Native American Names
One very interesting aspect of traveling across country by automobile is that you get to experience so much more of the country up close than you do when you fly over it all in a great big hurry. Sometimes it’s the journey, not the destination, that’s all the fun.
Traveling by automobile you get to drive through more cities and towns along the way and encounter some very interesting names. The cities and towns themselves, even some of our states’ names, are derived from Native American names and descriptive phrases. Studying up on these names can make the trip much more interesting.
It’s not just the town and state names that are derived from Native American names. Many streets, lakes, mountain ranges, and just about anything else that has a name that seems unusual or interesting is a possibility.
Native American names that became states include Alaska (from the Aleut term that translates to “the object towards which the action of the sea is directed.”). Arizona is from an O’odham phrase meaning “having a little spring.”
Kentucky is from the Seneca and means “at the field.” Ohio is from the Seneca, too, and it means “beautiful river.”
Native American names that became towns and cities include Manhattan, after the Munsee Delaware term for “where one gathers bows” and Seattle, named for Chief Seattle of the Lushootseed. Topeka is “a good place to dig wild potatoes” for those of us who speak Kansa.
If you’ve traveled a long way from east to west, don’t try to get a good night’s sleep in Malibu but perhaps a snooze in Simi Valley is a more restful idea. The Native American names for these places translate to “the surf makes a loud noise all the time over here” and “little white clouds,” respectively.
The highest peak in the United States has been known in English for many years as Mount McKinley. This isn’t a bad name but it isn’t very descriptive, either. Nowadays, the more often used name is Denali, a Koyukon word that means “the tall one.”
The next time a road trip looms in your future, take along a guidebook to Native American names. With all the interesting things you’re likely to learn along the way, you may never want to reach your destination.
Please send any comments directly to the author, Joseph Paige.