US Place Names ~ Pemiscot County, Missouri to Phoenix, Arizona

Pemiscot; county in Missouri, named from its principal bayou. An Indian word meaning "liquid mud."

Penacook; substation in Concord, Merrimack County, New Hampshire. An Indian tribal name meaning "crooked."

Pender; county in North Carolina, named for Gen. William D. Pender, an officer of the Confederate Army.

Pendleton; town in Madison County, Indiana, named for the former proprietor, Thomas M. Pendleton.

Pendleton; counties in Kentucky and West Virginia, named for Edmund Pendleton, a prominent politician of Virginia.

Pendleton; town in Niagara County, New York, named for Sylvester Pendleton Clarke, ex-governor of Grand Island.

Pendleton; town in Northampton County, North Carolina, named for a prominent resident.

Pendleton; town in Umatilla County, Oregon, named for George H. Pendleton.

Pendleton; town in Anderson County, South Carolina, named for Judge Henry Pendleton, a Revolutionary jurist.

Pend Oreille; lake in Idaho, named from a tribe of Indians who were given this name by the French because of their habit of wearing pendants in their ears, the phrase meaning "hanging ear."

Penfield; town in Green County, Georgia, named for Josiah Penfield.

Penfield; village in Champaign County, Illinois, named for a railroad builder.

Penfield; town in Monroe County, New York, named for Daniel Penfield, an early settler.

Penikese; one of the Elizabeth islands in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. An Indian word meaning "sloping land."

Penn; township in Stark County, Illinois, named from Pennsylvania, whence many of the early settlers came.

Penn; the name of many townships, and the prefix to the name of many towns and villages in the United States, generally given in honor of William Penn.

Pennington; borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, named for the Pennington family, two members of which were governors of the State.

Pennington; county in South Dakota, named for John L. Pennington, a former governor.

Pennsylvania; State of the Union, named for William Penn, to whom the land comprised within the limits of the State was granted and sylvania, from the Latin silva, "forest."

Penn Tan; village in Yates County, New York. The name is a compound of the names of the two classes of settlers, Pennsylvanians and Yankees.

Pennypack; creek in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. An Indian word meaning "body of water with no current."

Penobscot; county, town in Hancock County, bay, and river in Maine. Derived from the Indian word penobskeag, meaning "rocky place," or "river of rocks."

Penryn; mining town in Placer County, California, named by miners from the borough in Cornwall.

Pensacola; bay and city in Escambia County, Florida. Said to be derived from the Indian word pan-sha-okla, meaning "hair people."

Pentwater; river and lake in Michigan, so named because of the supposition that the river had no outlet.

Pentwater; township and village in Oceana County, Michigan, named from the river.

Peosta; village in Dubuque County, Iowa. An Indian word meaning ''gorge in the rocks."

Peotone; town in Will County, Illinois. Derived from the Indian word petone, meaning "bring," "bring here," or "bring to this place."

Pepin; lake between Wisconsin and Minnesota, and county in Wisconsin, named for Pepin le Bref.

Pepperell; town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, named for Sir William Pepperell, a member of the Massachusetts council.

Pepperville; township in Butler County, Nebraska, named for Hubbel Pepper, an early settler.

Pequabuck; river in Connecticut. An Indian word meaning ''clear pond," or "open pond."

Pequanac; village in Morris County, New Jersey. An Indian word meaning "cleared land."

Pequannock; village in Hartford County, Connecticut. An Indian word meaning "land naturally clear and open."

Peoria; county, and city in same county, in Illinois, and nation in Indian Territory. A corrupted form of an Indian tribal name, signifying "carriers," or "packers." (Gatschet).

Pequea; township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, from Piqua, the name of a band of the Shawnee Indians who once inhabited the valley of the Pequea. The name signifies "ashes" and has a mythic reference.

Pequots; town in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, named for a tribe of Indians, the word being commonly rendered "destroyers," or "enemies."

Perdido; rivers in Alabama and Florida, and bay into which these empty, so named by the Spanish, the word meaning "lost," because a Spanish ship was destroyed in the bay.

Pere Marquette; town in Mason County, Michigan, named for Father Marquette.

Perham; town in Aroostook County, Maine, named for Hon. Sidney Perham, a governor of the State.

Perham; town in Ottertail County, Minnesota, named for Josiah Perham, an official of the Northern Pacific Railroad.

Perkins; plantation in Franklin County, Maine, named for Doctor Perkins, of Farmington.

Perkins; county in Nebraska, named for C. E. Perkins, an official of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad.

