US Place Names ~ Blair County, Pennsylvania to Breese, Illinois

Blair; county in Pennsylvania, named for John Blair.

Blair; city in Washington County, Nebraska;

Blairstown; town in Benton County, Iowa;

Blairstown; towns in Henry County, Missouri, and Warren County, New Jersey. Named for John I. Blair, of New Jersey.

Blairsville; borough and town in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, named for John Blair, a prominent resident of Blairs Gap.

Blakely; town in Early County, (Georgia, named for Captain Blakely, naval officer.

Blakiston; island in the Potomac River, named for Nehemiah Blakiston, collector of customs.

Blalock; village in Gilliam County, Oregon, named for Dr. Blalock, an early settler.

Blanca; peak in the Sierra Blanca, Colorado, so named from the white rocks on its summit.

Blanchard; town in Piscataquis County, Maine, named for one of the early proprietors, Charles Blanchard.

Blanco; cape on the coast of Oregon, discovered by Martin de Aguilar, the Spanish explorer, who named it. A Spanish word meaning "white."

Blanco; county in Texas, named from the Rio Blanco, "white river."

Bland; county in Virginia, said to have been named for Richard Bland, of Revolutionary fame.

Blandford; town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, named for the Duke of Marl-borough, whose second title was Marquis of Blandford.

Blandinsville; township and village in McDonough County, Illinois, named for Joseph L. Blandin, first settler and owner of the land.

Blandville; town in Ballard County, Kentucky, named for Capt. Bland Ballard.

Bledsoe; county in Tennessee, named for Jesse Bledsoe, United States Senator.

Bleecker; village in Fulton County, New York, named for Rutger Bleecker, an early patentee.

Blennerhassett; island in the Ohio River, named for Herman Blennerhassett, who was accused of complicity with Aaron Burr.

Blissfield; village in Lenawee County, Michigan, named for Henry Bliss, an early settler, upon whose homestead the village is built.

Block; island off the coast of Rhode Island, named for Adrien Block, the Dutch discoverer.

Blocksburg; town in Humboldt County, California, named for Ben Blockburger, the founder.

Bloods; village in Steuben County, New York, named for Calvin Blood.

Bloomer; village in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, named probably for a Galena merchant.

Bloomfield; city in Stoddard County, Missouri, named from the field of flowers which grew there when the place was founded.

Bloomfield; town in Essex County, New Jersey, named for Governor Joseph Bloomfield of that State.

Bloomington; township and city in McLean County, Illinois, named from Blooming Grove, so called from its profusion of wild flowers.

Bloomington; township and city in Monroe County, Indiana, named for an early settler, Philip Bloom.

Bloomsburg; town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, named for Samuel Bloom, county commissioner of Northumberland County.

Blossburg; borough in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, named for Aaron Bloss, who settled there in 1806.

Blount; county in Alabama, named for Willie Blount, governor of Tennessee in 1809-1815.

Blount; county in Tennessee, named for William Blount, governor in 1790-1796.

Blountsville; village in Henry County, Indiana, named for Andrew Blount, its founder.

Blowing Rock; town in Watauga County, North Carolina, named from a cliff where the wind blows upward.

Blue Earth; county and river in Minnesota;

Blue Earth City; township and city in Faribault County, Minnesota, so named because of the bluish hue of the earth, due to the presence of copper.

Bluefleld; city in Mercer County, West Virginia, named from the bluegrass valley
in which it is situated.

Blue Grass; villages in Fulton County, Indiana, Scott County, Iowa, Knox County, Tennessee, and Russell County, Virj?inia, named from a variety of grass which grows in Kentucky.

Blue Hill; village in Webster County, Nebraska, so named because of the bluish atmosphere surrounding the hill on which the village is located.

Blue Hills; range of hills in Massachusetts, which are said to have given name to the State, the Indian name Massashusetts meaning ''great hills."

Blue Island; village in Cook County, IlIinoiB, so named because when viewed from a distance by the early settlers it appeared like an island covered with blue flowers.

Blue Mound; township in Macon County, Illinois, named from its proximity to a hill covered with blue flowers.

Blue Mounds; village in Dane County, Wisconsin, named from mounds which appear bluish from a distance.

Blue Mountain; town in Tippah County, Mississippi, named from a large bluish hill near the site.

