US Place Names ~ Monongah, West Virginia to Mystic, River, Connecticut

Monongah; town in Marion County, West Virginia. An abbreviated combination of the names of Monongahela (River) and Monongalia (County).

Monongahela; town in Washington County, Pennsylvania, and river in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. A corruption of the Delaware Indian word menaunge-hilla, meaning "river with the sliding banks."

Monongalia; county in West Virginia. A latinized form of the Indian word monongahela meaning the "falling in river bank."

Monroe; counties in Alabama, Arkansas, and Florida; county, and city in Walton County, in Georgia; counties in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Kentucky; town in Waldo County, Maine; counties in Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee; fort at Old Point Comfort, Virginia; comities in West Virginia and Wisconsin; peak of the White Mountains, New Hampshire; also many other cities, towns, and villages; named for President James Monroe.

Monroe City; town in Knox County, Indiana, named for Monroe Alton, its founder.

Monroeville; village in Salem County, New Jersey, named for S. T. Monroe, a minister of an early church.

Monrovia; city in Los Angeles County, California, named for Maj. W. N. Monroe, one of the founders.

Monrovia; village in Morgan County, Indiana, the name being a variation of the name of the township in which it is located.

Monsey; village in Rockland County, New York. A corruption of the Indian tribal name minsi, meaning "wolf."

Monson; town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, named for John, the second Lord Monson.

Montague; town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, named for Capt. William Montague.

Montague; town in Lewis County, New York, named for the daughter of H. B. Pierrepont.

Montague; county in Texas, named for Daniel Montague.

Montana; State of the Union. A Latin word meaning "mountainous region," and applicable to this State on account of the nature of its topography.

Montauk; headland at the extreme eastern point of Long Island, New York. A corruption of the Indian minnawtawkit, meaning "island place," or "in the island country." By another authority said to mean "spirit" or "spirit tree."

Montcalm; county in Michigan, named for General Montcalm.

Montclair; town in Essex County, New Jersey. A French name meaning "clear mountain."

Montebello; town in Los Angeles County, California. A Spanish phrase meaning "beautiful mountain."

Monte Diablo; mountain in California. A Spanish name meaning "mountain of the devil."

Monterey; county, and city in the same County, in California, named for Count de Monterey, viceroy of Mexico. A Spanish name meaning "mountain of the king."

Monterey; town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, named for the battle of the Mexican war.

Montevideo; village in Chippewa County, Minnesota, meaning "I see the mountain," referring to the coteau.

Monte Vista; town in Rio Grande County, Colorado. From the Spanish, meaning "mountain view."

Montezuma; county, and town in Summit County, in Colorado, named for the Emperor of Mexico.

Montgomery; counties in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, and Missouri; county, and village in Orange County, in New York; counties in North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia; and many cities and towns; named for Gen. Richard Montgomery, who was killed in the assault on Quebec.

Montgomery; county in Alabama, named for Lieut. Lemuel P. Montgomery, of Montgomery, Alabama.

Montgomery; town in Daviess County, Indiana, named for Valentine B. Montgomery, its founder.

Montgomery; county in Tennessee, named for Col. John Montgomery.

Montgomery; county in Texas, named for Gen. James Montgomery.

Monticello; town in Jasper County, Georgia, township and city in Piatt County, Illinois, town in Lawrence County, Mississippi, village in Sullivan County, New York, and many other places; named from the home of President Jefferson in Albemarle County, Virginia.

Montmorency; county in Michigan, named for Lord Montmorency.

Montour; county, ridge, and borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, named for Madame Montour, an early French settler from Quebec.

Montpelier; city in Washington County, Vermont, named from the city in France.

Montrio; town in Sonoma County, California. From the Spanish, meaning "river mountain."

Montrose; county, and town in same county, in Colorado, named from Sir Walter Scott's legend of "Montrose."

Montrose; village in Genesee County, New York, named from the town in Scotland.

Montrose; borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, named for Dr. Robert H. Rose. Another authority claims it was named from Montrose in Scotland.

Monument; mountain in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, named from a conical pile of quartz stones on the southern slope. It is of Indian origin, but traditions regarding it vary, one being to the effect that the monument marks the grave of the first sachem who died in the region.

Moodus; village in Middlesex County, Connecticut. A contradiction of the Indian machemoodus, meaning "place of noises."

Moody; county in South Dakota, named for Gideon G. Moody, United States Senator.

Mooers; town and village in Clinton County, New York, named for Gen. Benjamin Mooers.

Moore; county in North Carolina, named for Alfred Moore, an associate justice of the United States.

Moore; county in Tennessee, named for Gen. William Moore, a prominent member of the general assembly of the State.

Moore; county in Texas, named for E. W. Moore, commodore of the Texas navy.

