List of Michigan placenames of Native American origin facts for kids
Map of Native American populations of the Northwest Territory. Most of Michigan's Native American-derived place names come from the languages spoken in these groups.
Many places in the state of Michigan get their names from the languages of Native American people. This list includes counties, townships, and towns in Michigan that have names from these native languages.
The main Native American languages in Michigan are Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi. These are all different versions of the Algonquin language family. Some other place names in Michigan come from languages like Sauk, Oneida, Wyandot, Abenaki, Shawnee, Mohawk, Seneca, Seminole, Iroquois, and Delaware. Even though some of these tribes don't live in Michigan today, their languages still influenced the names of places.
Contents
Places Named After Native American Words
The State of Michigan
Michigan – This name comes from the Odawa word "mishigami". It means "large water" or "great water," which makes sense because Michigan is surrounded by the Great Lakes.
- Village of Michigan Center
- Lake Michigan
Counties with Native American Names
- Alcona County – Means "the good plain."
- Allegan County – Means "the front" or "the mound builders."
- City of Allegan
- Alpena County – Means "the good partridge country."
- Arenac County – Means "a sandy place for good footing."
- Cheboygan County – From the Ojibwe word "zhaabonigan" meaning "sewing needle" or "chabwegan" meaning "a place of ore."
- City of Cheboygan
- Cheboygan River
- Chippewa County – Named after the Ojibwe tribe.
- Genesee County – From the Seneca word "jenishiyeh" meaning "beautiful valley."
- Gogebic County – From the Native American word "agogibing" meaning "water-mold lake."
- Huron County – Named after the Huron people.
- Iosco County – Means "water light."
- Kalamazoo County – See Etymology of Kalamazoo for more details.
- City of Kalamazoo
- Kalamazoo River
- Keweenaw County – From the Ojibwe word "gakiiwe-wewaning" meaning "portage" (a place where boats are carried over land).
- Leelanau County – Named after a Native American woman in old writings, meaning "delight of life."
- Lenawee County – From the Shawnee word lenawai, meaning "man."
- Mackinac County – From the Odawa word "michilimaciknac" meaning "great turtle," referring to Mackinac Island.
- Manistee County – Originally "ministigweyaa" in Ojibwe, meaning "river with islands at its mouth."
- City of Manistee
- Manistee River
- Mecosta County – Named after Potawatomi chief Mecosta.
- Menominee County – Named after the Menominee people who lived in the area.
- City of Menominee
- Menominee River
- Missaukee County – Named after Chief Nessaukee, which also means "large mouth of the river" in Odawa.
- Muskegon County – Named after the Muskegon River, called "mashkig" by the Ojibwe, meaning "swamp" or "marsh."
- City of Muskegon
- Muskegon River
- Newaygo County – Named either for an Ojibwe leader who signed a treaty or for an Ojibwe word meaning "much water."
- Ogemaw County – From the Ojibwe word "ogimaa" meaning "chief."
- Ontonagon County – From "nantounaging" meaning "my bowl is lost."
- Village of Ontonagon
- Ontonagon River
- Osceola County – Named after Chief Osceola of the Seminole tribe.
- Oscoda County – From the Ojibwa words ossin and muskoda, meaning "prairie of pebbles."
- Otsego County – From a Mohawk word meaning "clear water."
- City of Otsego
- Otsego Lake
- Ottawa County – Named after the Odawa (Ottawa) people who lived in the area.
- Saginaw County – From the Ojibwe word "sagenong" meaning "place of the outlet."
- City of Saginaw
- Saginaw River
- Sanilac County – Named after Chief Sanilac of the Wyandot people.
- Shiawassee County – From the Chippewa word "shia-was-see" meaning "the river straight ahead."
- Tuscola County – A mix of the Chippewa word "desakamigaa" ("flat land") and the Latin word colonia ("colony").
- Washtenaw County – From the Ojibwe word "washtenong" meaning "far away waters."
Other Towns and Settlements
- Ahmeek – Ojibwe word "amik" meaning "beaver."
- Assinins – From the Ojibwe word "asiniinsikaajiigibiig."
- Chesaning – Ojibwe word meaning "big rock place."
- Chikaming – An Indian word "chickaming" meaning "lake."
- Cohoctah – An Indian word meaning "many trees in water."
- Dowagiac – Potawatomi word "dewje'og" meaning "fishing waters."
- Escanaba – Ojibwe word meaning "land of the red buck" or "flat rock."
- Hiawatha – Named after Hiawatha, a famous Native American leader.
- Ishpeming – Ojibwe word "ishpiming" meaning "on air."
- Juniata Township – Iroquois word meaning "standing rock."
- Kawkawlin – Ojibwe word "ogaakaaning" meaning "place of pike fish."
- Kenockee – Ojibwe word meaning "long-legged."
- Mackinaw City – Odawa word "michilimackinac" meaning "land of the great snapping turtle."
- Manistique – Originally "Monistique," an Indian word "onamanitikong" meaning "vermillion" or "yellow thunder," after the color of the Manistique River.
- Meauwataka – Potawatomi word meaning "halfway," because it's halfway between Lake Mitchell and the Manistee River.
- Michigamme – Ojibwe word "mishigamaa" meaning "great water," which is also where the state of Michigan gets its name.
