Bonfouca, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bonfouca, Louisiana
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 Bonfouca, Louisiana
Location in Louisiana
Bonfouca, Louisiana
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | St. Tammany |
| Elevation | 3 ft (0.9 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 985 |
| GNIS feature ID | 560246 |
Bonfouca is a small place in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is called an "unincorporated community." This means it's a group of homes and businesses that doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. Instead, it's governed by the parish (like a county).
You can find Bonfouca on Louisiana Highway 433. It's right next to Liberty Bayou, which is a small waterway. The community is about two miles west of a larger town called Slidell. Bonfouca is also known by other names like Bonfonca, Boucffouca, Bouefuka, and Boukfouca.
What's in a Name? The Story of Bonfouca
The name "Bonfouca" likely comes from the Choctaw language. The Choctaw people are a Native American tribe.
Choctaw Roots
Experts believe the name combines two Choctaw words:
- "Bok" means river.
- "Fuka" means home or residence.
So, "Bokfuka" could mean "river home."
A Chief's Legacy
There was a Choctaw chief named Bokfuka a long time ago. In 1747, this chief led an attack on an area of Louisiana known as the German Coast. This area was settled by German immigrants.
French Influence
Later, in 1802, a person named Louis-Narcisse Baudry Des Lozieres wrote about the Choctaw tribe. He wrote the chief's name as "Bonifoucas." This was a French way of spelling the Choctaw name. Over time, this French spelling might have changed to what we now know as Bonfouca.
