Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Acushnet(Settlement & River)English (American) Name of a river, city, and several other places in Massachusetts. From Wampanoag or Algonquin cushnea meaning "as far as the waters".
Adelanto(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From Spanish adelanto meaning "progress, advance".
Aiea(Settlement)English (American), Hawaiian A city in Hawaiʻi. From Hawaiian ʻaiea meaning "Hawai'i holly", a type of tree native to the area.
Alamogordo(Settlement)English (American) A city in New Mexico. From Spanish alamo gordo meaning "large cottonwood, fat cottonwood".
Alamosa(Settlement)English (American) A city in Colorado. From the Spanish alamosa meaning “of cottonwood”.
Albuquerque(Settlement)English (American) Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, sits in the high desert. Its modern Downtown core contrasts with Old Town Albuquerque, dating to the city’s 1706 founding as a Spanish colony.
Algonquin(Settlement)English (American) A city in Illinois. From the name of the Algonquin Native American people.
Alpharetta(Settlement)English (American) A city in Georgia. Possibly from the fictional name Alfarata, a character in the 19th-century song The Blue Juniata.
Ann Arbor(Settlement)English (American) The name of a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, the county seat of Washtenaw County located in the south of the state.... [more]
Anoka(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. Possibly from Dakota anoka meaning "on both sides, from both sides" or Ojibwe anoki meaning "I work".
Antietam(River)English (American) Multiple sites in the United States, including a creek in Maryland that was the site of a famous battle during the American Civil War. From an Algonquian word possibly meaning "swift water".
Aquinnah(Settlement)English (American) A town in Massachusetts. From Wampanoag Âhqunah, a Wampanoag tribe also known as the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head.
Arkansas(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from the French pronunciation of the Quapaw people who lived on the Arkansas River.
Arlandria(Settlement)English (American) The name of a neighbourhood in north-eastern Alexandria, Virginia. It is a portmanteau of Arlington and Alexandria, reflecting its location on the border of Arlington County and Alexandria.
Ashwaubenon(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin. From Ojibwe ashiwabiwining meaning "place where they watch, keep a lookout" or Menominee es-wāpanoh, "thither see the dawning".
Atoka(Settlement)English (American) A city in Oklahoma, named after Choctaw leader Captain Atoka. The name Atoka is derived from Choctaw hitoka or hetoka meaning "ball ground".
Azle(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname Azle. The city in Texas was named for James Azle Steward, a local doctor and landowner.
Barnum(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English (American, Americanized, Modern) Barnum (population: 175; in Johnson Township), Iowa, USA, is a town located on the southeastern margin of Manson crater, that was named after P.T. Barnum's third cousin William Barnum, a senator from Connecticut who was connected to the railroad that brought the town increased business... [more]
Baudette(Settlement & River)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Baudette. The town and river in Minnesota were named for Joseph Baudette, a French-Canadian trapper.
Bayonne(Political Subdivision)French, English (American), Basque, Medieval Latin (Modern) New Jersey: From French Bayonne. The first element of the name is variously said to be Basque or Latin; the second element is Basque on (“good”). More at Bayonne. Also compare Latin baia.... [more]
Beltrami(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the Italian surname Beltrami. The city and lake in Minnesota were named for Giacomo Costantino Beltrami, a Italian explorer.
Bena(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. From Ojibwe bine or bina' meaning "partridge".
Benezie(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. Possibly from Ojibwe binesi, meaning "raptor", perhaps referring to eagles, hawks, or the Thunder Bird spiritual being.
Beulah(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the given name Beulah. The city in North Dakota was named for Beulah Stinchcombe, the niece of a local land developer.
Biwabik(Settlement)English (American) A city and township in Minnesota. From Ojibwe biiwaabik meaning "iron".
