US Place Names ~ Pacheco, California to Pemigewasset River

Pacheco; town in Contra Costa County, California, named for an early Spanish settler.

Pachuta; town in Clarke County, Mississippi. A Choctaw Indian word meaning ''possum creek."

Pacific; ocean, the largest division of water on the globe, so named by Magellan, its discoverer, because of the fair weather encountered there after experiencing heavy gales in the straits.

Pacific; city in Franklin County, Missouri, county in Washington, and creek in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, named from the ocean.

Pactolus; town in Pitt Coonty, North Carolina, named from the ancient river in Asia Minor.

Paddock; village in Holt County, Nebraska, named for A. 8. Paddock, United States Senator from that State.

Paducah; city in McCracken County, Kentucky, named for a celebrated Indian chief who formerly lived in the vicinity and was buried on the banks of Tennessee River, now within the city limits.

Page; county in Iowa, named for Colonel Page, of Palo Alto fame.

Page; county in Virginia, named for John Page, an early governor of the State.

Pahaquarry; township in Warren County, New Jersey. An Indian word meaning "termination of two mountains."

Pahcupog; pond near Westerly, Connecticut. The name is derived from the Indian word pahke-pang, meaning "pure water pond."

Painesville; village in Lake County, Ohio, named for Gen. E. Paine, an early settler.

Paint; creek in Ohio. From the Indian words olomon sepung, ''paint stream."

Painted Post; village in Steuben County, New York, so named because of the erection of a painted monument by the Indians over the grave of their chief. Captain Montour.

Paint Bock; town in Concho County, Texas, so named because situated near a ledge of rock, profusely decorated with Indian hieroglyphics.

Pajaro; town in Monterey County and river in California. Named from the wild ducks that abound in the vicinity. A Spanish word applied to birds in general.

Pala; township in San Diego County, California. A Spanish word signifying a wooden shovel used for grain.

Palarm; town and stream in Faulkner County, Arkansas. A corruption of the French, place des alarmes.

Palatine; township and village in Cook County, Illinois; village in Salem County, New Jersey; town in Montgomery County, New York, and village in Marion County, West Virginia.

Palatine Bridge; village in Montgomery County, New York. The name is transferred from the division of German.

Palatka; city in Putnam County, Florida. A Seminole Indian word said by some to mean "spilled," and by others, "cow ford."

Palestine; town in St. Francis County, Arkansas, village in Crawford County, Illinois, and eleven other towns and villages, the name being transferred from Palestine, in Syria.

Palisades; cliff of trap rock from 200 to 500 feet high, forming the westerly bank of the Hudson River, New York, extending from Fort Lee about fifteen miles to the north.

Palisades Park; borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, so named because of its location on the Palisades.

Palmdale; town in Los Angeles County, California, so named from the luxuriant growth of palms. Palmer; town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, named for Chief Justice Thomas Palmer.

Palmer; village in Marquette County, Michigan, named for Waterman Palmer, of Pittsburg, its founder.

Palmer Lake; town and creek in El Paso County, Colorado, named for General Palmer, an official of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad.

Palmers; creek in Chariton County, Missouri, named for Martin Palmer.

Palms; town in Los Angeles County, California, so named from the large palm trees in the neighborhood.

Palmyra; towns in Marion County, Missouri, Wayne County, New York, and Portage County, Ohio, named from the ancient city in Syria.

Palo; town in Linn County, Iowa, and village in Ionia County, Michigan. A Spanish word meaning "stick."

Palo Alto; town in Santa Clara County, California. A Spanish phrase meaning "high timber.''

Palo Alto; county in Iowa, and borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, named from the famous battlefield in Texas.

Palo Blanco; town in Fresno County, California. A Spanish name descriptively applied, meaning "white timber."

Palo Cedro; town in Shasta County, California, so named from the abundant growths of cedars. A Spanish phrase meaning "cedar timber."

Paloma; villages in Calaveras County, California, and Adams County, Illinois. A Spanish word meaning "dove."

Palo Pinto; county and river in Texas. A Spanish phrase meaning "stained timber."

Palo Verde; town in Los Angeles County, California. A Spanish name meaning "green timber," descriptive of the district. Pamelia; town in Jefferson County, New York, named for the wife of Gen. Jacob Brown.

Pamlico; county, sound, and river in North Carolina, named from a former Indian tribe.

Pampa; town in Kern County, California, so named from its location. A Spanish word meaning an "extensive plain."

Pamunkey; river, and town in Orange County, in Virginia. Said to have been derived from the Indian pihmunga, meaning "where he sweat."

Pana; township and city in Christian County, Illinois. The corrupted form of Pani, the name of a small tribe of Indians.

Panasoffkee; town in Sumter County, Florida. From the Indian word, panasofkee. "deep valley."

Panola; counties in Mississippi and Texas. An Indian word meaning "cotton."

Panton; town in Addison County, Vermont, named for Lord Panton, a British nobleman.

Paola; city in Miami County, Kansas, named for Baptiste Peoria, the town name being the Indian pronunciation.

