Native American Town Name Generator
Real town names from Indigenous languages
Browse 1,000 real place names of the United States and Canada that come from Indigenous languages, from cities like Chattanooga, Kalamazoo and Saskatoon to small towns like Snoqualmie and Wetumpka and historical villages like Cahokia. Real places only, with no invented or blended names.
About native american town names
Thousands of towns and cities in the United States and Canada carry names that come from Indigenous languages. Some were the names of villages on the same ground, some name a river, a landmark or a people, and many were respelled by English, French, Dutch or Spanish speakers on their way to the map. Every name here belongs to a real place tied to living nations.
The list was built region by region and then shuffled: Algonquian names from New England, Long Island and the mid-Atlantic (Natick, Massapequa, Hackensack), Iroquoian names from New York and Ontario (Canandaigua, Toronto), the Great Lakes (Milwaukee, Escanaba), the Muskogean South (Tallahassee, Tuskegee), the Plains and Oklahoma (Omaha, Tahlequah), the Southwest (Tucson, Chinle), the Northwest and California (Puyallup, Temecula), Alaska and Canada (Ketchikan, Iqaluit, Nanaimo), plus historical villages such as Cahokia and Hochelaga.
Meanings are left out of the list because many are disputed. Where one is well established it is worth knowing: Tucson comes from the O'odham name Cuk Ṣon, 'at the base of the black hill', and Saskatoon from the Cree word for the saskatoon berry. In Canada the names come from First Nations and Inuit languages. Some communities, such as Kinngait in Nunavut and Utqiagvik in Alaska, have officially returned to their own names.
How to choose native american town names
- Match the name to the map: Algonquian names such as Cohasset and Mattituck belong on the Atlantic coast, Muskogean names such as Wetumpka in the Southeast, and Salish names such as Sammamish around Puget Sound.
- Use the real town when your story is set in a real region. Blending syllables from several names gives you a word from no language at all.
- Learn the pronunciation before a name goes into dialogue: Puyallup, Sequim and Natchitoches are not said the way they are spelled.
- For spelling, meaning and history, go to the nation whose language the name comes from. Tribal and First Nations cultural departments are a better source than a quick web answer.
- For a historical setting, look at village names such as Werowocomoco and Stadacona, and read up on the people who lived there before you write the scene.
Frequently asked questions
Are these real places?
Yes. The 1,000 entries are drawn from real places in the United States and Canada: cities such as Chattanooga and Saskatoon, small towns and villages, a few neighborhoods and ghost towns, and historical village sites such as Cahokia. No name was made up or stitched together from parts of other names.
Why does the list not give a meaning for each name?
Many popular meanings are guesses, and sources disagree even about names as familiar as Milwaukee. A few are well established: Chicago is generally traced to a Miami-Illinois word for a wild leek. For the rest, the honest wording is 'commonly said to mean', so look up the nation's own account before you repeat a meaning.
Can I use one of these names for a fictional town?
A real name brings a real place and a real people with it, so it works best in a story set in that region. For an invented world, treat the list as a study of how such place names look on a map, and do not attach a real nation's place name to a made-up culture.
Why are names like Idaho not in the list?
Some names that sound Indigenous were coined by settlers. Idaho is widely regarded as an invented word, and Henry Schoolcraft coined several Michigan county names, such as Alcona and Oscoda, by joining clipped syllables, some Ojibwe and some from Arabic or Latin. The list aims to leave such coinages out, along with place names that carry a slur. If the origin of a name matters to your project, confirm it yourself.
