taycheedah, Wisconsin
Tichigan, Wisconsin
Tomahawk, Wisconsin
Viroqua, Wisconsin
Wabeno (community), Wisconsin
Waubeka, Wisconsin
Waucoosta, Wisconsin
Waukesha, Wisconsin (originally known by local tribes as "Tshee-gas-cou-tak," meaning 'burnt, fire-land', possibly later derived from Ojibwe "Wagosh" meaning 'fox', or alternatively from a Chief 'Leatherstrap' or "Wau-tsha", met by the early white settler Morris Cutler, who honored him with the namesake)
Waumandee, Wisconsin
Waunakee, Wisconsin
Waupaca, Wisconsin
Waupun, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin (meaning 'east, daybreak, dawn')
Wausau, Wisconsin (from Chippewa, meaning 'far away')
Wausaukee, Wisconsin
Wautoma, Wisconsin
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Weyauwega, Wisconsin
Winneboujou, Wisconsin
Winneconne (town), Wisconsin
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
Wonewoc, Wisconsin
Wyocena, Wisconsin
Wyoming (community), Wisconsin
Wyoming, Iowa County, Wisconsin
Wyoming, Waupaca County, Wisconsin
Yuba, Wisconsin
Bodies of Water, Forests, Parks or Regions
Ahnapee River
Allequash Lake
Amnicon Falls
Amnicon River
Aztalan State Park
Baraboo River
Big Muskellunge Lake
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
Chequamegon Waters Flowage
Cherokee Marsh
Chequamegon Bay
Chicago Bay, Lake Chippewa
Lake Chippewa
Chippewa Falls
Chippewa River (Wisconsin)
Couderay River
Lake Gogebic
Gogebic Range
Lake Horicon
Horicon Marsh
Iola Lake
Lower Kaubashine Lake
Upper Kaubashine Lake
Lake Kawaguesaga
Lake Kegonsa
Kentuck Lake
Kewaskum Woods
Kickapoo River
Kickapoo Woods
Kinnickinnic River (Milwaukee River)
Kinnickinnic River (St. Croix River)
Koshkonong Mounds
Lake Koshkonong
Kurikka Creek
Lenawee Creek
Lake Leota
Linnunpuro Creek
Little Muskie Lake
Machickanee Flowage
Manitou Island (Wisconsin)
Manitowish Lake
Manitowoc River
Maunesha River
Mawikwe Bay
Mecan River
Lake Mendota
Menominee Creek
Little Menominee River
Menominee River
Michigan Island
Milwaukee Bay, Lake Chippewa
Milwaukee Bay, Lake Michigan
Milwaukee River
Lake Minocqua
Minong Flowage
Misha-Mokwa (Mother Bear) Trail
Moccasin Lake
Lake Mohawksin
Lake Monona
Muskego Lake
Little Muskego Lake
Musky Bay, Lake Chippewa
Nagamicka Lake
Naga-waukee Park
Lake Namakagon
Namekagon River
Lake Nebagamon
Lower Nemahbin Lake
Upper Nemahbin Lake
Nemadji River
Neopit Mill Pond
Lake Nokomis
Oconomowoc Lake
Okauchee Lake
Oneida Lake
Oulu Pioneer Memorial Park
Papkee Lake
Papoose Creek
Pecatonica River
Pesabic Lake
Peshtigo River
Pewaukee Lake
Pokegama Lake
Lake Puckaway
Sauk Prairie
Scuppernong Prairie
Shawano Lake
Sheboygan Marsh
Sheboygan River
Sinissippi Lake
Sinsinawa River
Siskiwit Bay
Siskiwit Lake (Wisconsin)
Siskiwit River
Skanawan Creek
Squaw Creek (Wisconsin)
Squaw Lake
Tamarack Creek
Taycheedah Creek
Tichigan Forest (Wildlife Area)
Tichigan Lake
Token Creek (Tokaunee Creek)
Totagatic Lake
Totagatic River
Tourtillotte Creek
Lake Towanda
Lake Wandawega
Wayka Creek
Lake Waubesa
Waunakee Marsh
Waupee Lake
Waupee Swamp
Wauzeka Bottoms
Lake Wingra
Lake Winnebago
Lake Wisconsin
Lake Wissota
Wyalusing Forest
Wyona Lake
Yahara River
Yawkey Lake
Cheyenne – From Dakota Šahíyena, the diminutive of Šahíya, "Cree".