Papillion; village and creek in Sarpy County, Nebraska, given the French name because many butterflies were seen upon the banks of the stream.

Papinsville; village in Bates County, Missouri, named for Pierre Mellecourt Papin.

Paragould; city in Greene County, Arkansas. A compound of the names of two railroad men, W. J. Paramore and Jay Gould.

Paraiso Springs; post-office in Monterey County, California, descriptive of the beauty of the springs. The Spanish form of "paradise."

Pardeeville; village in Columbia County, Wisconsin, named for John S. Pardee, the founder.

Paris; township and city in Edgar County, Illinois, named from Paris, Kentucky.

Paris; city in Bourbon County, Kentucky, town in Oxford County, Maine, city in Lamar County, Texas, and many other places, named from the city in France.

Paris; a town in Oneida County, New York, named for Isaac Paris, a merchant of Fort Plain.

Parish; town in Oswego County and village in Erie County, New York;

Parishville; town in St. Lawrence County, New York. Named for David Parish, an extensive landowner.

Parita; village in Bexar County, Texas. A Spanish word meaning ''grapevine."

Park; county in Colorado, so named because it includes a large area of South Park. Park; county in Montana, so named from its proximity to Yellowstone Park.

Park City; town in Yellowstone County, Montana; when platted a portion of the land was set apart as a park, from which the town took its name.

Parke; county in Indiana, named for Benjamin Parke, a prominent State politician.

Parker; city in Linn County, Kansas, named for J. W. Parker, the former owner of the town site.

Parker; township and city in Turner County, South Dakota, named for the wife (nee Parker) of the chief engineer of the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul Railroad.

Parker; county in Texas, named for the family of Parker's Fort, who in 1836 were captured and killed by the Indians.

Parkersburg; town in Sampson County, North Carolina, named for a prominent citizen.

Parkersburg; city in Chester County, Pennsylvania, named for Dr. Thomas Parker, an eminent physician of Chester County.

Parkersburg; city in Wood County, West Virginia, named for Alexander Parker, of Pennsylvania.

Parkers Landing; city in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, named for the former proprietors.

Parkersville; village in Lyon County, Kentucky, named for Thomas Parker, a wealthy citizen.

Parkerville; city in Morris County, Kansas, named for C. G. Parker, the former owner of the town site.

Parkman; town in Piscataquis County, Maine, named for its early proprietor, Samuel Parkman, of Boston.

Parkman; village and township of Geauga County, Ohio, named for Robert P. Parkman.

Parkman; town in Sheridan County, Wyoming, named for Francis Parkman.

Park River; city in Walsh County, North Dakota, named for the stream which flows through the natural park.

Parksville; town in Edgefield County, South Carolina, named for a prominent family of the county.

Parkville; village in Platte County, Missouri, named for George S. Park, its founder.

Parmele; town in Martin County, North Carolina, named for a prominent resident.

Parmer; creek in Chariton County, Missouri, and county in Texas. Named for Martin Parmer, who was a member of the first legislature of Missouri, and later went to Texas, where he engaged in an attempted revolution about 1827.

Parramore; beach and island in Accomac County, Virginia, named for the family who were itis former owners.

Parrott; town in La Plata County, Colorado, named for a California capitalist Parry; peak in the Front Range, Colorado, named for the botanist.

Parsons; city in Labette County, Kansas, named for Judge Levi Parsons, a prominent railroad official.

Parsons; town in Tucker County, West Virginia, named for a former resident Parsonsfield; town in York County, Maine, named for Thomas Parsons, an early proprietor.

Pasadena; city in Los Angeles County, California. An Indian word meaning "crown of the valley."

Pascagoula; river, and town in Jackson County, in Mississippi, named for an Indian tribe, the name meaning "bread people."

Pasco; county in Florida, named for Senator Pasco.

Pascoag; village in Providence County, Rhode Island. An Indian word meaning "dividing place" and so named because it is situated at the forks of the Blackstone River.

Paso Robles; city in San Luis Obispo County, California. A Spanish phrase meaning "pass of the oak trees."

Pasquotank; county in North Carolina. An Indian word meaning "divided tidal river," and given this county because a river forms one of its boundaries.

Passaconaway; mountain in New Hampshire, named for a sachem of the Merrimack tribe of Indians.

Passadumkeag; town in Penobscot County, Maine, situated at the mouth of a river of the same name, by reason of which it was given this Indian name, which means "falls running over a gravel bed."

Passaic; county, city in same county, and river in New Jersey; derived either from the Indian word, passaic or pasmjeek, "valley," or from the Indian equivalent of "peace."

Passamaquoddy; bay on the coast of Maine. An Indian word meaning "pollock ground," or "pollock-plenty place."

Pass Christian; town in Harrison County, Mississippi. Received its name from Nicholas Christian, a Norwegian navigator, who discovered a channel or pass between Cat Island and the mainland.

Passumpsic; river and village in Caledonia County, Vermont. An Indian word meaning "much clear water."

