Native American Names of Places in the United States

There are many places including towns and stateswater"
that were named after Native American words orManhattan: from Algonquian word meaning "isolated
names. In fact, about 50% of the states were namedthing in water"
using Native American words. Many of these placesMilwaukee: from Algonquian word meaning "good spot
have names that we almost take for granted theseor place"
days and most people are unaware of their NativeMissouri: from Missouri word meaning "town of large
American aboriginal origins.canoes"
A partial list of some well known places in the UnitedNebraska: from Oto word meaning "flat water"
States and their Native American meanings are below.North/South Dakota: from Sioux word meaning "allies"
Alabama : from Choctaw word meaning "thicketOhio: from Algonquian word meaning "great river"
clearers" or "vegetation gatherers"Oklahoma: from two Choctaw words meaning "red
Alaska: from Aleut word meaning "great land" or "thatpeople"
which the sea breaks against"Saratoga: from Mohawk word meaning "springs of
Chicago: from Algonquian word meaning "garlic field"water from the hillside"
Illinois: from Algonquian word meaning "tribe of superiorTahoe: from Washo word meaning "big water"
men"Utah: from Ute word meaning "people of the
Kansas: from Sioux word meaning "people of themountains"
south wind"Wyoming: from Delaware word meaning "mountains
Kentucky: from an Iroquois word meaning "land ofand valleys alternating"
tomorrow"Of course, there are many other examples. So next
Massachusetts: from Massachusett word meaning "attime you look at a name of a city, town, village, state,
or about the great hill"lake, mountain or region, it just might have come from
Minnesota: from Dakota word meaning "sky tinteda Native American word.