Bois De Sioux(River)English (American) A river in Minnesota. From French bois de Sioux meaning "woods of the Sioux" (Sioux being the French name for the Oceti Sakowin peoples, a short form of French Nadouessioux, which itself was derived from Ojibwe Nadowessi meaning "little snakes, enemy").
Bonita(Settlement)English (American) Various cities in the United States. From Spanish bonita meaning "pretty".
Bozeman(Settlement)English (American) A settlement in Montana.Originally was travelled through by indigenous people like Shoshone and Blackfeet.... [more]
Broadalbin(Settlement)English (American) Broadalbin is a settlement in New york USA. Founded in 1741 by European settlers.... [more]
Cahokia(Settlement)English (American) A city in Illinois and the site of a pre-Columbian Native American city whose original name is unknown. The name is derived from Cahokia people, who lived in the area before their relocation.
Calimesa(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From a portmanteau of California and the English word "mesa" or the Spanish word mesa meaning "table, mesa".
Carson(Settlement)English (American) Carson City is the capital of the American state of Nevada.
Catwaba(Settlement & River)English (American) A river as well as several settlements in the United States. From the name of the Catawba Native American people.
Cerritos(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From Spanish cerritos meaning "small hills".
Champlin(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Champlin. The city in Minnesota is named for U.S. Navy Commodore Stephen Champlin.
Chanhassen(Settlement)English (American) From the Dakota word chanhasen meaning "sugar-maple tree", which itself comes from chan, "tree" and haza, "tree with sap".
Chengwatana(Settlement)English (American) An abandoned village in Minnesota. From Ojibwe zhingwaadena, a contraction of zhingwaak-oodena meaning "white pine town".
Chickasha(Settlement)English (American) A city in Oklahoma. From Choctaw chikashsha meaning "Chickasaw", a Native American people.
Chicopee(Settlement & River)English (American) A city and river in Massachusetts. From Nipmuc chekee meaning "violently" and pe, a suffix used in the names of bodies of water, or chikkupee meaning "of red cedar".
Chisago(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. The name is derived from the Ojibwe kichi, "large", and saga, "beautiful#.
Choctaw(Settlement)English (American) A city in Oklahoma. From the name of the Choctaw people, although the city has no cultural relation to the Choctaw nation.
Cloquet(Settlement & River)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Cloquet. The river in Minnesota may have been named for French doctors Hippolyte and Jules Cloquet, and the city was named for the river.
Coachella(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. Possibly from Spanish conchilla, referring to a type of seashell commonly found in the area.
Cohasset(Settlement)English (American) A town in Massachusetts. From Massachusett conahasset possibly meaning "long rocky place" or "fishing promontory".
Colorado(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, named after the Colorado river, from Spanish colo + "colored" rado "reddish", "ruddy".
Connecticut(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from the name of the Connecticut river, from Algonquian quinnitukqut "at the long tidal river," from kwen "long" + ehtekw "tidal river" + enk "place".
Covina(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From a portmanteau of the English words "cove" and "vine".
Cudahy(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the Irish surname Cudahy. The city in California was named for Michael Cudahy, a meat-packing baron and local landowner.
Decatur(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname Decatur. The city in Alabama was named for Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr., a United States Navy officer.
Dekalb(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname De Kalb. The city in Illinois was named for Johann von Robais, Baron de Kalb, a French-Franconian major-general who fought for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Depew(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname Depew. The village in New York was named for Chauncey M. Depew, president of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company.
De Soto(Settlement)English (American) From the Spanish surname De Soto. Various cities in the United States are named for Hernando De Soto, a Spanish conquistador. However, the city in Texas was named for Thomas Hernando DeSoto Stewart, a doctor dedicated to the community.
Destin(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname Destin. The city in Flordia was named for Leonard Destin, a Connecticut fishing captain.
Detroit(Political Subdivision)English (American) From the French word, meaning “strait.” The full name of the city’s phrase is “le détroit du Lac Érie,” meaning “the strait of Lake Erie.”