- Munising – Ojibwe word "miinising" meaning "at the island."
- Mohawk – Named after the Mohawk people.
- Nahma – Ojibwe word "name" meaning "sturgeon" (a type of fish).
- Naubinway – From an Ojibwe phrase naabinwe meaning "it echoes."
- Neahtawanta – Odawa word "neahtawauta" meaning "placid waters" (calm waters).
- Negaunee – Ojibwe word "nigani" meaning "pioneer" (someone who settles new land).
- Nottawa – Algonquin word meaning "Iroquois" (another Native American group).
- Nunda – Seneca word meaning "where the valley meets the hill."
- Oceola – Named after Osceola, a Seminole chief.
- Okemos – Ojibwe word "ogimaa" meaning "chief," also the origin of Ogemaw County.
- Omena – Ojibwe expression "o-me-nah" meaning "is that so?"
- Onaway – An Indian word "onawa" meaning "awake."
- Oneida – Named after the Oneida people.
- Onekama – Ojibwe word "onigama" meaning "singing water."
- Onondaga – Named after the Onondaga people.
- Onota – Named after the Oneida people from nearby Wisconsin.
- Ontwa – Named after a Native American maiden who lived in Detroit.
- Oshtemo – Potawatomi word meaning "headwaters" (the source of a river).
- Ossineke – An Indian word "zhingaabewasiniigigaabawaad" meaning "where the image stones stood."
- Owosso – Named after Chief Wasso of the Ojibwe.
- Petoskey – Odawa word "petosega" meaning "where the sun shines through the clouds."
- Pewamo – Named after Chief Pewamo.
- Pinconning – Ojibwe word "opinikaaning" meaning "place of potatoes."
- Pokagon – Named after Chief Pokagon of the Potawatomi.
- Ponshewaing – An Indian word meaning "peaceful waters" or "winter home."
- Pontiac – Named after Chief Pontiac of the Odawa.
- Quinnesec – Ojibwe word "bekweneseg" meaning "smoky."
- Sagola – Comes from the local Indian word for "welcome."
- Sandusky – Wyandot word "saundustee" meaning "water."
- Saranac – Abenaki word "zalônák:tégw" meaning "staghorn sumac cone river."
- Saugatuck – An Indian word "so'hktuk" meaning "river that pours out."
- Sebewa – An Indian word meaning "little creek."
- Sebewaing – Ojibwe word "ziibiiweng" meaning "river place."
- Sebewaing River
- Seneca – Named after the Seneca people.
- Tawas City – Named after Chief O-ta-was.
- Tawas River
- Tecumseh – Named after Chief Tecumseh of the Shawnee.
- Tekonsha – Potawatomi word "tekonsho" meaning "resembling caribou."
- Topinabee – Named after Chief Topinabee of the Potawatomi.
- Tuscarora – Named after the Tuscarora people.
- Unadilla – Iroquois word meaning "meeting place."
- Wabaningo – Named after Wabiwindego of the Grand River Odawa.
- Waucedah – Ojibwe word meaning "talking stream."
- Wawatam – Named after Wawatam, an Odawa chief.
- Weesaw – Named after Chief Weesaw of the Potawatomi.
- Wequetonsing – Odawa word meaning "at the head of the little bay."
- Wyoming – From the Munsee Delaware phrase xwé:wamənk, meaning "at the big river flat."
- Zeba – Ojibwe word "ziibi" meaning "river."
Natural Features with Native American Names
Lakes and Rivers
- Aginaw Lake
- Canada Creek
- Caribou Lake
- Chicago Lake
- Chicagon Lake
- Copneconic Lake
- Gogomain River
- Goguac Lake
- Hugaboom Lake
- Kanause Lake
- Kitch-iti-kipi
- Lake Chemung
- Lake Macatawa
- Lake Manitou
- Lake Michigan
- Lake Minnewauken
- Lake Mitigwaki
- Lake Nepessing
- Lake Ponemah
- Lake Skegemog
- Misteguay Creek
- Mitchigan River
- Munro Lake
- Munuscong Lake
- Munuscong River
- Muskallonge Lake
- Nawakwa Lake
- Peshekee River
- Petobego Pond – Anishinaabe word "bato-biigoo" meaning "sandy point."
- Potagannissing River
- Quanicassee River
- Saganing River
- Sauk River
- Shinanguag Lake
- Shupac Lake
- Siskiwit Lake
- Siskiwit River
- Tacoosh River
- Tahquamenon River
- Tepee Lake
- Tioga River
- Tonawanda Lake
- Wabasis Lake
- Waiska River
- Wegwaas Lake
Islands
- Iyopawa Island
- Katechay Island
- Neebish Island – Ojibwe word "aniibiish" meaning "leaf."
- Mamajuda Island
- Manitou Island
- North Manitou and South Manitou Islands in Lake Michigan
- Naomikong Island
- Ojibway Island
- Squaw Island
- Waugoshance Island
Other Natural Features
- Muscamoot Ridge
See also
- List of place names in the United States of Native American origin
- List of place names in Canada of Indigenous origin
- List of Illinois placenames of Native American origin
- List of Indiana placenames of Native American origin
- List of Minnesota placenames of Native American origin
- List of Ohio placenames of Native American origin
- List of Wisconsin placenames of Native American origin
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List of Michigan placenames of Native American origin Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.