Blue Bidge; the most eastern of the principal ridges of the Appalachian chain of mountains, so called from the hue which frequently envelops its distant summits. Blue Springs; town in Union County, Mississippi, named from springs with water of bluish hue.

Bluffs; village in Scott County, Illinois, so named from its location on the side of high bluffs.

Blufiton; city in Wells County, Indiana, so named on account of the high bluffs which once surrounded the town.

Blunt; village in Hughes County, South Dakota, named for the chief engineer of the Chicago and North Western Railroad, Arthur E. Blunt.

Blunts; reef on the coast of California, named for Captain Blimt, of the Hudson Bay Company.

Blyville; village in Knox County, Nebraska, named for George W. Bly, early settler.

Boardman; mountain in Franklin County, Maine, named for Herbert Boardman, who settled at its base in 1795.

Boardman; town in Columbus County, North Carolina, named for a pioneer Baptist preacher.

Boardman; township and village in Mahoning County, Ohio, named for the original proprietor, Frederick Boardman.

Boca; post-office in Nevada County, California, at the mouth of the Truckee River. A Spanish word, meaning "mouth."

Bodega; township in Sonoma County, California. A Spanish word meaning "winevault."

Bodie; island in North Carolina, named for Hon. N. W. Boddie, of Nashville, North Carolina.

Bodock; creek in Arkansas, corrupted from the French, bois iVarc, a species of wood.

Boerne; village in Kendall County, Texas, named for the German writer, Louis Boerne.

Bogota; borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, named for the South American city.

Bogrue Chitto; town and creek in Lincoln County, Mississippi. An Indian name meaning "big creek."

Bohemia; villages in Escambia County, Florida, Suffolk County, New York, and Douglas County, Oregon, named from the province in Austria-Hungary.

Bois Brule; township in Perry County and creek in Cole County, Missouri. A French name meaning "burnt forest."

Bois d'Arc; village in Greene County, Missouri, "bowwood," the French name of the Osage orange from which the Indians procured wood for their bows.

Bois de Sioux; tributary of the Red River, North Dakota. A French name meaning "Sioux forest."

Boise; county, and city in Ada County, in Idaho, situated on Boise River. A French word meaning "woody," given by the early French traders because of the trees upon the banks of the river.

Bolinas; bay, and town in Marin County, in California. A Spanish word meaning "whale."

Bolivar; county, and village in same county, in Mississippi, city in Polk County, Missouri, town in Allegany County, New York, town in Hardeman County, Tennessee, town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, and four other places; named for Gen. Simon Bolivar.

Bollinger; county in Missouri, named for Maj. George F. Bollinger, an early settler.

Bolsa; village in Orange County, California. A Spanish word meaning "purse."

Bolton; town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, named for Charles Powlet, third Duke of Bolton.

Bolton; town in Hinds County, Mississippi, named for a man interested in building a railroad from Vicksburg to Jackson.

Bombay; town in Franklin County, New York, named by Mr. Hogan, an early settler, from Bombay, India.

Bonair; towns in Howard County, Iowa, and White County, Tennessee, and village in Chesterfield County, Virginia. A French name, meaning "good air."

Bonanza; village in Klamath County, Oregon, and seven other places in the country. A Spanish word meaning "prosperity."

Bonaparte; town in Van Buren County, Iowa, and village in Lewis County, New York, named for Napoleon Bonaparte.

Bonaqua; town in Hickman County, Tennessee, so called because it is situated near mineral springs. A Latin name, meaning "good water."

Bond; county in Illinois, named for Shadrack Bond, first governor of the State, 1818-1822.

Bondurant; town in Polk County, Iowa, named for A. C. Bondurant.

Bonfield; village in Kankakee County, Illinois, named for Thomas Bonfield, a prominent railroad official.

Bonham; town in Fannin County, Texas, named for Col. J. B. Bonham, who died in the Alamo in 1836.

Bonhomme; island in the Missouri River, in South Dakota, named for Jacques Bon Homme, the Frenchman's "Uncle Sam."

Bonhomme; county in South Dakota, named from the island in the Missouri River.

Bonita; point in California, and village in Ottertail County, Minnesota. A Spanish word, meaning "pretty," "graceful."

