Lost meanings
This major US city's name comes from a wild onion plant
Published on September 2, 2026
Ever wondered why Chicago is called Chicago, when Florida got its name, or what Alaska's name really means? Some of America's most familiar place names have surprisingly old, and sometimes unexpected, stories behind them. From Native American languages to Spanish explorers and even a fictional island, these names offer little glimpses into the people, languages, and cultures that shaped the country. Here are the fascinating stories behind some of America's best-known place names.
Chicago: The city named after wild onions
Chicago is known for its impressive skyline, deep-dish pizza, blues music, and location along Lake Michigan. But why is it called Chicago?
The name traces back to a Native American word, shikaakwa, referring to wild onions or garlic that once grew abundantly in the area. French explorers recorded the name in the late 1600s in various forms, eventually leading to the spelling we know today. Long before Chicago became one of America's largest cities, the plants growing around its waterways had already given the area its name.
Alaska: The great land
With its enormous wilderness, glaciers, mountains, and wildlife, Alaska hardly needs a grand name to convey its scale. Yet its name does exactly that.
Alaska comes from an Aleut word, often rendered as Alyeska or a related form, commonly interpreted as "the great land" or "the mainland." Long before Alaska became America's largest state in 1959, its Indigenous people had a name that reflected the vast landscape around them. Today, it remains an unusually fitting description of the Last Frontier.
California: A place named after a fictional island
California is home to Silicon Valley, sunny beaches, Hollywood, and some of America's most recognizable landmarks.
In the early 16th century, a popular Spanish novel, Las Sergas de Esplandián, written by the Castilian author Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo**, described a mythical island called California. When Spanish explorers encountered the region in 1542, the name was eventually applied to the land they were exploring**. Perhaps it's fitting that America's home of fiction, Hollywood, is in a state that may have gotten its name from a fictional island.
Texas: Friendship in one simple word
Think of Texas, and images of cowboys, cattle ranches, barbecue, and the Alamo probably aren't far behind. But the meaning behind the state's name is surprisingly friendly.
Texas comes from the Caddo word tejas, commonly understood to mean "friends" or "allies." In 1689, Spanish explorers encountered Hasinai peoples in East Texas and recorded the word tejas, which they understood to mean 'friends' or 'allies.' The Spanish later adopted Tejas as a name for the region.
Florida: A name inspired by flowers
Palm trees, beaches, orange groves, and warm weather have become synonymous with Florida. The state's name, though, has its roots in a Spanish Easter tradition.
When Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León arrived in the region in 1513, he called it La Florida, a name associated with Pascua Florida, the Spanish Easter season, meaning "flowery Easter." The name has remained for more than 500 years, even as Florida became known for very different things.
Manhattan: A name with Native American roots
Long before Broadway, Wall Street, and the Empire State Building defined Manhattan, the island was home to the Lenape people. Their language left behind a name that millions of Americans use every day.
The exact meaning of Manhattan is debated, but interpretations have included "hilly island" and "place where wood is gathered." Whatever the precise translation, the name offers a reminder of the island's history long before New York became one of the world's great cities.
Mississippi: The great river
Few names are more closely tied to a river than Mississippi. The state shares its name with one of America's most important waterways, a river that has shaped transportation, trade, agriculture, and settlement for centuries.
The word comes from an Indigenous language and is commonly translated as "great river" or "great waters." Considering the Mississippi's enormous size and importance in American history, the name is remarkably fitting.
Milwaukee: The gathering place by the water
Today, Milwaukee is often associated with beer, baseball, and its Lake Michigan waterfront. But its name comes from a much older connection to the area's natural landscape.
Milwaukee comes from an Algonquian language and has been interpreted in several ways, including "good," "pleasant," or "gathering place by the water." The exact meaning has been debated, but the reference to water makes sense: the city developed along Lake Michigan and around the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic rivers.
Yosemite: A name born from Native American history
Yosemite is one of the most recognizable names in America's national parks, evoking towering granite cliffs, waterfalls, and giant sequoias. Its name, however, carries a more complicated story.
The name Yosemite is often linked to a term used for the Ahwahneechee people and has traditionally been translated as "those who kill." But that simple translation leaves out an important part of the story: the word was reportedly used by outsiders to refer to the Ahwahneechee rather than being the name those people used for themselves. Today, the famous name remains, even though its origins are more complex than many visitors realize.
Appalachia: A name that traveled across a mountain range
Appalachia is more than a mountain range. The name evokes a distinctive American region known for its mountain communities, bluegrass music, traditional crafts, and deep-rooted cultural traditions.
The word Appalachia traces back to the Apalachee, an Indigenous group who lived in what is now the southeastern United States. Spanish explorers encountered the Apalachee in the 16th century, and variations of their name were eventually applied to the Appalachian Mountains and surrounding region. Over time, the name came to describe an entire cultural region stretching across several states.
