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 State 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". Oklahoma County Oklahoma City Oklahoma Lake Oklahoma River

Counties

Atoka County Atoka, Oklahoma Atoka Lake Lake Atoka Reservoir Caddo County Caddo, Oklahoma Canadian County Cherokee County – named after the Cherokee people. Cherokee, Oklahoma Cherokee State Park Cherokee Landing State Park Grand Lake o' the Cherokees Choctaw County Choctaw, Oklahoma Comanche County Comanche, Oklahoma Kiowa County Kiowa, Oklahoma Muskogee County Muskogee, Oklahoma 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 Osage, Oklahoma Osage Hills State Park Ottawa County Pawnee County Pontotoc County Pottawatomie County Pushmataha County Seminole County Seminole, Oklahoma Sequoyah County Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge Sequoyah State Park Sequoyah Bay State Park Texas County Tulsa County – Creek language – Derived from tallasi "Old town" City of Tulsa New Tulsa, Oklahoma Washita County

Settlements

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 Lake Eucha Lake Eucha Park Eufaula – Creek language – from the Eufaula tribe, part of the Muscogee Creek Confederacy Eufaula Lake Geronimo, Oklahoma - Apache language - named for an Apache warrior Gotebo – Kiowa language – named for Kiowa Gotebo (Qodebohon) Harjo, Oklahoma Hitchita, Oklahoma Hochatown, Oklahoma Hochatown State Park Honobia, Oklahoma Inola – Cherokee language – "black fox" Kaw City, Oklahoma Kaw Lake Keokuk Falls, Oklahoma Keota – Choctaw language – "the fire gone out" Kinta – Choctaw language – "beaver" Konawa, Oklahoma – Seminole language – "string of beads" Konawa Reservoir Kosoma, Oklahoma Lenapah, Oklahoma Manitou, Oklahoma Maramec, Oklahoma Miami, Oklahoma North 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" Oologah Lake 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 Pushmataha Wildlife Management Area Quapaw, Oklahoma Sapulpa, Oklahoma Sasakwa – Seminole language – "wild goose" Shawnee, Oklahoma Skedee, Oklahoma Skiatook, Oklahoma Skiatook Lake 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 Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge 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 Washita National Wildlife Refuge Washunga, Oklahoma Watonga – Arapaho language – "black coyote" Watova, Oklahoma Waurika, Oklahoma Waurika Lake Waynoka, Oklahoma Weleetka – Creek language – "Running water" Wetumka – Creek language – "Tumbling water" Wewoka – Seminole language – "Barking water" Wichita Mountains Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Wyandotte, Oklahoma Yahola, Oklahoma Lake Yahola (Oklahoma)

Other Apukshunnubbee District—Named after a Choctaw warrior and statesman Chickasaw National Recreation Area Hulah Lake (Oklahoma) Nanih Waiya Lake Neosho River Ouachita Mountains Ouachita National Forest Talimena State Park Talimena Scenic Drive Wah-Sha-She State Park

See also List of place names in the United States of Native American origin

References Citations

Sources

Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. .