Pastoro; mountain in Arizona, so named because of its high mountain pastures.

Patagumkis; tributary of the Penobscot River in Maine. An Indian word meaning "sandy-ground cove."

Patapsco; river in Maryland. An Indian word meaning "black water."

Patata; town in Los Angeles County, California. A Spanish word meaning "potato."

Patchogue; village in Suffolk County, New York. An Indian word meaning "turning place."

Paterson; city in Passaic County, New Jersey, named for William Paterson, an early governor.

Patkaskaden; tributary of James River. An Indian word meaning "tortoise" or "turtle."

Patoka; township and village in Marion County, Illinois, named for a local Indian chief.

Patrick; county in Virginia, named for the orator, Patrick Henry.

Pattaquonk; hill in Middlesex County, Connecticut. An Indian name meaning "round place" or "round hill."

Patterson; town in Putnam County, New York, named for a family of early settlers.

Paulding; county in Georgia, town in Jasper County, Mississippi, and county, and town in same county, in Ohio, named for John Paulding, who assisted in the capture of Major André.

Pauquepaug; brook in Litchfield County, Connecticut. The name is derived from the Indian word papke-paug, meaning "pure-water pond."

Pautuck; river, and village in Suffolk County, New York. An Indian word meaning "fall."

Pawling; town in Dutchess County, New York. The name is derived from Paulding.

Pawnee; creek in Colorado, so named by the Indians because a party of 200 Pawnee Indians were here surrounded by a greatly outnumbering force of Sioux, who, when they found they could not capture the Pawnees, proceeded to starve them out; but the Pawnees refused to surrender to escape even this death, and every man perished by starvation.

Pawnee; counties in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, named for the tribe of Pawnee Indians.

Pawpaw; villages in Lee County, Illinois, and Van Buren County, Michigan; and creek, and town in Morgan County, West Virginia; so named because of the presence of pawpaw trees.

Pawtucket; river in New England and city in Providence County, Rhode Island. An Indian word meaning ''at the little falls."

Paxton; city in Ford County, Illinois, named for Sir Joseph Paxton, of England, who was prominent in promoting emigration to Illinois.

Paxton; town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, named for Charles Paxton, of Boston.

Paxton; town in Keith County, Nebraska, named for W. A. Paxton, of Omaha, Nebraska.

Payette; river and a village in Canyon County, Idaho, named for a member of the Hudson Bay Company.

Payne; village in Paulding County, Ohio, probably named for Henry B. Payne, United States Senator from that State.

Payne; county in Oklahoma, named for Captain Payne, "Oklahoma Boone."

Paynesville; town in Pike County, Missouri, named for a resident of St. Louis.

Payson; township and village in Adams County, Illinois, named for Rev. Edward Payson, of Portland, Maine.

Peabody; city in Marion County, Kansas, named for F. H. Peabody, of Boston.

Peabody; town in Essex County, Massachusetts, named for George Peabody, the philanthropist.

Peace; creek in Florida, so named because it was the scene of a treaty of peace.

Peale; highest peak of the Sierra la Sal in Utah, named for Dr. A. C. Peale, the geologist. Pearl; river in Mississippi;

Pearlington; town in Hancock County, Mississippi; Pearl River; county in Mississippi. So named on account of the pearl fisheries which where early established by the French upon the Pearl River.

Pecan; village in Clay County, Georgia. An Indian word meaning "nut."

Pecatonica; township and village in Winnebago County, and river in Illinois. A corrupted form of the Indian word pickaiolica, the name of a species of fish.

Peckamin; river in New Jersey. Derived from the Indian word pakikm, "cranberries."

Pecos; county and river in Texas. Named from the Pecos (Shepherd) Indians of New Mexico, who had been taught sheep husbandry by the Spanish. The name is derived from the Latin pecus, meaning a "flock."

Pecunktuk; stream in Vermont. An Indian word meaning "crooked river."

Pedernales; rivers in North Carolina and Texas. A Spanish word meaning "flints," "rocks," or "stones."

Peekskill; village in Westchester County, New York, named for Jan Peek, a Dutch mariner of the seventieth century.

Pegumock; creek in New Jersey. An Indian word meaning "dark stream."

Pelham; towns in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, and Hillsboro County, New Hampshire, named for Thomas Pelham Holies, Duke of Newcastle.

Pelham; village in Westchester County, New York, named for the original patentee, John Pell.

Pella; city in Marion County, Iowa, colonized by Dutch settlers, to whom the word meant "city of refuge."

Pemadumcook; lake in Piscataquis County, Maine. An Indian word meaning "lake of the sloping mountain."

Pemaquid; point of land and village in Lincoln County, Maine. An Indian word meaning "long point," or, according to another authority, "that runs into the water."

Pembina; county, and city in same county, in North Dakota, from the Ojibwa name for "cranberry."

Pembroke; town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, named from the town in England.

Pembroke; town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, probably named for the Earl of Pembroke.

Pemigewasset; river in New Hampshire. The word is of Indian derivation, said to mean "crooked place of pines."

US Place Names

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