List of placenames of indigenous origin in the Americas

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Many places throughout North, Central, and South America take their names from the languages of the indigenous inhabitants of the area. The following list, organized by country, includes settlements, geographic features, and political subdivisions whose names are derived from indigenous languages.

Brazil

Main article: List of Brazil state name etymologies

Canada

Main article: List of place names in Canada of aboriginal origin

Canada itself is a name derived from a Laurentian Iroquois word meaning "village" (c.f. Mohawk kaná:ta’). See Canada's name for more details. Aboriginal names are widespread in Canada - for a full listing see List of place names in Canada of aboriginal origin. Those listed here are only well-known, important or otherwise notable places.

Province and territory names

Main article: Canadian provincial name etymologies

• Ontario
• Quebec - from Míkmaq kepék, "strait, narrows"
• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Nunavut
• Yukon

British Columbia

NB Too many settlements, lakes, rivers, mountains and other items in British Columbia have indiegenous names for all of them to be included here. Only major or relatively notable items are listed.

Regions

• Chilcotin
• Cariboo
• Okanagan
• Kootenay
• Lillooet Country
• Nicola Country
• Stikine Country
• Nechako Country
• Cowichan Valley
• Shuswap Country
• Omineca Country
• Atlin Country
• Slocan Valley
• Haida Gwaii

Cities and towns

• Nanaimo
• Chilliwack
• Coquitlam
• Squamish
• Qualicum Beach
• Saanich
• Sooke
• Ucluelet
• Kitimat
• Keremeos
• Spuzzum
• Bella Coola
• Bella Bella
• Kamloops
• Sicamous
• Osoyoos
• Skookumchuck
• Lillooet
• Penticton
• Kelowna and West Kelowna
• Spallumcheen
• Malakwa
• Slocan City

Rivers and lakes

• Chilcotin River
  • Chilko Lake, Chilko River, Taseko River
• Omineca River
• Kechika River
• Lillooet River
• Okanagan Lake & Okanagan River
• Similkameen River
• Skeena River
• Nass River
• Homathko River
• Nechako River
• Squamish River
• Klinaklini River
• Stikine River
• Alsek River
• Tatshenshini River
• Tagish Lake
• Atlin Lake
• Taku River
• Cheakamus River
• Elaho River
• Nimpkish River

Mountain ranges

• Shulaps Range
• Cayoosh Range
• Lillooet Ranges
• Chilcotin Ranges
• Stikine Ranges
• Cassiar Mountains
• Cariboo Mountains
• Kitimat Ranges
• Omineca Mountains
• Muskwa Ranges

Alberta

• Kananaskis
• Athabasca
• Wetaskiwin - from the Cree word wītaskīwin-ispatinaw (ᐑᑕᐢᑮᐏᐣ ᐃᐢᐸᑎᓇᐤ), meaning "the hills where peace was made".

Saskatchewan

• Saskatoon - from Cree misāskwatōmin, "saskatoon berry."

Manitoba

• Winnipeg—a transcription of a western Cree word meaning "muddy waters"
• Manitoba -- "where the spirit (manitou) speaks"

Ontario

• Toronto
• Ottawa - from Ojibwe "Odaawaa", refers to the dialect Odawa which comes from "daawaa" or to trade
• Mississauga - dialect group of Ojibwe whose name "Mishi-zaagii" means Great River mouth
• Oshawa

Quebec

Regions

• Abitibi
• Kativik
• Manicouagan
• Nunavik
• Outaouais
• Saguenay
• Temiscamingue
• Ungava

Towns and villages

• Cascapédia
• Chibougamau
• Chicoutimi
• Chisasibi
• Hochelaga
• Inukjuak
• Ivujivik
• Kahnawake
• Kanesatake
• Kenogami
• Kuujjuaq
• Matagami
• Matapedia
• Métabetchouan
• Mistissini
• Nemaska
• Paspebiac
• Puvirnituq
• Salluit
• Shawinigan
• Shigawake
• Stadacona
• Tadoussac
• Wemindji

Nunavut

• Pangnirtung
• Iqaluit

Northwest Territories/Denendeh

• Aklavik
• Tuktoyaktuk
• Inuvik
• Somba K'e - alternate official name, in the Dogrib language, of Yellowknife

Yukon

• Yukon River
• Klondike

Caribbean

Main article: List of indigenous names of Eastern Caribbean islands

Chile

Main article: List of place names in Chile of Aboriginal origin

• List of Mapudungun placenames

Guatemala

The country name comes from Nahuatl Cuauhtēmallān, "place of many trees", a translation of K'iche' K’ii’chee’, "many trees" (="forest").

Mexico

The name of Mexico is the Nahuatl name for the island in the middle of Lake Texcoco where the Aztecs had their capital, its etymology is opaque.

• Chiapas- Believed to derive from the ancient city of Chiapan, which means "the place where the chia sage grows" in Náhuatl.
• Chihuahua- May come from "dry place" in an unknown Indian language.
• Coahuila- possibly from the Nahuatl word Cuauhillan - "Place of trees"
• Guanajuato- Means "hill of frogs" in the Purépecha language
• Michoacán- Translates to "the place of the fishermen" from the Nahuatl word michhuahcan.
• Nayarit- derived from the endonym of the Cora people "naayarite"
• Oaxaca-Comes from the Nahuatl word huaxyácac or "place of the guaje trees".
• Querétaro- Could come from the Otomi meaning "the great ball game" or the Purépecha language meaning "place of stones".
• Tamaulipas- derives from tamaholipa a Huastec term that could mean "place where high hills".
• Tlaxcala- Means "Place of Maize tortilla". in Nahuatl
• Zacatecas- Named after the Zacatec; an indigenous nation in the area. It means "inhabitants of the grassland" in Nahuatl.

United States

Main article: List of place names in the United States of Native American origin

See also

• List of place names in Canada of aboriginal origin
• List of Chinook Jargon placenames

Bibliography

• Bright, William (2004). Native American Place Names of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
• Campbell, Lyle (1997). American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• O'Brien, Frank Waabu (2010). "Understanding Indian Place Names in Southern New England". Colorado: Bauu Press. [1]

• Bright (2004:78)
• Afable, Patricia O. and Madison S. Beeler (1996). "Place Names". In "Languages", ed. Ives Goddard. Vol. 17 of Handbook of North American Indians, ed. William C. Sturtevant. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, pg. 191
• Campbell (1997:378 n. 10)
• Bright (2004:99)