Leopold Wagner - Names - and Their Meaning

The first British settlement in North America was claimed by Sir Walter Raleigh on the 13th of July, 1584, in the name of Queen Elizabeth, and called Virginiain her honour. Marylandwas so denominated by Lord Baltimore (who gave the name of Baltimoreto a neighbouring State), in honour of Henrietta Maria, Queen of Charles I. Pennsylvaniadenotes the colony founded “in the wood” by William Penn, the son of Admiral Penn, in 1681. This is usually alluded to as the Keystone State, from its relative position to the other States. Georgiawas named after George II., in whose reign this state was colonized; and Carolina(North and South) after Carolus II., the Latinized style of Charles II., by whom this state was granted to eight of his favourites. Louisianawas so called by M. de la Sale in the year 1682, in honour of Louis XIV. of France; while Maineand New Orleansreceived the names of existing French provinces. The title of New Hampshirewas given to the state granted to him in 1629 by John Mason, in compliment to his native county in England; New Jerseycomplimented the scene of action whereon Sir George Carterat distinguished himself in the defence of Jersey Island against the Parliamentary forces in 1664; and New York(State) was denominated in honour of James, Duke of York, afterwards James II. [For Michigansee the great lake of the same name.] Indianaderived its name from the great number of Indians found here. Alabamain the native tongue, signifies “Here we rest”; Nebraskameans “water valley”; Ohiois “beautiful”; Massachusetts, “about the great hills”; Wisconsin, “wild rushing channel”; Kansas, “smoky water”; Tennessee, “river of the great bend”; Kentucky, “at the head of a river”; Mississippi, “great and long river”; Missouri, “muddy river”; and Minnesota, “white water.” Arkansasconveys the same meaning as Kansas, with the addition of the French prefix arc , a bow. Illinoisis a compound of the Indian illum , men, and the French suffix oix , a tribe. Oregonreceived its name from the Spanish oregano , wild majoram, which grows in abundance on this portion of the Pacific shore. Texasmeans “the place of protection,” in reference to the fact that a colony of French refugees were afforded protection here by General Lallemont in 1817; Vermontis, more correctly, Verd Mont , so called in testimony to the verdure-clad mountains which traverse this state; Coloradoexpresses the Spanish for “coloured,” alluding to its coloured ranges; while Nevadais Spanish for “snowy,” indicative of the character of its mountain ridges, the Sierra Nevada . Connecticutpresents itself in the native Indian form Quinnitukut , meaning “the country of the long river”; Iowais a French corruption of a Sioux term, signifying “drowsy,” or “the sleepy ones,” applied to the Pahoja, or Gray-snow tribe; Astoriawas founded by John Jacob Astor, of New York, as a fur-trading station in the year 1811; and Delawarereceived its name from Thomas West, Lord de La Warre, Governor of Virginia, who visited the bay in 1610, and died on board his vessel at its mouth.

Lake Superiordenotes the uppermost and chief of the five great lakes of North America. Lake Erieis the Lake of the “Wild Cat,” the name given to a fierce tribe of Indians exterminated by the Iroquois. Lake Huronowes its name to the French word hure , a head of hair; in reference to the Wyandots, whom the French settlers designated Hurons owing to their profusion of hair. Lake Ontariobears the denomination of the Canadian territory already discussed. Niagara, or rather, to give it its full name, Oni-aw-garah , expresses the West Indian for “the thunder of waters.” Lake Michigansignifies in the native tongue “a weir for fish”; and Lake Winnipeg, “lake of the turbid water.” The Great Bear Lakeis indebted for its name to its northern situation [ see Arctic Ocean]; and the Great Salt Lake, to the saline character of its waters.

Having disposed of the different countries, let us now consider the nomenclature of the principal seas and islands.

The Arctic Oceanreceived its name pursuant to the Greek arktos , a bear, on account of the northern constellations of the Great and Little Bear. The Antarctic Oceandenotes the ocean anti , against, or opposite to, the Arctic Ocean. The Atlantic Ocean, known to the Greeks by the name of Atlantikos pelagos , was originally so called from the Isle of Atlantes, which both Plato and Homer imagined to be situated beyond the Straits of Gibraltar. The Pacific Oceanwas so named by Magellan, owing to its calm and pacific character, in striking contrast to his tempestuous passage through the Straits of Magellan, from which he emerged November 27, 1520. The Caribbean Seawashes the territory of the Caribbs, whose name means “cruel men.” The Mediterranean Seaexpresses the Latin ( medius , middle, and terra , earth) for the sea between two continents, viz., Europe and Africa. The Adriatic Seaindicates the Sea of Adrian or Hadrian. The Baltic Seadenotes, in accordance with the Swedish bält , a strait, a sea full of belts, or straits. The North Sea, the German Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Irish Sea, are names indicative of the positions of these respective seas. The White Seais so called from its proximity to sterile regions of snow and ice; the Black Sea, because it abounds with black rocks; the Red Sea, on account of the red soil which forms its bottom; the Green Sea, owing to a strip of green always discernible along the Arabian shore; the Yellow Sea, from the immense quantity of alluvial soil continually poured into it by the Yang-tse-Kiang river; and the Dead Sea, because no fish of any kind has ever been found in its waters. The Caspian Seapreserves the name of the Caspii, a tribe who originally formed a settlement on its shores. The Sea of Marmoraowes its designation to a small island at its western extremity which has long been famous for its marble (Latin marmor ) quarries. The Gulf Streamis a warm current of water that issues from the mouth of the Amazon, immediately under the Equator, and after traversing the coast of South America, the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the coast of the United States, makes its way across the Atlantic directly for the British Isles, raising the temperature of the water through which it passes. The Horse Latitudes, situated between the trade winds and the westerly winds of higher latitudes, and distinguished for tedious calms, received this name because it was in this portion of the Atlantic the old navigators often threw overboard the horses which they had undertaken to transport to the West Indies. The southern banks of the West India Islands, and the water extending for some distance into the Caribbean Sea, were formerly known as the Spanish Main, from the fact that the Spaniards confined their buccaneering enterprises to this locality.