Diomede Islands(Island)English (American) The Diomede islands are two islands both in the USA and Russia. They consist of big Diomede and little Diomede.... [more]
Duarte(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the Spanish surname Duarte. The city in California was named for the ranchero Andrés Avelino Duarte.
Dubuque(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Dubuque. The city in Iowa was named for Julien Dubuque, the first white man to settle in Iowa
Eau Claire(Settlement & River)English (American), French From French eau, "water" and claire, "clear". The city in Wisconsin is named for the river.
Ecorse(Settlement & River)English (American) A river and city in Michigan, from French écorche meaning "bark".
Edina(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota, named for the local Edina Mill. The mill, in turn, took its name from a poetic term for Edinburgh.
Elko(Political Subdivision)English (American) Charles Crocker of the Central Pacific Railroad, who had a passion for naming stations after animals, simply added an O to Elk
Elyria(Settlement)English (American) A city in Ohio. From a portmanteau of the surname Ely - the city's founder was named Heman Ely - and Illyria
Encinitas(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From Spanish encinitas meaning "small oaks, little oaks".
Endion(Political Subdivision)English (American) A neighborhood in Duluth, Minnesota. From Ojibwe endaayaan, meaning "where I live."
'Ewa Beach(Settlement)English (American) A city in Hawaiʻi. From Hawaiian ʻewa meaning "stray" and the English word "beach".
Eyota(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. From Dakota iyótaŋ, meaning "greatest, most".
Fairbanks(Settlement)English (American) Fairbanks is a settlement in Alaska USA. Fairbanks was founded in 1901 by E.T.Barnette.... [more]
Fargo(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname Fargo. The city in North Dakota was named after William Fargo, then director of the Northern Pacific Railway and founder of the Wells Fargo Express Company.
Faribault(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Faribault. The city in Minnesota was named after Alexander Faribault, its founder and first postmaster.
Farragut(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname Farragut. The city in Iowa was named for Admiral David Farragut, a flag officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.
Fond Du Lac(Settlement)English (American) From French fond du lac, meaning "bottom of the lake" or "south end of the lake". The city in Wisconsin is at the southern end of Lake Winnebago.
Fostoria(Settlement)English (American) Derived from the English surname Foster. The city in Michigan was named for Thomas Foster, the foreman of the Pere Marquette Railway.
Garland(Settlement)English (American) Possibly from the word “garland”, meaning a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material.
Gillette(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Gillette. The city in Wyoming is named for Edward Gillette, a surveyor for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad.
Gloversville(Settlement)English (American) Gloversville is the name of 2 settlements in the usa. One in Virginia and one in New york.... [more]
Gonzales(Settlement)English (American) From the Spanish surname Gonzáles. A city in Texas, one of the first Anglo-American settlements in the state, was named for Rafael Gonzáles, the governor of Coahuila y Tejas.
Guymon(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname Guymon. The city in Oklahoma was named for Edward T. "E.T." Guymon, president of the Inter-State Land and Town Company.
Havasu(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American), Indigenous American Means “blue” in the Mojave language. In July 2024, a 4 month old baby died of heat exposure while her negligent parents partied on Lake Havasu (California-Arizona border).... [more]
Hawaii(Island)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, of uncertain origin. Theories from Proto-Polynesian hawaiki which possibly means place of the gods" or from Proto-Polynesian sawaiki "homeland", or possibly named for Hawaiʻiloa, legendary discoverer of the Hawaiian islands.
Hemet(Settlement, Body of Water & Other)English (American) Etymology uncertain. Possibly from Swedish hemmet meaning "home, homeland". Other theories claim that the name is derived from an unspecified Native American language, possibly meaning "box", "acorn valley", "surrounded by trees", or derived from a female given name, Hemetica... [more]
Hennepin(Political Subdivision)English (American), French The name of a county in Minnesota, from the French surname Hennepin, after Louis Hennepin, a Belgian Catholic priest and missionary.