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All 1,000 native american town names
A: 52 names
- Abiquiu
- Absarokee
- Absecon
- Accokeek
- Acushnet
- Adak
- Afognak
- Aguanga
- Ahousat
- Ahwahnee
- Akiak
- Aklavik
- Akutan
- Akwesasne
- Alachua
- Alakanuk
- Alatna
- Algonquin
- Aliquippa
- Allamuchy
- Amagansett
- Amisk
- Anadarko
- Anahim Lake
- Anamosa
- Angoon
- Aniak
- Anoka
- Antigonish
- Anvik
- Apalachicola
- Apohaqui
- Appomattox
- Aquascogoc
- Aquinnah
- Arcata
- Arikaree
- Arimo
- Arviat
- Ashtabula
- Asotin
- Assiniboia
- Assonet
- Athabasca
- Atlin
- Atoka
- Atqasuk
- Attapulgus
- Attawapiskat
- Attawaugan
- Autaugaville
- Awatovi
B: 13 names
- Bacavi
- Baddeck
- Bedeque
- Bella Coola
- Bemidji
- Bena
- Biloxi
- Bithlo
- Bobcaygeon
- Bogalusa
- Bogue Chitto
- Bokchito
- Bylas
C: 99 names
- Cahaba
- Cahiague
- Cahokia
- Camanche
- Canadice
- Canajoharie
- Canandaigua
- Canarsie
- Caneadea
- Capay
- Caraquet
- Cassadaga
- Catahoula
- Cataloochee
- Cataula
- Cataumet
- Catoosa
- Causapscal
- Chacahoula
- Chamcook
- Champoeg
- Chappaqua
- Chappaquiddick
- Chaska
- Chassahowitzka
- Chatanika
- Chattanooga
- Chautauqua
- Cheam
- Chebanse
- Cheboygan
- Cheektowaga
- Chefornak
- Chehalis
- Chehaw
- Chemainus
- Chenega
- Cheraw
- Chesapeake City
- Chesuncook
- Chewelah
- Cheyenne
- Chicago
- Chickaloon
- Chickamauga
- Chickasha
- Chicopee
- Chicoutimi
- Chignik
C, continued
- Chilchinbito
- Chillicothe
- Chilliwack
- Chiloquin
- Chincoteague
- Chinle
- Chippawa
- Chippewa Lake
- Chitina
- Choccolocco
- Chocorua
- Chowchilla
- Chugiak
- Chuichu
- Chumuckla
- Chunchula
- Cinnaminson
- Citico
- Clackamas
- Claquato
- Clatskanie
- Clayoquot
- Cle Elum
- Coaticook
- Cochiti
- Cofitachequi
- Cohasset
- Cohocton
- Cokato
- Comanche
- Commack
- Comox
- Conemaugh
- Conewango
- Conneautville
- Connoquenessing
- Conshohocken
- Coquitlam
- Coshocton
- Cotati
- Cowee
- Coweta
- Coxsackie
- Croatoan
- Culleoka
- Cullowhee
- Cutchogue
- Cuyama
- Cuyamaca
- Cuyamungue
D: 5 names
- Dahlonega
- Dakota
- Damariscotta
- Deline
- Dilkon
E: 21 names
- Eastabuchie
- Egegik
- Ellijay
- Entiat
- Enumclaw
- Erie
- Escanaba
- Escatawpa
- Eskippakithiki
- Esopus
- Esquimalt
- Essipit
- Ethete
- Etobicoke
- Etowah
- Etzanoa
- Etzikom
- Eufaula
- Euharlee
- Eyak
- Eyota
F: 1 name
- Fort Washakie
G: 6 names
- Gananoque
- Geneseo
- Gitanyow
- Gu Vo
- Gualala
- Gulkana
H: 24 names
- Hackensack
- Hagwilget
- Hassanamesit
- Hatchechubbee
- Hatteras
- Hauppauge
- Hiawassee
- Higganum
- Hilibi
- Hiouchi
- Hochelaga
- Hockanum
- Hokah
- Hokendauqua
- Holopaw
- Homosassa
- Hoosick Falls
- Hopatcong
- Houma
- Housatonic
- Howkan
- Humptulips
- Huslia
- Hyannis
I: 13 names
- Ibapah
- Igiugig
- Igloolik
- Ilwaco
- Immokalee
- Inola
- Inuvik
- Iqaluit
- Isanti
- Ishpeming
- Issaquah
- Iuka
- Ivujivik
J: 5 names
- Jamacha
- Jamul
- Jarbidge
- Jemez Springs
- Jemseg
K: 86 names
- Kahlotus
- Kahnawake
