List of Oklahoma placenames of Native American origin
This is a list of Native American place names in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Oklahoma has a long history of Native American settlement and reservations. From 1834 to 1907, prior to Oklahoma's statehood, the territory was set aside by the US government and designated as Indian Territory, and today 6% of the population identifies as Native American. Many of the Indians who were forced to migrate during the Trail of Tears were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma.
Lists
[edit]State
[edit]- Oklahoma – invented by Chief Allen Wright as a rough translation of "Indian Territory"; in Choctaw, okla means "people", "tribe", or "nation", and homa- means "red", thus: "Red people".[1][2]
Counties
[edit]- Atoka County[3]
- Caddo County
- Canadian County
- Cherokee County – named after the Cherokee people.
- Choctaw County
- Comanche County
- Kiowa County
- Muskogee County
- Nowata County – Lenape – Derived from nuwita "Welcome"
- City of Nowata
- Okfuskee County
- Okmulgee County – Creek language – "Boiling waters"
- City of Okmulgee
- Okmulgee Lake
- Okmulgee State Park
- Osage County
- Ottawa County
- Pawnee County
- Pontotoc County
- Pottawatomie County
- Pushmataha County
- Seminole County
- Sequoyah County
- Texas County
- Tulsa County – Creek language – Derived from tallasi "Old town"
- City of Tulsa
- New Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Washita County
Settlements
[edit]- Agawam, Oklahoma
- Ahpeatone, Oklahoma
- Anadarko – Caddo language – Derived from Nadá-kuh, means "bumblebee place."
- Apache, Oklahoma
- Arapaho, Oklahoma
- Bokchito – Choctaw language – "Big creek"
- Bokoshe – Choctaw language – "little creek"
- Camargo – Cheyenne language – "little dog"
- Catoosa – Cherokee language – phonetically pronounced "Ga-du-si" or "Ga-tu-si". Various interpretations of this word exist, including: "between two hills", "on the hill", "into the hills", and possibly signifying a prominent hill or place thereon.
- Cayuga, Oklahoma
- Chattanooga, Oklahoma
- Checotah, Oklahoma
- Cheyenne, Oklahoma
- Chickasha – Choctaw language – Chickasaw Indian tribe
- Chilocco, Oklahoma
- Coweta, Oklahoma
- Etowah, Oklahoma
- Eucha – Cherokee language – named for Principal Chief Oochalata
- Eufaula – Creek language – from the Eufaula tribe, part of the Muscogee Creek Confederacy
- Gotebo – Kiowa language – named for Kiowa Gotebo (Qodebohon)
- Harjo, Oklahoma
- Hitchita, Oklahoma
- Hochatown, Oklahoma
- Honobia, Oklahoma
- Inola – Cherokee language – "black fox"
- Kaw City, Oklahoma
- Keokuk Falls, Oklahoma
- Keota – Choctaw language – "the fire gone out"
- Kinta – Choctaw language – "beaver"
- Konawa, Oklahoma – Seminole language – "string of beads"
- Kosoma, Oklahoma
- Lenapah, Oklahoma
- Manitou, Oklahoma
- Maramec, Oklahoma
- Miami, Oklahoma
- Minco, Oklahoma
- Nashoba, Oklahoma
- Neodesha – Osage language – Derived from ni-o-sho-de "The water is smoky with mud"
- Nescatunga, Oklahoma
- New Alluwe, Oklahoma
- Ninnekah, Oklahoma
- Nuyaka, Oklahoma – Creek language – Derived from "New York"
- Oochelata – Cherokee language – named for Principal Chief Oochalata
- Okemah – Kickapoo language – "Things up high"
- Okesa, Oklahoma
- Oktaha, Oklahoma
- Olustee – Creek language – "black water"
- Oologah – Cherokee language – "Dark Cloud"
- Owasso – Osage language – "End of the trail" or "turnaround"
- Pawhuska – Osage language – "White hair"
- Pawnee, Oklahoma
- Pensacola, Oklahoma
- Peoria, Oklahoma
- Pocasset, Oklahoma
- Pocola – Choctaw language – "ten"
- Ponca City, Oklahoma
- Pontotoc, Oklahoma
- Quapaw, Oklahoma
- Sapulpa, Oklahoma
- Sasakwa – Seminole language – "wild goose"
- Shawnee, Oklahoma
- Skedee, Oklahoma
- Skiatook, Oklahoma
- Skullyville – Choctaw language – derivation from iskuli – "money"
- Tahlequah – Cherokee language – "Open place where the grass grows"
- Talala, Oklahoma
- Talihina – Choctaw language – "iron road" (railroad)
- Tamaha – Choctaw language – "town"
- Taloga – Creek language – "beautiful valley" or "rocking water"
- Tamaha, Oklahoma
- Tecumseh, Oklahoma
- Tishomingo, Oklahoma
- Tonkawa, Oklahoma
- Tullahassee, Oklahoma
- Tupelo, Oklahoma
- Tushka – Choctaw language – "warrior"
- Tuskahoma – Choctaw language – "red warrior"
- Wakita, Oklahoma
- Wapanucka – Lenape language – "Eastern land people"
- Washita, Oklahoma
- Washunga, Oklahoma
- Watonga – Arapaho language – "black coyote"
- Watova, Oklahoma
- Waurika, Oklahoma
- Waynoka, Oklahoma
- Weleetka – Creek language – "Running water"
- Wetumka – Creek language – "Tumbling water"
- Wewoka – Seminole language – "Barking water"
- Wichita Mountains
- Wyandotte, Oklahoma
- Yahola, Oklahoma
Other
[edit]- Apukshunnubbee District—Named after a Choctaw warrior and statesman[citation needed]
- Chickasaw National Recreation Area
- Hulah Lake (Oklahoma)
- Nanih Waiyah Lake
- Neosho River
- Ouachita Mountains
- Talimena State Park
- Wah-Sha-She State Park
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ Campbell (1997), p. 11.
- ^ Bruce, Benjamin (2003). "Halito Okla Homma! (Chahta Anumpa – Choctaw Language)". Hello Oklahoma!. Archived from the original on 2007-03-16. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
- ^ a b Milligan, James C. "Atoka County". The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society.
Sources
[edit]- Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 080613576X.
- Campbell, Lyle (1997). American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195094271.