List of Ohio placenames of Native American origin facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Ohio is a state in the United States with a rich history. Many of its place names, like cities, counties, rivers, and even the state itself, come from Native American languages. These names often describe the land, animals, or important events, giving us clues about the people who lived there long ago. Learning about these names helps us understand the history and culture of Ohio's first inhabitants.

Ohio's Native American Names: State, Counties, and Towns
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Ohio's Native American Names: State, Counties, and Towns

Have you ever wondered where the names of places in Ohio come from? Many of them have fascinating origins in the languages of Native American tribes. These names often tell us about the land, its features, or the people who lived there.

The Name of Ohio State

The name Ohio comes from the Seneca language. The Seneca word ohi:yo’ means "beautiful river." This name likely refers to the Ohio River, which forms a large part of Ohio's southern border. It's a fitting name for such an important waterway!

Ohio's Counties and Their Native American Roots

Many of Ohio's counties are named after Native American words or tribes. Each name tells a small story about the area.

Ashtabula County: Where Fish Were Plentiful

Ashtabula County gets its name from the Lenape language. The word ashtepihəle means 'always enough (fish) to go around' or 'to be given away.' It suggests that this area, especially near the Ashtabula River, was a great place for fishing. The city of Ashtabula also shares this name.

Coshocton County: A River Crossing Place

Coshocton County comes from the Unami language, a dialect of Lenape. Koshaxkink means 'where there is a river crossing.' This name probably refers to a place where people would cross a river, perhaps by a 'ferry' or 'river-crossing device.' The city of Coshocton is named after the county.

Cuyahoga County: The Crooked River

Cuyahoga County gets its name from the Mohawk language. The word Cayagaga means 'crooked river.' This perfectly describes the Cuyahoga River, which has many bends and turns.

Erie County

Erie County is named after the Erie tribe, a Native American group.

Geauga County: The Raccoon's River

Geauga County has a name from the Onondaga language (jyo’ä·gak) and Seneca language (jo’ä·ka’). Both mean 'raccoon.' This name originally belonged to the Grand River, suggesting raccoons were common there.

Hocking County

Hocking County is named after the Hocking River. The origin of the river's name is not fully clear, but it is believed to be of Native American origin.

Licking County

Licking County is named after the Licking River. The name is thought to come from "salt licks," places where animals would gather to lick salt from the ground.

Mahoning County

Mahoning County gets its name from the Mahoning River. The name is from the Lenape language, possibly meaning "upon here is a deer lick" or "there is the path."

Miami County

Miami County is named after the Miami people, a Native American tribe. The Great Miami River also shares this name.

Muskingum County: Swampy Ground

Muskingum County comes from the Shawnee language. Mshkikwam means 'swampy ground' (mshkikwi- means 'swamp' and -am means 'earth'). This name describes the land near the Muskingum River.

Ottawa County

Ottawa County is named after the Ottawa people, a Native American tribe.

Pickaway County

Pickaway County is named after the Pekowi, one of the subtribes of the Shawnee people.

Sandusky County: Cold Water

Sandusky County comes from the Wyandot language. Saandusti means 'water (within water-pools)' or andusti means 'cold water.' This name is also used for the city of Sandusky, Sandusky Bay, and the Sandusky River.

Scioto County: Deer River

Scioto County is from the Wyandot language. Skɛnǫ·tǫ’ means 'deer.' The Scioto River is also named after this word, similar to how the Shenandoah Valley got its name.

Seneca County

Seneca County is named after the Seneca people, a Native American tribe. Senecaville also shares this name.

Tuscarawas County

Tuscarawas County is named after the Iroquoian Tuscarora people. They once had a settlement along the Tuscarawas River. The town of Tuscarawas is also named after them.

Wyandot County

Wyandot County is named after the Wyandot people, a Native American tribe.

Towns and Cities with Native American Names

Many towns and cities in Ohio also have names that come from Native American languages or tribes.

Catawba Island

Catawba Island is named after the Catawba, a Siouan-speaking tribe from North Carolina.