Moorefield; town in Hardy County, West Virginia, named for Conrad Moore.

Mooresville; town in Morgan County, Indiana, named for Samuel Moore, its founder.

Mooresville; town in Livingston County, Missouri, named for its founder, W. B. Moore.

Moorhead; city in Clay County, Minnesota, named for Gen. J. K. Moorhead, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

Moorhead; town in Custer County, Montana, named for W. G. Moorehead of the Northern Pacific Railroad.

Moosabec; light-house on the coast of Maine. An Indian word meaning "bald pond place."

Moose; river and plantation in Somerset County, Maine. A corruption of the Indian word moosoa, "wood eaters."

Moose; stream in Pennsylvania. Derived from the Indian word chinklacamoose, meaning "it almost joins," and applicable to this river because there is a horseshoe bend in it where the extremities almost-meet.

Moosetookmeguntic; lake in Maine. An Indian word meaning "where the hunters watch the moose at night."

Moosup; river and village in Windham County, Connecticut, named for the Indian sachem Maussup.

Mora; county in New Mexico. The Spanish name for raspberries.

Moraga; town in Contra Costa County, California. A Spanish word meaning "bundle made by gleaners."

Moran; city in Allen County, Kansas, named for Daniel Comyan Moran, a capitalist.

Moran; mountain in the Teton Range, Wyoming, named for Thomas Moran, the artist.

Moravia; town in Cayuga County, New York, named from the province in Austria.

Moreau; river in Missouri. A French word signifying "extremely well."

Moreau; town in Saratoga County, New York, named for Marshall Moreau, of France.

Morehead; town in Rowan County, Kentucky, named for Gov. James T. Morehead.

Morehead; town in Carteret County, North Carolina, named for John M. Morehead, former governor of the State.

Morehouse; parish in Louisiana, named for the man who obtained the grant from Baron Bastrop, 1764.

Morehouse; town in Hamilton County, New York, named for the first settler.

Morena; town in San Diego County, California. A Spanish word meaning "brown bread."

Morenci; village in Lenawee County, Michigan. The name is contracted from Montmorenci.

Moreno; township in Riverside County, California. A Spanish word meaning "brownish" or "swarthy."

Moresville; village in Delaware County, New York, named for the first settler.

Morgan; counties in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia, named for Gen. Daniel Morgan, an officer in the Revolution.

Morgan; county in Colorado, named for Col. Christopher A. Morgan, of the Colorado Volunteers.

Morgan; county in Utah, named for J. Morgan Grant, one of the earliest settlers in the county.

Morgan; town in Orleans County, Vermont, named for John Morgan, an original proprietor.

Morganfield; city in Union County, Kentucky.

Morganton; town in Burke County, North Carolina. Named for Gen. Daniel Morgan, an officer of the Revolution.

Morgan Park; village in Cook County, Illinois, named for William M. Morgan, the first settler.

Morgantown; town in Monongalia County, West Virginia, name for Gen. Zaequell Morgan, the original owner of the land.

Morganville; city in Clay County, Kansas, named for its founder, Ebenezer Morgan.

Moriah; peak of the White Mountains, New Hampshire, and township in Essex County, New York, named from the district in Palestine.

Morocojo; town in Monterey County, California. From the Spanish, Moro, meaning "Moor," and cojo "crippled."

Morrill; city in Brown County, Kansas, named for Gov. E. N. Morrill.

Morrill; town in Waldo County, Maine, named for Anson P. Morrill, former governor of the State.

Morrillton; city in Conway County, Arkansas, name for the early pioneers, E. J. and George H. Morrill.

Morris; town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, named for James Morris, academy principal.

Morris; township and city in Grundy County, Illinois, named for Isaac P. Morris, of Quincy, canal commissioner.

Morris; county in Kansas, named for Thomas Morris, United States Senator from Ohio.

Morris; township and village in Stevens County, Minnesota, named for Charles A. F. Morris, civil engineer.

Morris; county in New Jersey, named for Lewis Morris.

Morris; county in Texas, named for W. W. Morris.

Morrison; town in Jefferson County, Colorado, named from the Morrison Stone and Lime Company.

Morrison; city in Whiteside County, Illinois, named for Charles Morrison, of New York City.

Morrison; county in Minnesota, named for William Morrison, an early Scotch fur trader, and the first white man to visit the sources of the Mississippi River.

Morristown; a town in Morris County, New Jersey, named for Lewis Morris, an American statesman.

Morristown; village in St. Lawrence County, New York, named for the principal proprietor.

Morristown; town in Hamblen County, Tennessee, named for several brothers prominent in the affairs of the town.

Morrisville; village in Madison County, New York, named for a family of early settlers.

Morrisville; village in Wake County, North Carolina, named for the owner of the land.