- Kahoka
- Kakabeka Falls
- Kaktovik
- Kalamazoo
- Kalispell
- Kaltag
- Kamiah
- Kamloops
- Kamouraska
- Kanadesaga
- Kananaskis
- Kanaranzi
- Kanarraville
- Kanata
- Kanawha Falls
- Kandiyohi
- Kanesatake
- Kangiqsujuaq
- Kangirsuk
- Kankakee
- Kanosh
- Kansas City
- Kapuskasing
- Karluk
- Kasaan
- Kasabonika
- Katepwa Beach
- Kaukauna
- Kawartha Lakes
- Kawawachikamach
- Kawkawlin
- Kayenta
- Kazabazua
- Keatchie
- Kecoughtan
- Kedgwick
- Keewatin
- Kelowna
- Kenai
- Kennebunkport
- Kennesaw
K, continued
- Kennewick
- Kenosha
- Keokuk
- Keosauqua
- Keremeos
- Kerhonkson
- Ketchikan
- Kewadin
- Kewanee
- Kiana
- Kiawah Island
- Kinistino
- Kinngait
- Kinta
- Kipawa
- Kissimmee
- Kitkatla
- Kitselas
- Kittanning
- Kituwah
- Kitwanga
- Kivalina
- Klamath Falls
- Klemtu
- Klukwan
- Knik
- Kobuk
- Kodiak
- Kohatk
- Kokomo
- Koliganek
- Komatke
- Koostatak
- Kootenay Bay
- Koshkonong
- Kotlik
- Kouchibouguac
- Kowaliga
- Kuskuski
- Kuujjuaq
- Kuujjuarapik
- Kwethluk
- Kwigillingok
L: 12 names
- Lackawaxen
- Lake Santeetlah
- Lake Toxaway
- Leshara
- Letohatchee
- Lilliwaup
- Lillooet
- Listuguj
- Lochloosa
- Lompoc
- Lopatcong
- Lummi Island
M: 109 names
- M'Chigeeng
- Mabila
- Machias
- Machipongo
- Mackinac Island
- Mactaquac
- Macungie
- Mahnomen
- Mahopac
- Mahtomedi
- Makinak
- Malahat
- Malibu
- Maliotenam
- Malpeque
- Mamakating
- Mamaroneck
- Manalapan
- Manasquan
- Manatawny
- Manawan
- Manayunk
- Mandan
- Manhattan
- Manistique
- Manitowaning
- Manitowoc
- Mankato
- Manokotak
- Manteno
- Manteo
- Mashpee
- Mashteuiatsh
- Massapequa
- Masset
- Mastic
- Matachewan
- Matagami
- Matane
- Mattawa
- Mattawoman
- Mattituck
- Matunuck
- Maxatawny
- Mazomanie
- Mecosta
- Medomak
- Meherrin
- Membertou
- Memramcook
- Menominee
- Menomonee Falls
- Menomonie
- Mentasta Lake
M, continued
- Merigomish
- Merrick
- Meshoppen
- Methow
- Metolius
- Metuchen
- Miami
- Miamitown
- Mianus
- Micco
- Miccosukee
- Michilimackinac
- Millinocket
- Milwaukee
- Mimico
- Miminegash
- Minaki
- Minatare
- Mindemoya
- Mingo Junction
- Miniota
- Minneiska
- Minnewaukan
- Minocqua
- Miramichi
- Mishawaka
- Mishawum
- Mishongnovi
- Missanabie
- Mississauga
- Missoula
- Mistatim
- Moapa
- Moclips
- Mohegan
- Moingona
- Mokelumne Hill
- Molalla
- Mongaup Valley
- Mongo
- Mono City
- Montauk
- Mosinee
- Moweaqua
- Mukilteo
- Muncie
- Muncy
- Munising
- Muscatine
- Muskego
- Muskegon
- Muskogee
- Musqueam
- Myakka City
- Mystic
N: 77 names
- Naches
- Nacogdoches
- Nageezi
- Nakaibito
- Nakina
- Naknek
- Nakusp
- Nambe
- Namekagon
- Nanaimo
- Nantahala
- Nantasket
- Nanticoke
- Nantucket
- Nanuet
- Napa
- Napaimute
- Napakiak
- Nappanee
- Narragansett
- Naselle
- Nashua
- Nashwaaksis
- Nassagaweya
- Nassawadox
- Natchez
- Natchitoches
- Natick
- Naugatuck
- Naujaat
- Naumkeag
- Nauset
- Nazlini
- Necanicum
- Necedah
- Neenah
- Nehawka
- Nemaiah Valley
N, continued
- Nemaska
- Nemasket
- Neopit
