List of Alabama placenames of Native American origin facts for kids

Many places in Alabama have names that come from the languages of the original people who lived there, called Native Americans. This article will explore some of these names, including towns, rivers, and counties. The main Native American groups living in Alabama long ago were the Alibamu, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Koasati, and the Muscogee (also known as Creeks).

Most of these tribes spoke languages from the Muskogean languages family. Think of it like different types of English, but for Native American languages! The Alibamu, Koasati, and Muscogee spoke Eastern Muskogean languages, while the Chickasaw and Choctaw spoke Western Muskogean languages. The Cherokee language is different; it belongs to the Iroquoian language family.

Places Named by Native Americans

Many places in Alabama got their names from the Native American languages spoken by the tribes who lived there first. These names often describe the land, animals, or important events.

The State of Alabama

• Alabama – The state itself is named after the Alibamu tribe. Their name comes from a Choctaw phrase that means "thicket-clearers" or "plant-cutters." This might refer to how they cleared land for farming.
  • The Alabama River also shares this name.

Counties with Native American Names

Several counties in Alabama have names from Native American languages.

• Autauga County – This name comes from the Alibamu phrase atagi, which means "pure water."
• Cherokee County – This county is named after the brave Cherokee people.
  • The town of Cherokee also shares this name.
• Choctaw County – This county is named after the Choctaw people.
• Conecuh County – This name comes from the Muscogee phrase koha anaka, meaning "near Canebrake" (a place with lots of cane plants).
  • The Conecuh River is also named after this.
• Coosa County – This name comes from the Choctaw phrase koshak, meaning "cane" (a type of tall grass).
  • The Coosa River shares this name too.
• Escambia County – This name comes from the Choctaw phrase oski ambeha, meaning "the cane therein."
• Etowah County – This name likely comes from an old Cherokee settlement called Etiwaw.
• Mobile County – This county is named after a Native American tribe. The name might come from the Choctaw word moeli, meaning "to row" or "to paddle."
  • The city of Mobile, Mobile Bay, and the Mobile River all share this name.
• Talladega County – This name comes from the Muscogee phrase italua atigi, meaning "town on the border."
  • The cities of Talladega and Talladega Springs are also named after this.
• Tallapoosa County – This name comes from the Choctaw words tali (rock) and pushi (pulverized or crushed).
  • The Tallapoosa River also shares this name.
• Tuscaloosa County – This name comes from Muskogean words tashka (warrior) and lusa (black). It honors Chief Tuskaloosa, a famous warrior who led a battle against the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1540.
  • The city of Tuscaloosa is also named after him.

Towns and Settlements

Many towns and smaller communities in Alabama have names from Native American languages.

• Attalla – From the Cherokee word otali, meaning "mountain."
• Bogue Chitto – From the Choctaw phrase book chito, meaning "big creek."
• Cahaba – From the Choctaw phrase oka-uba, meaning "water from above."
  • The Cahaba River also shares this name.
• Chickasaw - Named for the Chickasaw tribe.
• Coosada - Named for the Coushatta tribe.
• Cusseta - This was a Muscogee tribal town.
• Eastaboga, Alabama - From Muscogee words meaning "person in water" or "a low place where people live."
• Eufaula - From the Muscogee word yofalv, which was the name of a tribal town.
• Eutaw - Possibly from the Cherokee word Etiwaw, which might mean "long leafed pine tree."
• Loachapoka - From the Muscogee words meaning "where the turtles live or sit."
• Nanafalia - From the Choctaw words nanih (hill) and falaiya (long). So, "long hill."
• Notasulga - From the Muscogee words noti sulgi, meaning "many teeth."
• Oakmulgee - From the Hitchiti word ockmulgee, meaning "bubbling water."
• Opelika - From the Muscogee words opilwa lako, meaning "big swamp."
• Panola - From the Choctaw word ponola or ponoola, meaning "cotton."
• Pintlala - From the Muscogee phrase pithlohalata, meaning "dragging a canoe."
  • Also shared with the nearby Pintlala Creek.
• Sylacauga - From the Muscogee words sule (buzzard) and kake (sitting). So, "buzzard sitting."
• Tallassee - From the Muscogee words talwa hasi, meaning "old town."
• Tibbie - A shorter form of the Choctaw word "oakibbeha," which means "blocks of ice therein."
• Tuscumbia - From the Choctaw words tashka (warrior) and abi (killer). So, "warrior killer."
• Tuskegee – From the Koasati phrase tasquiqui, meaning "warriors."
• Uchee – Named after the Yuchi people, whose name roughly means "sitting at a distance."
  • Also shared with the Uchee Creek.
• Wedowee - A name that might mean "water sumac" in a Muskogean language.
• Wetumpka – From the Muscogee phrase wewau tumcau, meaning "rumbling water."

Rivers and Other Waterways

Many rivers and creeks in Alabama also have names from Native American languages, often describing their features or nearby tribes.

• Buttahatchee River - From the Choctaw words bati (sumac) and hahcha (river). So, "sumac river."
• Chattahoochee River - From the Muskogean words chato (rock) and huchi (marked). So, "marked rock river."
• Chattooga River - This name might come from the Cherokee word jitaaga (chicken) or Muscogee cato (rock).
• Choctawhatchee River - This name combines the Choctaw word hacha (river) with the name of the tribe, meaning "River of the Choctaws."
• Luxapallila Creek - From Choctaw words luksi a balali, meaning "turtles crawl there."
• Noxubee River - From the Choctaw word nakshobi, meaning "to stink."
• Quilby Creek - A creek in Sumter County. Its name is said to mean "creek where the panther was killed" in Choctaw.
• Sea Warrior Creek - A creek in Choctaw County. This name comes from a Choctaw word Isawaya, which means "crouching deer." The name changed over time.
• Sipsey River - From the Choctaw word sipsi, meaning "cottonwood" (a type of tree).
• Sucarnoochee River - Probably from the Choctaw words shokha (hog) and hachcha (stream). So, "hog stream."
• Tombigbee River - From the Choctaw words Itte-ombee-eye ika-abee, meaning "wooden box making river."
• Waxahatchee Creek - From the Muscogee words wakse (a clan name) and hacci (stream). So, "Waxahatchee clan stream."

Mountains and Other Features

Even mountains in Alabama have names from Native American languages.

• Cheaha Mountain - This mountain's name comes from the Choctaw word chaha, meaning "high." It's the highest point in Alabama!

See also

• List of place names in the United States of Native American origin