Morrisville; borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, named for Robert Morris, the financier, who formerly resided there.

Morro; town in San Luis Obispo County, California, name from a castellated island rock at the mouth of the bay. A Spanish word meaning "castle."

Morrow; county in Oregon, and town in Nez Perces County, Idaho, named for Gen. Henry A. Morrow.

Morrow; county, and village in Warren County, in Ohio, named for Governor Jeremiah Morrow.

Morton; township and village in Tazewell County, Illinois, named for Marcus Morton, governor of Massachusetts, 1840-1843.

Morton; counties in Kansas and North Dakota, named for Oliver P. Morton, United States Senator from Indiana.

Morton; village in Scott County, Mississippi, given the maiden name of the wife of Col. E. W. Taylor.

Morven; town in Anson County, North Carolina, named from the mountain in Scotland.

Moscow; town in Somerset County, Maine, and twenty-five other places, name from the city in Russia.

Moshannon; creek in Pennsylvania. A corruption of a Delaware Indian word meaning "elk creek."

Mosinee; village in Marathon County, Wisconsin. Derived from the Indian word meaning "moose."

Motley; county in Texas, named for Dr. William Motley, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Moulton; town in Appanoose County, Iowa, named for an engineer on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.

Moultonboro; town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, named for Col. Jonathan Moulton, one of the first settlers.

Moultrie; county in Illinois, and fortification on Sullivan Island, in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.

Moultrieville; town in Charleston County, South Carolina. Named for Gen. William Moultrie, of Revolutionary fame.

Mound; city in Linn County, ridge in McPherson County, and valley in Labette County, Kansas, so named on account of the topography of the country.

Mound Bayou; town in Bolivar County, Mississippi, named for the Indian mounds on the bayou.

Mound City; city in Pulaski County, Illinois, named from Indian mounds in the vicinity.

Moundsville; city in Marshall County, West Virginia, so named because the largest mound of the mound builders is situated here.

Mount Calvin; mountain in the Adirondacks in Essex County, New York, named for Verplanck Calvin, for several years superintendent of the Adirondack survey.

Mount Carmel; city in Wabash County, Illinois, and seventeen other places, bear the name of the mountain in Palestine.

Mount Carroll; township and city in Carroll County, Illinois, named for Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, Maryland.

Mount Clemens; city in Macomb County, Michigan, named for Judge Christian Clemens, its founder.

Mount Gilead; town in Montgomery County, North Carolina, named from a country church.

Mount Gilead; village in Morrow County, Ohio, named for the town in North Carolina.

Mount Holly; town in Burlington County, New Jersey, named for an eminence covered with holly trees.

Mount Hopkins; in the town of Williamstown, Berkshire County, Massachusetts named for the Rev. Dr. Mark Hopkins, for many years president of Williams College.

Mount Horeb; in the town of Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, so called by the Shakers, who, in the eighteenth century, used the summit for religious observances, after the manner of Horeb in Arabia.

Mount Morris; township and village in Ogle County, Illinois, named for T. A. Morris, a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1836-1874.

Mount Morris; town in Livingston County, New York, named for Mr. Thomas Morris, of Philadelphia.

Mount Peter; knob of blue dolomite in the village of Great Barrington, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, named for Peter Ingersol, an early inhabitant, who owned it.

Mount Pleasant; township and borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, so named because of its pleasing location.

Mount Pulaski; township and city in Logan County, Illinois, named for the Revolutionary general. Count Pulaski, who was killed in the siege of Savannah in 1779.

Mount Race; one of the higher summits of the Taghkanic Mountains, in the town of Mount Washington, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Named for William Race, a resident of the western slope of the mountain.

Mount Riga; extreme southern point of the Taghkanic Mountains in Litchfield County, Connecticut, and town in Dutchess County, New York, named from Mount Rhigi in Switzerland.

Mount Sterling; township and town in Brown County, Illinois, so named by the early settlers because they considered it a valuable location for a town.

Mount Sterling; city in Montgomery County, Kentucky, named from the city in Scotland, and "mount" because of the numerous mounds in the vicinity.

Mount Tom; town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, named for Rowland Thomas.

Mount Vernon; residence of Gen. George Washington, on the Potomac River, Virginia. Named in honor of Admiral Edward Vernon, of the British navy, by Lewis Washington, who willed the estate to his brother, George Washington.

Mount Vernon; township and city in Jefferson County, Illinois, city in Lawrence County, Missouri, and many other places, name generally from the home of George Washington.

Mount Weston; situated in the town of Dalton, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and named for the Hon. Byron Weston, a resident, and lieutenant-governor of the State.

Movestar; stream in Illinois. A corruption of the French mauraise terre, "badland."