- Neosho
- Neotsu
- Neponset
- Nesconset
- Neshanic
- Neshoba
- Nesika Beach
- Neskowin
- Nespelem
- Nesquehoning
- Netarts
- Netawaka
- New Aiyansh
- Newaukum
- Newtok
- Niagara Falls
- Niangua
- Nightmute
- Nipigon
- Nipissing
- Nisswa
- Nittany
- Niwot
- Noank
- Nocona
- Nodaway
- Nondalton
- Nonotuck
- Noorvik
- Noroton
- Norwalk
- Notasulga
- Nowata
- Noyo
- Nulato
- Nyack
O: 59 names
- Oacoma
- Ocala
- Ocheyedan
- Ocklawaha
- Ocmulgee
- Oconee
- Oconomowoc
- Ocqueoc
- Odanah
- Odanak
- Ogallala
- Ogema
- Ogunquit
- Ohkay Owingeh
- Ojai
- Okanagan Falls
- Okauchee
- Okeechobee
- Okemah
- Okemos
- Oklahoma City
- Okmulgee
- Oktaha
- Olamon
- Olompali
- Omaha
- Omak
- Onancock
- Oneonta
- Onondaga
- Oologah
- Oostanaula
- Opa-locka
- Opelika
- Opelousas
- Opitciwan
- Oquawka
- Oquossoc
- Oraibi
- Oriskany
- Osage
- Osceola
- Oshawa
- Oshkosh
- Oskaloosa
- Ossineke
- Ossining
- Ossossane
- Oswego
- Otsego
- Otsiningo
- Ottawa
- Ottumwa
- Ouiatenon
- Ouray
- Owasco
- Owatonna
- Ozawkie
- Ozette
P: 69 names
- Packwaukee
- Pacoima
- Paducah
- Pagosa Springs
- Pahokee
- Pahrump
- Pala
- Pamunkey
- Panola
- Paramus
- Parowan
- Parsippany
- Pascagoula
- Pascoag
- Paspebiac
- Passadumkeag
- Passaic
- Patchogue
- Patuxent
- Pawhuska
- Pawtucket
- Pawtuxet
- Peawanuck
- Pechanga
- Pecwan
- Pelahatchie
- Penacook
- Penetanguishene
- Penobscot
- Pensacola
- Peoria
- Pequabuck
- Pequannock
- Pequea
P, continued
- Pequot Lakes
- Perkiomenville
- Peshawbestown
- Pesotum
- Petaluma
- Petoskey
- Pewamo
- Pima
- Pinawa
- Pinconning
- Piqua
- Piru
- Pocatello
- Pocola
- Pocologan
- Pocono Pines
- Pocotaligo
- Pompanoosuc
- Ponca
- Ponchatoula
- Ponoka
- Pontiac
- Pontotoc
- Poquetanuck
- Port Hueneme
- Potlotek
- Potomac
- Poughkeepsie
- Poway
- Powhattan
- Punxsutawney
- Puvirnituq
- Puyallup
- Pyquag
- Pysht
Q: 13 names
- Qikiqtarjuaq
- Quanicassee
- Quantico
- Quebec City
- Quechee
- Quenemo
- Quijotoa
- Quilcene
- Quinault
- Quinebaug
- Quinnipiac
- Quispamsis
- Quonochontaug
R: 7 names
- Rahway
- Ramapo
- Requa
- Richibucto
- Rimouski
- Roanoke
- Ronkonkoma
S: 106 names
- Saanich
- Saco
- Sagaponack
- Saginaw
- Saguenay
- Salacoa
- Sammamish
- Sandusky
- Santee
- Santuit
- Sapelo Island
- Sapulpa
- Saratoga Springs
- Sasakwa
- Saskatoon
- Satanta
- Satsop
- Satus
- Saugeen Shores
- Saugus
- Sauk Village
- Saukenuk
- Saxapahaw
- Schenectady
- Schoharie
- Sciotoville
- Scituate
- Seattle
- Sebago
- Sebasco
- Seboeis
- Secaucus
- Sechelt
- Secotan
- Sekiu
- Senatobia
- Sequatchie
- Sequim
- Sequoyah
- Setauket
- Sewickley
- Shakopee
- Shaktoolik
- Shamokin
- Shannock
- Shawanaga
- Shawano
- Shawinigan
- Shawnee
- Sheboygan
- Shekomeko
- Sheshatshiu
- Shohola
S, continued
- Shonto
- Shubenacadie
- Shungopavi
- Shuqualak
- Sicamous
- Sichomovi
- Sikyatki
- Simi Valley
- Simnasho
- Sinnemahoning
- Sioux City
- Sioux Falls
- Sisquoc
- Sisseton
- Sitka
- Skagway
- Skamokawa
- Skaneateles