Bonner; town in Missoula County, Montana, named for E. T. Bonner, of Missoula, Montana.

Bonner Springs; city in Wyandotte County, Kansas, named for Robert Bonner, horseman, and editor of the New York Ledger.

Bonneterre; town in St. Francois County, Missouri. A French name, meaning "good earth." The name was given by early French settlers to a mine which contained lead.

Bonneville; mounts in Nevada and Wyoming, and a village in Multnomah County, Oregon, named for Capt. B. L. E. Bonneville, early explorer in the Northwest.

Bonpas; creek and town in Richland County, Illinois, named from the prairie which is now called Pompare, but which was named by the early French, bon pas, meaning "good walk."

Bonpland; lake in California and mount in Nevada, named for Aime Bonpland, the French botanist.

Bon Secours; triangular projection on the east side of Mobile Bay, and post-office
in Baldwin County, Alabama. A French name, meaning "good succor."

Book; plateau in Colorado; so named from its shape.

Boon; town in Wexford County, Michigan;

Boone; counties in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Nebraska, town in Watauga County, North Carolina, and county in West Viiiginia. Named for Daniel Boone; his name appears with different suffixes in many parts of the country.

Boone; county, city in same county, and creek in Iowa, named for Captain Boone, United States dragoons, who captured Des Moines Valley above Coon Forks.

Boone; creek in Yellowstone Park, named for Robert Withrow, who called himself "Daniel Boone the second."

Boonesboro; town in Howard County, Missouri;

Boone Station; village in Fayette County, Kentucky. Named for Daniel Boone.

Booneville; town in Prentiss County, Mississippi, named for Reuben H. Boone, who settled there in 1836.

Boonton; town in Morris County, New Jersey, named for Thomas Boone, its colonial governor in 1760.

Boonville; town in Warrick County, Indiana. Some authorities say that it received its name in honor of Daniel Boone, while Conklin says it was named for Ratliffe Boone, second governor of the State, who laid out the town.

Boonville; towns in Cooper County, Missouri, and Yadkin County, North Carolina, named for Daniel Boone.

Boonville; village in Oneida County, New York, named for Gerrit Boon, agent of the Holland Land Company, who made the first settlement.

Boothbay; town in Lincoln County, Maine, named from the town in England.

Borate; village in San Bernardino County, California, named from the extensive veins of colemanite (borate of lime).

Borax; lake in California, the waters of which contain borax in solution.

Bordeaux; town in Abbeville County, South Carolina, named from the city in France.

Borden; towns in Madera County, California, and county and village in Colorado County, Texas, named for Gail Borden, member of the consultation of 1833, collector of customs at Galveston in 1837, editor and financier.

Bordentown; city in Burlington County, New Jersey, named for Joseph Borden, its founder.

Borgne; lake in Louisiana. A French word, meaning "one-eyed," hence something "defective," given to the lake by the French because they did not consider it a lake, but rather a bay, as it had the appearance of being separated from the sea by numerous islands.

Borodino; village in Onondaga County, New York, named from the town in Russia.

Boscawen; town in Merrimac County, New Hampshire, named for Admiral Edward Boscawen.

Boscobel; city in Grant County, Wisconsin, named from a place in Shropshire, England.

Bosque; county and river in Texas. A French and Portuguese word, meaning "wood," "forest," applied to the country because of the forests of oak and cedar.

Bosqueville; village in McLennan County, Texas; so named because near Bosque River.

Bossier; parish, and village in same parish, in Louisiana, named for General Bossier, a celebrated duelist.

Bostic; town in Rutherford County, North Carolina, named for George T. Bostic.

Boston; city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. By some authorities the name is said to have been given in honor of John Cotton, vicar of St. Bodolph's church in Boston, Lincolnshire, England, and one of the first clergymen in the American Boston. Others say it was named before the arrival of John Cotton, for three prominent colonists from Boston, England. Sixteen places in the country have taken their names from the Massachusetts city.

Botetourt; county in Virginia, named for Norbome Berkeley, Lord de Botetourt, royal governor of Virginia in 1768.

Bottineau; county, and town in same county, in North Dakota, named for Pierre Bottineau, one of the early settlers of the Red River Valley.

Bouckville; village in Madison County, New York, named for Governor William C. Bouck.

