US Place Names ~ Labaddie, Missouri to Laporte, Pennsylvania

Labaddie; village in Franklin County, Missouri, named for a citizen of Saint Louis.

La Bajada; town in New Mexico, on the road from Santa Fe, which at this point makes a rapid descent. It was so named by the Spanish on this account, the name meaning "descent," or "landing."

Labette; county, and township in same county, in Kansas. French words meaning "the beet."

Labonte; creek and town in Converse County, Wyoming, named for La Bonte, an early French trapper.

Laceyville; village in Harrison County, Ohio, named for Maj. John S. Lacey.

Lackawanna; county and river in Pennsylvania. A Delaware Indian word meaning "stream that forks."

Lackawannock; mountain, and township in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, named from the Lackawanna River, with the suffix signifying "at the river fork."

Lackawaxen; township in Pike County, Pennsylvania, at the confluence of the Lackawanna and Delaware rivers, and on this account given the Indian name, which means "where the roads fork."

La Clede; township in Fayette County, Illinois.

Laclede; county, and town in Linn County, in Missouri. Named for Pierre Laclede Ligueste, founder of St. Louis.

Lacon; township and city in Marshall County, Illinois, named from Laconia in Greece.

Laconia; city in Belknap County, New Hampshire, named from a portion of Greece.

La Conner; town in Skagitt County, Washington, named for J. J. Connor, an early settler.

La Costa; town in San Diego County, California. A Spanish phrase, meaning "the coast."

Lac qui Parle; county, lake, and river in Minnesota. A French name meaning "lake that speaks." Translated from the Dakota (Sioux). Probably suggested by the echoes from the bluffs bordering the lake.

La Crosse; county, and city in same county, in Wisconsin. A French name given the town because before its settlement the ground was a favorite place for ball playing with the Indians, the game being called by the French la crosse.

Lac Traverse; lake in Minnesota. A French phrase, meaning "across the lake."

Lacygne; city in Linn County, Kansas, named from the river Marais des Cygnes. A French name meaning "the swan.'*

Laddonia; city in Audrain County, Missouri, named for Amos Ladd, an early settler.

Ladrillo; town in San Diego County, California. A Spanish word meaning "brick."

Ladys Creek; stream in Missouri, named for William Lady.

La Fave; stream in Perry County, Arkansas, named for a French family. La Feve, who lived at its mouth.

Lafayette; counties in Arkansas and Florida; parish in Louisiana; counties in Mississippi and Missouri; mountain in New Hampshire; town in Yamhill County, Oregon; county in Wisconsin; and many towns and villages; named for Marquis de Lafayette, who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary war.

Laflin; borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, probably named for Laflin, of the firm of Laflin & Rand, powder manufacturers.

Lafourche; parish in Louisiana, named for the Bayou La Fourche, which intersects it. The name is French, meaning "the fork."

L'Agles; stream in Bradley County, Arkansas, corrupted from the French l'aigle, meaning "The eagle."

La Graciosa; town in Santa Barbara County, California. A Spanish phrase, meaning "the graceful."

Lagrange; county in Indiana, and towns in Dutchess County, New York, and Lenoir County, North Carolina, named for the home of Lafayette, near Paris.

Lagrue; stream in Arkansas; a French name meaning "the crane."

Laguna; station in Sonoma County, California. A Spanish word meaning "lake."

Lagunita; town in Inyo County, California. A Spanish word meaning "little lake."

La Harpe; township and city in Hancock County, Illinois, named for Bernard de la Harpe, who led an exploring party in the southern Mississippi Valley about 1720.

La Honda; town in San Mateo County, California. A Spanish term meaning "the sling."

Laingsburg; village in Shiawassee County, Michigan, named for Doctor Laing, an early settler and founder of the village.

Lairdsville; village in Oneida County, New York, named for Samuel Laird, an early settler.

La Junta; town in Otero County, Colorado, at the junction of two railroads; a Spanish name meaning "the junction" or "the meeting."

Lake; counties in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, and Tennessee. The name alone and with various suffixes is borne by more than two hundred cities, towns, and villages, being generally used descriptively.

Lake; city in Columbia County, Florida, so named on account of its location near ten lakes.

Lake Ann; village and lake in Benzie County, Michigan, named for the wife of the first settler, A. P. Wheelock.

Lake Charles; town and lake in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, named for Charles Salleir, the first settler on the shores of the lake.

Lake City; city in Calhoun County, Iowa, named from a lake nearby.

Lake Forest; city in Lake County, Illinois, named from its location.

Lake Geneva; city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, so named because of the resemblance in its geographical situation to Geneva, New York.

Lake Helen; village in Volusia County, Florida, named for the daughter of its founder, H. A. De Land.

Lake Linden; village in Houghton County, Michigan, named for an early settler.