Herkimer(Settlement)English (American) Herkimer is a small settlement in new york USA. Herkimer was founded in 1788.... [more]
Houma(Settlement)English (American) A city in Louisiana. From the name of the Houma Native American people.
Idaho(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, of uncertain origin, possibly from Shoshone term ee-da-how, meaning "gem of the mountains" or "the sun comes from the mountains".
Illinois(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from the modern French spelling of the Algonquian people who called themselves Inoca or Ilinouek.
Indio(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From the Spanish word Indio, meaning "Indian, Native American".
Iowa(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, possibly from Dakota ayuxba "sleepy ones".
Joilet(Settlement)English (American) It was renamed in 1845 for Louis Jolliet, the French Canadian explorer who visited the site in 1673. Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, near Chicago.
Joliet(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Joliet. The city in Illinois was named for Louis Joliet, one of the first Europeans to map the Upper Mississippi area.
Jurupa(Settlement)English (American) From a Native American word of uncertain meaning. Jurupa Valley is a town in the inland empire of California that is currently getting gentrified due to its proximity to bougier Riverside
Kabekona(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. From Ojibwe gabekana meaning "end of the trail".
Kabetogama(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. From Ojibwe gaa-biitoogamaag-zaaga'igan meaning "the lake that lies parallel with another lake, the lake that doubles with another lake, the place where there is one lake after another."
Kalamazoo(Settlement)English (American) The city in Michigan and other places are named after the Kalamazoo River. There are several theories as to the etymology of Kalamazoo. One is that it comes from Potawatomi negikanamazo meaning "otter tail" or kikalamezo meaning "boiling pot, place where the water boils"... [more]
Kandiyohi(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. From Dakota kandi, "buffalo fish" and ohi, "arrive in".
Kansas(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, named after Kanas river, from French variant of Kansa, native name of the Siouan people who lived there.
Kapaa(Settlement)English (American) A city in Hawaiʻi. From Hawaiian kapaʻa meaning "the solid one".
Kawishiwi(River)English (American) A river in Minnesota, likely derived from Ojibwe amikwiish meaning "beaver lodge".
Kego(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. From Ojibwe kego meaning "fish".
Kenosha(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin. From the Ojibwe kinoje meaning "pike, pickerel".
Kentucky(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, originally the name of a river, which possibly derived from the Iroquoian word wyandot, meaning meadow.
Ketchikan(Settlement & River)English (American) The city in Alaska is named for the nearby Ketchikan Creek, which itself comes from Tlingit kichx̱áan, of disputed meaning.
Lac Qui Parle(Body of Water)English (American) A lake, river, and city in Minnesota, from French lac qui parle meaning "lake which speaks".
La Crosse(Settlement)English (American) From French la crosse, meaning "crozier". The city in Wisconsin was named for a game played by the Native Americans living in the area, which used sticks resembling, in the eyes of Euro-American colonists, a bishop's crozier.
Lafayette(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Lafayette. Several places in the United States are named Lafayette after the the French general Marquis de Lafayette, who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
Laramie(Settlement, River & Mountain)English (American) From the French surname Laramie. Several places in the United States were named for Jacques LaRamie, a French or French-Canadian trapper who was one of the first people of European descent to come to the Wyoming area.
Lazio(Political Subdivision)Italian, English (American), English (British) From the Latin name Latium, which has been suggested to derive from the Latin word latus, meaning "wide, broad". This is the name of one of the 20 administrative regions of Italy.
Lodi(Settlement)English (American), Italian A city in Caliornia, likely named for the city in Italy, which in turn is likely derived from Latin laude, "praise".
Lomita(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From Spanish lomita meaning "little hill".
Lompoc(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From Chumash Purisimeño lumpo'o̥ meaning "in the cheeks".