- Skedans
- Skiatook
- Skokie
- Skowhegan
- Skwentna
- Snohomish
- Snoqualmie
- Somis
- Somonauk
- Sonoita
- Sonoma
- Sopchoppy
- Soquel
- Sowams
- Speonk
- Spokane
- Squakheag
- Squamish
- Stadacona
- Stehekin
- Steilacoom
- Steinhatchee
- Stewiacke
- Suamico
- Succasunna
- Suisun City
- Sumas
- Sunapee
- Suncook
- Supai
- Suquamish
- Swampscott
- Swannanoa
- Sylacauga
- Syuxtun
T: 104 names
- Tabernash
- Tabusintac
- Tachie
- Tacoma
- Tacony
- Tagish
- Tahlequah
- Tahoe City
- Takilma
- Takotna
- Talihina
- Talkeetna
- Talladega
- Tallahassee
- Tallapoosa
- Tallulah
- Taloyoak
- Tamaroa
- Tamassee
- Tampa
- Tanana
- Tanasi
- Tangipahoa
- Taos
- Tappahannock
- Tappan
- Tasiujaq
- Tatamagouche
- Taycheedah
- Tazlina
- Teaticket
- Teec Nos Pos
- Tehuacana
- Tekonsha
- Temecula
- Tenakee Springs
- Tendoy
- Tequesta
- Tesuque
- Tetlin
- The Pas
- Thonotosassa
- Ticonderoga
- Tidioute
- Tillamook
- Tinicum
- Tionesta
- Tionontoguen
- Tippecanoe
- Tishomingo
- Toadlena
- Toccoa
T, continued
- Tocobaga
- Togiak
- Tohatchi
- Tokeland
- Tonasket
- Tonawanda
- Tonganoxie
- Tonkawa
- Tonopah
- Tontogany
- Topanga
- Topawa
- Topeka
- Topock
- Toppenish
- Toronto
- Totowa
- Tougaloo
- Toutle
- Towamencin
- Towanda
- Tracadie
- Truckee
- Tsaile
- Tsiigehtchic
- Tuba City
- Tuckabatchee
- Tuckahoe
- Tuckasegee
- Tucson
- Tucumcari
- Tuktoyaktuk
- Tullahassee
- Tullahoma
- Tulsa
- Tuluksak
- Tumacacori
- Tumtum
- Tunica
- Tunkhannock
- Tuntutuliak
- Tununak
- Tupelo
- Tusayan
- Tuscaloosa
- Tuscarora
- Tuscumbia
- Tuskegee
- Tyendinaga
- Tygh Valley
- Tyhee
- Tyuonyi
U: 8 names
- Ulukhaktok
- Umiujaq
- Umpqua
- Unadilla
- Unamen Shipu
- Unicoi
- Utqiagvik
- Utsalady
V: 1 name
- Vaiva Vo
W: 92 names
- Wabamun
- Wabash
- Wabasha
- Wabush
- Waco
- Waconia
- Wadena
- Wadmalaw Island
- Wahnapitae
- Wahta
- Wahtoke
- Wakarusa
- Wakatomika
- Wakaw
- Wakenda
- Wakpala
- Walla Walla
- Wallowa
- Wamego
- Wampee
- Wanblee
- Wanchese
- Wando
- Wanipigow
- Wanship
- Wantagh
- Wapakoneta
- Wapanucka
- Waquoit
- Wasaga Beach
- Washago
- Washoe City
- Washougal
- Waskesiu Lake
- Waswanipi
- Wateree
- Watonga
- Watseka
- Waubay
- Waubun
- Waukegan
- Waukesha
- Waukon
- Waunakee
- Waupun
- Wauregan
W, continued
- Wausau
- Wauseon
- Wauwatosa
- Wauwinet
- Wawa
- Waxahachie
- Waxhaw
- Wayzata
- Wedowee
- Weehawken
- Weippe
- Weitchpec
- Wekusko
- Wekweeti
- Wemindji
- Wenatchee
- Weott
- Wequetonsing
- Werowocomoco
- Wetaskiwin
- Wetumpka
- Wewahitchka
- Wewoka
- Whati
- Whycocomagh
- Wianno
- Wichita
- Wicomico
- Willacoochee
- Willimantic
- Winamac
- Winneconne
- Winnemucca
- Winnipeg
- Winnipegosis
- Winnisquam
- Winona
- Winooski
- Wiscasset
- Wishram
- Wissahickon
- Wolinak
- Woonsocket
- Woronoco
- Wyaconda
- Wytopitlock
Y: 16 names
- Yaanga
- Yachats
- Yadkinville
- Yakima
- Yakutat
- Yalaha
- Yamaska
- Yamhill
- Yankton
- Yanush
- Yazoo City
- Yemassee
- Yoncalla
- Yreka
- Yucaipa
- Yuma