Lake Mills; town and village in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, so named because situated on Rock Lake, which is the source of power for saw and grist mills.

Lake Odessa; township and village in Ionia County, Michigan, named from the city in Russia.

Lake of the Woods; lake in Minnesota. Originally called lac des bois by the French, "lake of the woods," because of the heavily wooded islands in the lake.

Lakeville; village in the town of Salisbury, Connecticut, near and overlooking Lake Wononscopomus, whence the name.

Lakeville; town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, so named because a great portion of the township is occupied by a chain of lakes.

Lakin; city in Kearny County, Kansas, named for David L. Lakin, of Topeka.

Lamanda; town in Los Angeles County, California. A Spanish name meaning "the proposal."

Lamar; county in Alabama, towns in Prowers County, Colorado, and Benton County Mississippi, city in Barton County, Missouri, and river in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, named for L. Q. C. Lamar, Secretary of the Interior.

Lamar; town in Darlington County, South Carolina, named for a resident family.

Lamar; county in Texas, named for Mirabeau B. Lamar, a prominent Texas statesman.

Lamartine; town in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, named for the French historian.

Lamb; county in Texas, named for Lieutenant Lamb.

Lambertville; city in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, named for John Lambert, an early settler.

La Mesa; town in San Diego County, California. A Spanish phrase meaning "the plain."

La Mirada; town in Los Angeles County, California. A Spanish name meaning "the transient view."

La Moille; township and village in Bureau County, Illinois, named from Lamoille Valley in Vermont.

Lamoille; county and river in Vermont; the name is probably a mistaken rendition of La Monette, the name originally given the river by Champlain.

Lamoine; town in Hancock County, Maine, named for an early French resident.

La Motte; island in Lake Champlain, New York, named for Capt. Pierre Sieur de la Motte, who built a fort on the island.

Lamoure; county in North Dakota, named for Hon. Judson Lamoure, an early settler and a prominent man in Territorial politics.

Lampasas; county, town in same county, and creek in Texas. A Spanish word meaning "water lily."

Lampeter; village in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, named from the town in Wales.

Lamy; village in Sante Fe County, New Mexico, named for Archbishop Lamy.

Lana; stream in Vermont, named for General Wool, United States Army, lana being Latin for "wool."

Lanark; city in Carroll County, Illinois, named from the town in Scotland.

Lancaster; town in Los Angeles County, California, named from the city in Pennsylvania.

Lancaster; city in Garrard County, Kentucky, named from and laid out after the plan of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Lancaster; counties in Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia, and 22 cities, towns, and villages; the name is transferred from the county in England.

Lancaster; town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, named from the town in Wales.

Landenberg; town in Chester County, Pennsylvania, named for Martin Landenberger, a mill operator and large real estate owner.

Lander; county in Nevada, named for Gen. F. W. Lander.

Landisburg; borough in Perry County, Pennsylvania, named for James Landis, its founder.

Landrum; town in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, named for a resident family.

Lane; county in Kansas, named for James H. Lane, Senator from that State.

Lane; county in Oregon, named for Joseph Lane, twice governor of the Territory.

Lanesboro; town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, named for James Lane, Viscount Lanesborough.

Lanesboro; borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, named for Martin Lane, an early settler.

Langdon; town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, named for Governor John Langdon.

Langford; mountain in Yellowstone Park, named for the first superintendent of the park, Nathaniel Pitt Langford.

Langhorne; borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania;

Langhorne Manor; borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Named for Jeremiah Langhorne, an early settler and prominent in State politics.

Langlade; county in Wisconsin, named for the first white settler in the State.

L'Anguille; stream and township in Arkansas. French words meaning "the eel."

Lanier; town in Bryan County, Georgia, named for Clement Lanier.

Lansingburg; town in Rensselaer County, New York, named for Abraham Lansing, its founder.

La Panza; town in San Luis Obispo County, California. A Spanish name meaning "the belly."

La Patera; town in Santa Barbara County, California. A Spanish phrase meaning "the goblet.

Lapeer; county, and city in same county, in Michigan. A corruption of the French la pierre, meaning "the flint."

Lapile; stream, and town in Union County, Arkansas. French words meaning "the pier."

La Pita; town in San Diego County, California. A Spanish name meaning "the agave" or "the aloe," a common desert plant.

La Plata; county in Colorado, which contains the Sierra La Plata, and river in the same State. A Spanish name meaning "mountain of silver."

La Playa; village in Santa Barbara County, California. A Spanish word meaning "shore" or "strand," and given to this village on account of its location on the Pacific coast.

Lapompique; branch of the Aroostook River, Maine. An Indian word meaning "rope stream."

Laporte; county in Indiana. A French name meaning "the door" or "the opening" between two stretches of forest connecting two prairies.

Laporte; borough in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, named for a French family who were large land owners.

US Place Names

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