Madison Heights(Settlement)English (American) Madison Heights ranked as fifth highest populated City in South Oakland County. The first City Hall was located at 26305 John R Road, the former township offices. On April 5, 1963, a new municipal building was constructed which is on the present location at 300 West Thirteen Mile Road.
Magalia(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From Latin magalia meaning "little dwellings, huts, tents".
Mahnomen(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnnesota. From the Ojibwe manoomin meaning "wild rice".
Mahtomedi(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. Its name is derived from Dakota mathó, "bear", and bdé, "lake".
Maine(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, possibly from French Maine, a region in France (named for the river that runs through it, which has a name of Gaulish origin).
Mandan(Settlement)English (American) The city in North Dakota was named for the Mandan people, who are indigenous to the area.
Manhattan(Island)English (American) It is named after the Algonquin tribe from whom the Dutch settlers claimed to have bought the island in 1626.
Manitowoc(Settlement & River)English (American) A river and city in Wisconsin. From Ojibwe manidoowaak meaning "spirit spawn", "spirit woods" or "spirit land".
Mankato(Settlement)English (American) From a typographic error of Mahkato, from the Dakota name for the Blue Earth River, Makato Osa Watapa, meaning "the river where blue earth is gathered".
Marquette(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Marquette. A city in Michigan and a lake in Minnesota were named for Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary.
Maryland(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, named after Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I of England.
Mashpee(Settlement)English (American) A city in Massachusetts. From Wampanoag mass-nippe meaning "greater cove, great pond, land near great cove", itself from mass meaning "great, greater" and nippe meaning "water".
Massachusetts(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, named for the Algonquian native people who lived around the bay, from Algonquian massachusett "at the large hill," in reference to Great Blue Hill, southwest of Boston.
Menahga(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. From Ojibwe miinikaa meaning "there are blueberries".
Mendota(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. Its name is derived from the Dakota word bdóte, which refers to the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers.
Menifee(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the given name Menifee. The city in California was named for Luther Menifee Wilson, a local miner.
Mequon(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin. From Ojibwe emikwaan or miguan meaning "ladle", or possibly Menominee mēkon meaning "feather".
Mesabi(Region)English (American) A mining district and mountain range in Minnesota. From Ojibwe misaabe-wajiw meaning "giant mountain".
Methuen(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname Methuen. The city in Massachusetts was named for Sir Paul Methuen, an English diplomat and politician.
Michigan(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, originally applied to Lake Michigan, perhaps from Old Ojibwa (Algonquian) meshi-gami "big lake".
Mille Lacs(Political Subdivision & Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. From the French mille lacs meaning "thousand lakes".
Minnehaha(River)English (American) The name of several places and bodies of water in the United States and Canada, derived from Dakota mniȟáȟa meaning "waterfall, rapid water". A popular but false legend translates the name as "laughing water".
Minnesota(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, originally the name of a river, from Dakota (Siouan) mnisota, literally "cloudy water", "milky water", from mni "river, stream" + sota "slightly clouded".
Minot(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname Minot. The city in North Dakota is named for Henry Minot, an ornithologist and investor in the Great Northern Railway, around which the city was built.
Missouri(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from Illinois mihsoori, "dugout canoe".
Muncie(Settlement)English (American) A city in Indiana named for the term Euro-American settlers used for local Lenape people, who speak the Munsee language.
Murrieta(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the Spanish surname Murrieta. The city in California was named for its founder, the ranchero Juan Murrieta.
Muskego(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin. From Potawatomi mus-kee-guaac meaning "sunfish".
Muskoda(Settlement)English (American) A ghost town in Minnesota. From Ojibwe mashkode meaning "meadow, grassland, large prairie".
Namekagon(River)English (American) A tributary of the St Croix River. From Ojibwe namekaagong-ziibi meaning "river abundant with sturgeons".
Nebraska(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from Otoe Ñí Brásge meaning "flat water".
Neenah(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin. From Hoocąk nįįňą meaning "water, running water".