BouflT; creek in Chicot County, Arkansas. A corruption of the French bayou aux boeufs, "cattle creek."

Boulder; county, and city in same county, in Colorado, named from the huge boulders found in the county.

Boundbrook; borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, named from a creek emptying into the Raritan River, which was the northern boundary of the grant made to Governor Carteret. It is now part of the boundary between Middlesex and Somerset counties.

Bouquet; river in Essex County, New York; said to be named from the flowers upon its banks. Some authorities think it is derived from the French, baquely "trough."

Bourbeuse; river in Missouri. A name applied to the river by the early French traders, meaning "miry."

Bourbon; town in Marshall County, Indiana, and counties in Kansas and Kentucky, besides several small places, named for the royal fcimily of France.

Bovina; town in Delaware County, New York; from the Latin, because of its fitness for grazing.

Bow; creek in Nebraska, named by the early French petit arc, "little bow."

Bow; town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, so named from a bend in the river within the town limits.

Bowdoinham; town in Sagadahoc County, Maine. Some authorities say it was named for James Bowdoin, governor of Massachusetts in 1785-86, while Varney claims that it was named for William Bowdoin, of Boston.

Bowen; town in Jones County, Iowa, named for Hugh Bowen.

Bowerbank; plantation in Piscataquis County, Maine, named for a London merchant, the first owner.

Bowie; town in Prince George County, Maryland, named for Governor Oden Bowie.

Bowie; county, and village in Montague County, in Texas, named for James Bowie, Indian and Mexican fighter, the inventor of the bowie knife, who was killed at the Alamo.

Bowling: Green; the name of seven places in the country. The word is said to be derived from a term denoting ornamental gardening, or a plat of turf for bowling. The name is found in Yorkshire, England.

Bowman; village in Fleming County, Kentucky, named for Col. Abram Bowman, first settler.

Bowman; county in North Dakota, named for E. M. Bowman, a member of the Territorial legislature in 1883.

Bowman; town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, named for the Fleming family, of Orangeburg.

Boxbutte; county, and town in same county, in Nebraska, named from a butte in the county.

Boxelder; county in Utah and creek in Montana, also six other places in the coun-try, named from the tree.

Bozford; town in EsRex County, Massachusetts, probably named from the town in Suffolk, England.

Boyd; county, and village in Harrison County, in Kentucky, named for Linn Boyd, statesman, of Tennessee, one time lieutenant-governor of Kentucky.

Boyd; county in Nebraska, named for James E. Boyd, governor of the State in 1891-93.

Boyd Tavern; village in Albemarle County, Virginia, named for a family who kept a tavern there many years ago.

Boyerton; borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, named for the Boyer family, early settlers.

Boyle; county in Kentucky, named for John Boyle, chief justice of the State.

Boylflton; town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, name for a resident family of Boston.

Boylaton; town in Oswego County, New York, named for Thomas Boylston.

Bozeman; city in Gallatin County, Montana, named for J. M. Bozeman, an early trapper.

Bozraliville; town in New London County, Connecticut, named from the ancient town in Syria.

Braceville; township and village in Grundy County, Illinois, first called Braysville, for an early settler.

Braceville; township in Trumbull County, Ohio, named for Jonathan Brace, an early settler.

Bracken; county in Kentucky, named for two creeks, Big and Little Bracken, which were named for William Bracken, a pioneer hunter.

Brackettville; town in Kinney County, Texas, named for Oscar B. Brackett, a prominent resident.

Bracks; butte in California, named for an old settler.

Braddock; borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, named from the battlefield where General Brad'dock was defeated by the French and Indians.

Braddys; pond in Portage County, Ohio, named for Capt. Samuel Brady.

Bradford; county in Florida, named for Captain Bradford, who was killed in battle on an island in western Florida.

Bradford; village in Stark County, Illinois, named for Bradford S. Foster, one of its principal founders.

Bradford; village, now a part of Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts, named from the town in Yorkshire, England.

Bradford; town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, and village in Orange County, Vermont, named from the village in Massachusetts.

Bradford; town in Steuben County, New York, named for General Bradford.

Bradford; county, and city in McKean County, in Pennsylvania, named for William Bradford, 1755-1795, Attorney-General of the United States.