Chickasaw

Chickasaw is named after the Chickasaw tribe from Kentucky and Tennessee.

Chillicothe

Chillicothe comes from the Shawnee word Chalakatha, which was the name of one of the Shawnee bands.

Chippewa Lake

Chippewa Lake is named after the Chippewa (Ojibwe) tribe.

Choctaw Lake

Choctaw Lake is named after the Choctaw tribe from Mississippi.

Conneaut

Conneaut is a name of Native American origin, likely from an Iroquoian language, meaning "place of the snow snakes."

Guyan

Guyan is a shortened form of the French name for the Guyandotte, an Iroquoian tribe from West Virginia.

Metamora

Metamora comes from a play about a Native American from the Wampanoag people of New England.

Mingo Junction

Mingo Junction is named after the Mingo, a common nickname for the Ohio Seneca people.

Mississinawa

Mississinawa is a Miami word, meaning "it lies on a slope," referring to a river tributary.

Montezuma

Montezuma is named after Moctezuma II, the last emperor of the Aztec Empire.

Nimishillen

Nimishillen is a Lenape word, possibly meaning "Waters of the Black Alder."

Ontario

Ontario is named after Lake Ontario. The word comes from a Huron word meaning "Lake."

Pataskala

Pataskala is a Lenape word, though its exact meaning is unknown.

Piqua

Piqua comes from Pekowi, the name of one of the five divisions of the Shawnee tribe.

Pusheta

Pusheta is named after a local Shawnee Chief. Pusheta Creek also shares this name.

Powhatan Point

Powhatan Point is named after the Algonquian tribe from Virginia.

Shawnee

Shawnee is directly named after the Shawnee people. There are also Shawnee Hills in Greene County and Shawnee Hills in Delaware County.

Texas

Texas is named after the state of Texas, which gets its name from taysha in a Caddoan Native American language, meaning "friend."

Tontogany

Tontogany is named after a local Chief, likely of Wyandot origin.

Tymochtee

Tymochtee is a Wyandot word, reportedly meaning 'stream around the plains.'

Wabash

Wabash is named after a tribe from Indiana. The Wabash River is also named after them.

Wapakoneta

Wapakoneta comes from the Shawnee language. Wa·po’kanite means 'Place of White Bones' (wa·pa 'white' + (h)o’kani 'bone' + -ite locative suffix).

Wauseon

Wauseon is named after a Chief among the Potawatomi, from the Odawa language.

Rivers and Lakes with Native American Names

Ohio's landscape is filled with rivers and lakes whose names reflect the languages of the Native American tribes who lived along their banks.

Kinnikinnick Creek

Kinnikinnick Creek has an Algonquian origin. The word refers to a personal smoking tobacco mix, or any plant mixed with tobacco for flavor or medicine. It can also refer to a specific plant like Bearberry.

Kokosing River

Kokosing River is from the Lenape language. Gokhos + -ing generally translates to "Owl, here," suggesting owls were common in the area.

Lake Erie

Lake Erie is named after the Erie tribe.

Lake Mohawk

Lake Mohawk is named after the Mohawk tribe, part of the Iroquois Confederacy.

Mahoning River

Mahoning River is from the Lenape language. It might mean "Upon here is a deer lick" or "There is the path." The Mahoning Valley is also named after it.

Maumee River

Maumee River is a nickname or spelling variant for the Miami people.

Mohican River

Mohican River is named after the Mohican tribe, an Algonquian tribe from New York closely related to the Lenape.

Olentangy River

Olentangy River is from the Lenape language. It is said to mean "river of red paint."

Pymatuning Lake

Pymatuning Lake is a Lenape word, possibly a variation of "Pemuteneyig." A likely translation could be, "Upon this place, Towns are near."

Shenango River

Shenango River is from the Seneca language. It might come from gesho:ne:gwa:h, which means something like "It's right behind me."

Walhonding River

Walhonding River is from the Lenape language, but its exact meaning is unknown.