Nemadji(River)English (American) A river in Minnesota. From Ojibwe ne-madji-tic-guay-och or nemanjitigweyaag meaning "left river".
North Carolina(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, Named after King Charles I of England.
North Dakota(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, also the name of indigenous people of the Great Plains, from the Dakota word dakhóta "friend".
Oconomowoc(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) A city and lake in Wisconsin. From Potawatomi coo-no-mo-wauk meaning "waterfall".
Ogema(Settlement)English (American) A township in Minnesota. From Ojibwe ogimaa meaning "chief".
Ohio(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, originally used of the river, from Seneca ohi:yo "good river".
Okemos(Settlement)English (American) A city in Michigan, named after Chief John Okemos of the Ojibwe people. The surname Okemos is an anglicized form of Ojibwe ogimaans meaning "little chief".
Oklahoma(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from Choctaw okla "people" "tribe" "nation" + homma "red".
Okmulgee(Settlement)English (American) A city in Oklahoma. From Muskogee okimulgi meaning "boiling waters".
Onalaska(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) Various cities in the United States and a lake in Wisconsin. After Unalaska, a volcanic island in Alaska which was mentioned in the poem "The Pleasures of Hope" by the Scottish poet Thomas Campbell.
Onamia(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) A city and lake in Minnesota. From Ojibwe onamanii-zaaga'iganiing, which itself is derived from onaman meaning "red ochre, vermilion" and zaaga'igan meaning "lake".
Oneida(Settlement)English (American) A city in New York. From the name of the Oneida people, who are indigenous to the area.
Oneka(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. From Dakota onakan meaning "strike, knock off", referring to the practice of gathering wild rice by knocking it into a canoe.
Opa-locka(Settlement)English (American) A city in Florida. From Seminole opa-tisha-wocka-locka or opatishawockalocka meaning "wooded hummock, hot and dry hummock".
Opelousas(Settlement)English (American) A city in Louisiana. From the Opelousa people, who were indigenous to the area.
Oregon(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from the name of a large river in the west of North America, possibly from Algonquin wauregan "beautiful".
Osawatomie(Settlement)English (American) A city in Kansas. Its name derives from a portmanteau of Osage and Potawatomi, two Native American nations indigenous to the area.
Oshkosh(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the Menominee name Oshkosh meaning "claw". Chief Oshkosh was a leader of the Menominee Native Americans, who are indigenous to the area.
Oskaloosa(Settlement)English (American) A city in Iowa. Meaning "black rain", from Mvskoke-Creek oske "rain" and lvste "black". A local legend claims that Ouscaloosa was the Creek wife of Seminole chief Osceola... [more]
Oswego(Settlement & River)English (American) Various locations in the United States. From Iroquois os-we-go meaning "pouring out place."
Otsego(Settlement)English (American) From Mohawk or Oneida otsego, meaning "place of the rock". The city in Minnesota is named for the county in New York.
Owatonna(Settlement)English (American) From the Dakota name for the nearby Straight River, Wakpá Owóthaŋna.
Phoenix(Settlement)English (American) Phoenix is the capital city of Arizona state in the United States of America.
Pocatello(Settlement)English (American) A city in Idaho named for the Shoshone leader Tondzaosha, who was called Pocatello in American military accounts. The name Pocatello is of unclear etymology and does not appear to be derived from the Shoshoni language.
Pokegama(Body of Water & River)English (American) A lake and river in Minnesota. From Ojibwe bakegamaa meaning "the water which juts off from another water".
Pomme De Terre(River)English (American) A river in Minnesota, from French pomme de terre meaning "potato, root vegetable", but in this case referring to the prairie turnip commonly grown in the area by the Dakota people.
Poquoson(Settlement)English (American) A city in Virginia. From the English word "pocosin", which refers to a type of wetland and is derived from an unknown Algonquian word, possibly Abenaki pôgwaso meaning “very shallow”.