Bradfordsville; town in Marion County, Kentucky, named for Peter Bradford, the first settler.

Bradley; county in Arkansas, named for Capt. Hugh Bradley.

Bradley; village in Tazewell County, Illinois, named for the Bradley Manufacturing Company located there.

Bradley; town in Greenwood County, South Carolina, named for a family of the State.

Bradley; county in Tennessee. The origin of the name is in doubt; Judge P. B. Mayfield, of Cleveland, Tennessee, says it was probably named for a school teacher.

Bradley Beach; borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, named for the original owner, James A. Bradley.


Bradys Bend; town in Armstrong Coonty, Pennsylvania, named for Capt. Samuel Brady, the noted Indian fighter.

Braid-wood; city in Will County, Illinois, named for James Braidwood, who devel-oped ooal mines in the vicinity.

Brainerd; city in Butler County, Kansas, named for E. B. Brainerd, who owned a iariD. upon which part of the city is built.

Brainerd; city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, named for David Brainerd, a cele-brated missionary to the Indians.

Braintree; town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts^, named from the town in Essex, England.

Braintree; town in Orange County, Vermont, named from the town in Massachu-setts, where many of the early grantees resided.

Bram'vell; town in Mercer County, West Virginia, named for an English engineer and coal operator who lived in the town.

Brandi; county, and township in Mason County, in Michigan, named for John Branch, secretary of the navy under President Jackson. "

Branchport; town in Yates County, New York, which derives its name from its position on one of the branches of Crooked Lake.

Brandnrille; borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, named for the branch or river known as Long Branch.

Brandnrille; town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, named from the forks of the two branches of the South Carolina Railroad.

Brandenburg; town in Meade County, Kentucky, named from a province in Prussia.

Brandon; town in Rankin County, Mississippi, named for Gerard C. Brandon, governor in 1828-32.

Brandon; town in Rutland County, Vermont. A corruption of "burnt town," from the circumstance of the burning of the settlement by Indians in 1777.

Brandt; lake and town in Erie County, New York, named for Col. Joseph Brandt, a Mohawk chief.

Brandywine; creek in Pennsylvania. According to a tradition, the name is derived from the occasion of a vessel laden with branteivein (brandy), which was lost in its waters. Other authorities derive it from Andrew Braindwine, who owned lands near its mouth in early days. A third theory is that the slough near Downingtown discharged its muddy waters into the creek, tinging it the color of brandy. A celebrated battle was fought there, which accounts for the name being given to eight places in in the country.

Branford; town in New Haven County, Connecticut, named from the town of Brentford, England.

Brasher; town in St Lawrence County, New York, named for Philip Brasher, part owner.

Brassua; lake of Moose River, Maine, said to be named for an Indian chief. The word is said to signify '' frank."

Brattleboro; town in Windham County, Vermont, named for Col. William Brattle, a citizen of Boston.

Braxton; county in West Virginia, named for Carter Braxton, a signer of the Decla-ration of Independence.

Braysville; village in Owen County, Indiana, named for its founder.

Brazil; city in Clay County, Indiana, named from the country in South America.

Brazoria; county, and town in same county, in Texas. The old municipality of Brazoria, founded under the Mexican rule, was named from the Brazos River.

Brazos; river and county in Texas. A Franciscan monk named the neighboring stream - ^now the Colorado - Brazos de Dios, "arm of God." The Mexicans confused the two rivers and called the Colorado the Brazos, and vice versa, and so the names stand to-day.

Breakabeen; villa|;e in Schoharie County, New York, name from the German word for the rushes which grew upon the bank of the creek.

Breathitt; county in Kentucky, named for John Breathitt, former governor of the State.

Breckenridge; town in Summit County, Colorado, and city in Caldwell County, Missouri, named for John C. Breckinridge, vice-president of the United States.

Breckinridge; county in Kentucky, named for John Breckinridge, a Kentucky statesman.

Breedsville; village in Van Buren County, Michigan, named for Silas Breed, an early settler.

Breese; village in Clinton County, Illinois, named for Lieutenant-Governor Sidney Breese.

US Place Names

Source: The Origin of Certain Place Names the United States, Second Edition, Henry Gannett, Washington, Government Printing Office, 1906.