Moweaqua; village in Shelby County, Illinois, named from the Indian, which is given the various meanings of "weeping woman," "wolf woman," "woman of the wolf totem."

Mower; county in Minnesota, named for J. E. Mower, a member of the Council.

Muhlenberg; county in Kentucky, named for Gen. J. P. G. Muhlenberg, an officer of the Revolutionary war.

Muir; village in Ionia County, Michigan, named for W. K. Muir, superintendent of the Detroit and Mackinac Railway.

Mullan; town in Shoshone County, Idaho, named for Lieut. John Mullan.

Mullins; town in Marion County, South Carolina, named for the Mullin family, prominent in that country.

Multnomah; county in Oregon. An Indian word, meaning "down river."

Mulvane; city in Sumner County, Kansas, named for John R. Mulvane, of Topeka, Kansas.

Muncie; village in Vermilion County, Illinois, and city in Delaware County, Indiana. The name of a subtribe of the Delaware Indians formerly residing in Central Indiana. It is said to refer to an "island."

Muncy; town in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, a corruption of the Indian tribal name Minsi, meaning "wolf."

Mundy; township in Genesee County, Michigan, named for Edward Mundy, former lieutenant-governor of the State.

Munfordville; town in Hart County, Kentucky, named for Richard I. Munford, a former proprietor.

Munising; village in Alger County, Michigan. From an Indian word signifying "at the little island."

Munnsville; village in Madison County, New York, named for Asa Munn, the first storekeeper in the place.

Munson; township in Geauga County, Ohio, named from the proprietor's residence in Monson, Massachusetts.

Murder; creek in Genesee County, New York, so named because the body of a man who was supposed to have been murdered was found in the stream.

Murfreesboro; city in Rutherford County, Tennessee, and town in Hertford County, North Carolina, named for Col. Hardy Murfree, an officer of the Revolution.

Murphy; township in Calaveras County, California, named for the miner who discovered gold in the vicinity.

Murphy; town in Cherokee County, North Dakota, named for A. D. Murphy, a judge of the superior court.

Murphysboro; township, and city in Jackson County, in Illinois, named for William C. Murphy, one of the commissioners who located the county seat.

Murray; county in Georgia, named for Thomas W. Murray, former member of the legislature.

Murray; precinct in Shoshone County, Idaho, named for a miner who owned the land upon which the town is built, giving away many lots to encourage people to settle there.

Murray; city in Callaway County, Kentucky, named for Hon. John L. Murray, member of Congress.

Murray; county in Minnesota, named for Hon. W. P. Murray, a member of the Territorial legislature, and pioneer of St. Paul.

Murrayville; village in Morgan County, Illinois, named for its founder, Samuel Murray.

Murrieta; town in Riverside County, California, named for a former proprietor of a large tract of land, J. Murrieta.

Muscackituck; river in Indiana. An Indian word meaning "pond river," and so named because of the many stagnant ponds along its course.

Muscatine; county, and city in same county, in Iowa, probably derived from the Indian and meaning "dweller in the prairie."

Muscle Shoals; series of rapids in the Tennessee River in northern Alabama, so named because of the great number of mussels found there.

Muscoda; village in Grand County, Kansas. An Indian word meaning "prairie," or "grassy plain."

Muscogee; county in Georgia and town in Creek Nation, Indian Territory, named for the tribes of Indians of the Creek confederacy. The name possibly means "swamp," or "open marshy land."

Musconetcong; river in New Jersey. Indian word meaning "rapid stream."

Muscotah; city in Atchison County, Kansas. An Indian word meaning "beautiful prairie," or "prairie of fire."

Music; cliff in the Rocky Mountains, Arizona, so named by the expedition party of the Colorado because of the soughing of the wind about the cliffs.

Muskeego; lake, river, and township in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. From an Ojibwa Indian word meaning "swamp."

Muskegon; county, and city in same county, in Michigan. An Ojibwa Indian word meaning "swamp."

Musketo; creek in Mahoning Valley, Ohio, so named by the surveyors on account of the overwhelming number of mosquitoes encountered there.

Muskingum; river and county in Ohio. A Delaware Indian word meaning "moose-eye river," so called because of the number of moose and elk which inhabited the country.

Musquacook; chain of lakes in Maine. An Indian word meaning "birch-bark place."

Mustang; stream in Texas. A Spanish name for the wild horse, herds of wild horses having been abundant in Texas at an early date.

Muttonville; village in Ontario County, New York, so named because of the establishment of a tallow chandlery.

Myerstown; village in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, named for its founder, Isaac Myers.

Myrtle; village in Union County, Mississippi, so called because of the abundance of myrtle trees in the vicinity.

Mystic; river and village in New London County, Connecticut, and river in Massachusetts. From the Indian missis "great," and tuk, "tidal river;" hence, "the great river."

US Place Names

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