Poughkeepsie(Settlement)English (American) From Munsee u-puku-ipi-sing meaning "the reed-covered lodge by the little-water place".
Poway(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. Likely from Kumeyaay pawii "arrowhead" or paguay "watering hole".
Provo River(River)English (American) River in Utah, named after the French-Canadian trapper Etienne Provost. The river inspired the name of the city to which it belonged, Provo.
Pueblo(Settlement)English (American) A city in Colorado. From Spanish pueblo meaning "town, people".
Pulaski(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the Polish surname Pulaski. The city in Virginia was named for Count Casimir Pulaski, a Polish-born hero of the American Revolutionary War.
Reedley(Settlement)English (American) A city in Fresno County, California. Named for Thomas Law Reed, a veteran of the Union Army in the Civil War who donated most of his land to the city.
Revere(Settlement)English (American) A city in Massachusetts named after American Revolutionary War patriot Paul Revere. Revere is an English word meaning "to admire".
Saginaw(Settlement)English (American) A city in Michigan. Most likely meaning "place of the outlet", from Ojibwe sag meaning "opening" and ong meaning "place of", though popular legend claims it derives from Ojibwe sace-nong or sak-e-nong meaning "where the Sauk were".
Santa Clarita(Settlement)English (American) Means “little Saint Clare” in Spanish. This is the name of a city in California.
Saratoga(Settlement)English (American) From Mohawk se-rach-ta-gue or sa-ra-ta-ke meaning "the hillside country of the quiet river”. Several places in the United States were named for the city in New York, which was the site of a famous battle during the American Revolutionary War.
Schoolcraft(River)English (American) Transferred usage of the English surname Schoolcraft. The river in Minnesota is named for Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, a white geographer and Indian Agent who mapped the region.
Scituate(Settlement)English (American) A city in Massachusetts. From Wampanoag satuit meaning "cold brook".
Shakopee(Settlement & River)English (American) A city and creek in Minnesota, named for the Chief Shakopee III, a leader of the Dakota people, who are indigenous to the area.
Sheboygan(Settlement & River)English (American) A city and river in Wisconsin. From Menominee sāpīwǣhekaneh meaning "at a hearing distance in the woods".
Snohomish(Settlement & River)English (American) A city and river in Washington State. From the name of the Snohomish people, who are indigenous to the area.
South Carolina(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, Named after King Charles I of England.
South Dakota(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, also the name of indigenous people of the Great Plains, from the Dakota word dakhóta "friend".
Springville(Settlement)English (American) The city of Springville in Utah was named after Fort Springville, a fort that religious leader Brigham Young ordered to be built to be turned into a town as soon as possible.
Suwannee(River)English (American) A river in Georgia and Florida. Possibly from Spanish San Juan, from the name of the Shawnee Native American people, or from Creek sawani eaning "echo".
Swannanoa(Settlement & River)English (American) A river and a settlement in North Carolina, as well as a village in New Zealand named for the river. From Cherokee Suwa’lĭ-Nûñnâ’hĭ meaning “the trail to Suwa’li". Suwa’li, also called Joara, was a nearby kingdom... [more]
Tahlequah(Settlement)English (American) A city in Oklahoma. Most likely from Cherokee di li gwa meaning "grain, rice".
Taos(Settlement)English (American) From the Taos word tə̂o (“village”). The word may come from Spanish tao meaning «tau cross ensign», ultimately from the name for the Greek letter tau.... [more]
Thermopolis(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wyoming. From Ancient Greek θερμόςthermós meaning "warm, hot" and πόλιςpólis meaning "city".
Tolovana(River)English (American) The name of a river in Alaska, derived from Koyukon tolbaa no’ meaning "pale-water river".
Toppenish(Settlement)English (American) A city in Washington State. Likely from Sahaptin txápniš meaning "protruded, stuck out". The name refers to a nearby landslide.
Truckee(Settlement)English (American) A river in California and Nevada. From the name of a Northern Paiute medicine chief and prophet, Truckee.
Ukiah(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From Pomo yokáya meaning "deep valley, south valley".
Utah(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from Spanish yuta, name of the indigenous Uto-Aztecan people of the Great Basin perhaps from Western Apache (Athabaskan) yudah "high" (in reference to living in the mountains).
Val Verde(Settlement)English (American) A town in New Mexico. Meaning "green valley", from Spanish val "valley" and verde "green".
Vermont(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, literally "green mountain" from French verde "green" + mont "mountain".
Virginia(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, "country of the Virgin", after Elizabeth I of England, who was known as the "Virgin Queen" because she never married.
Wabash(Settlement & River)English (American) A river and various cities in the United States. From Miami-Illinois waapaahšiiki meaning "it shines white, pure white", after the white limestone making up the riverbed.
Wabasha(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the Dakota given name Wabasha. The city in Minnesota was most likely named for Wabasha II, a chief of the Dakota people.
Wabasso(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. From Ojibwe waabooz meaning "rabbit, snowshoe hare".
Waconia(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) A city and lake in Minnesota. From Dakota meday wa ko ni ya meaning "lake of the fountain, lake of the spring" or "out of the water comes life".
Waukesha(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin. Likely an Anglicization of Ojibwe waagoshag meaning "foxes" or derived from the Potawatomi name Wau-tsha.
Waupun(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin. From Ojibwe waubun meaning "east, morning, dawn".
Wawina(Settlement)English (American) A township in Minnesota. From Ojibwe waawiinaa meaning "I mention him often".
Wayzata(Settlement)English (American) From the Dakota word wazíyata, meaning "north" or "north shore".
Wenatchee(Settlement)English (American) A city in Washington. From the name of the Wenatchi people, who are indigenous to the area.
West Virginia(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, The western, transmontane, counties of Virginia; separated from Virginia during Civil War.
Westwego(Settlement)English (American) Possibly from the English phrase "west we go", as the city in Louisiana was a major crossing point on the Mississippi River during the westward migration of Euro-American colonizers.
Why(Settlement)English (American) Small community in Arizona State, US. Arizona law stated that a settlement's name must have at least 3 letters, so the towns founders named the town, which was situated on a Y-section, "Why" instead of "Y"... [more]
Willimantic(Settlement)English (American) Various cities in the United States. Of either Mohegan-Pequot or Narragansett origin, probably meaning "place near the evergreen swamp".
Winnebago(Political Subdivision & River)English (American) A river and county in Iowa. From Ojibwe Wiinibiigoo ("Winnebago, Ho-Chunk"), an exonym for the Ho-Chunk people who lived in the area.
Winnibigoshish(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. From Ojibwe wiinibiigoonzhish meaning "filthy water, brackish water".
Wisconsin(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from French Ouisconsin, likely from the Miami word Meskonsing "it lies red".
Wyoming(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from Algonquian chwewamink "at the big river flat," from xw "big" + e:wam "river flat" + enk "place".
Yankton(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) The city in South Dakota was named for the Yankton tribe of the Western Dakota, who are indigenous to the area; Yankton itself is derived from Dakota Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋ, meaning "village at the end".
Yellowstone(River)English (American) The name of a major tributary of the Missouri River. The name Yellowstone derives from translations of several indigenous names for the river that refer to the sulfur-containing yellow rocks the river has carried out of the Yellowstone Caldera, an active supervolcano that powers the hydrothermal features of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming... [more]
Yosemite(Other)English (American), Indigenous American (Anglicized, Rare) A national park and a valley located in Mariposa County, California, the name is derived from the Southern Sierra Miwok joh-heˀ-HmetiH-, meaning "warriors, killers, those not afraid to die"... [more]
Yucaipa(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From Serrano yukaipa't meaning "green valley".