Perkiomen; branch of the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. A Delaware Indian word meaning "where there are cranberries."

Perinton; town in Monroe County, New York, named for Glover Perrin, the first permanent settler.

Perry; counties in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Missouri; town in Wyoming County, New York; and counties in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee; named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.

Perry; city in Jefferson County, Kansas, named for John D. Perry, a railroad official.

Perrysburg; town in Cattaraugus County, New York, and village in Wood County, Ohio, named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.

Perrys Mills; village in Clinton County, New York, named for George Perry, a former proprietor.

Perryville; city in Perry County, Missouri, named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.

Person; County in North Carolina, named for Gen. Thomas Person, an officer of the Revolution.

Perth; town in Fulton County, New York, named from the town in Scotland.

Perth Amboy; city in Middlesex County, New Jersey; the name is a combination of the name of the Earl of Perth and a corruption of the original Indian name of the town, Ompage.

Peru; township and city in Lasale County, Illinois, named from the town in New York.

Peru; township and city in Miami County, Indiana, named for the South American State.

Peru; towns in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and Clinton County, New York, named from the country in South America.

Pescadero; village in San Mateo County, California. A Spanish word meaning "fishmonger."

Peacongamoc; lake in Maine near the Penobscot River. An Indian word meaning "divided lake."

Peshtigo; river in Oconto County and town in Marinette County, Wisconsin. An Indian word meaning "wild goose river."

Pesotum; village in Champaign County, Illinois, said to be named for an Indian who was active in the Chicago massacre in the war of 1812.

Petaluma; township and city in Sonoma County, California. An Indian word meaning "duck pond."

Peterboro; town in Hillsboro County, New Hampshire, named from the city in England.

Peterboro; village in Madison County, New York, named for Peter Smith.

Petersburg; town in Arapahoe County, Colorado, named for Peter Magnes, its founder.

Petersburg; village in Kent County, Delaware, named for the descendants of Peter Fowler, who adopted his baptismal name as a surname.

Petersburg; city in Menard County, Illinois, named for Peter Lukins, a founder.

Petersburg; town in Pike County, Indiana, named for Peter Brenton, an early settler.

Petersburg; town in Rensselaer County, New York, named for Peter Simmons, an early settler.

Petersburg; borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, named for Peter Fleck, an early settler.

Petersburg; city in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, founded by Col. William Byrd and Peter Jones, and named for the latter. Petersham; town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, named for William Stanhope, Earl of Petersham.

Petersville; village in Bartholomew County, Indiana, named for Peter T. Blessing, its founder. Petoskey; city in Emmett County, Michigan. Named from an Ojibwa Indian chief, the name being said to refer to some one of the heavenly bodies. Pettis; county in Missouri, named for Spencer Pettis, secretary of state of Missouri. Pettit; island off the Maine coast, named for the Pettit family.

Pewabic; town in Ontonagon County, Michigan, named from the river which bears the Indian name pewabik sipi, "iron river."

Pewakpa; tributary of the Dakota River; a Sioux Indian name meaning ''elm river."

Pewamo; village in Ionia County, Michigan, named for the son of Shacoe, a chief of the Ojibwa Indians.

Pewaukee; village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, named from the lake which bore the Indian name of peewaukee-wee-ning, "lake of shells."

Peytona; village in Boone County, West Virginia, named for William M. Peyton.

Pheasant Branch; village in Dane County, Wisconsin, named from the stream which bears the name of Peona, possibly a corruption of the French paon "peacock," or "pheasant."

Pheba; village in Clay County, Mississippi, named for Mrs. Pheba Robinson.

Phelps; county, and village in Atchison County, in Missouri, named for Gov. John S.

Phelps. Phelps; county in Nebraska, named for William Phelps, an early resident of the county.

Phelps; village in Ontario County, New York, named for Oliver Phelps, one of the original proprietors.

Philadelphia; county, and city in same county, in Pennsylvania, so named by William Penn in order that the principle of the Quakers, brotherly love, might be identified with their city, the name being that of the city in Asia Minor. From the Greek, philadelphos meaning "loving one's brother."

Philadelphia; city in Jefferson County, New York, named from the city in Pennsylvania. Philippi; town in Barbour County, West Virginia, both town and county being named for Philip P. Barbour, an early governor of Virginia.

Philipsburg; city in Granite County, Montana, named for the manager of the Granite mine.

Philipsburg; borough in Center County, Pennsylvania, named for its founders, two Englishmen, Henry and James Philips.

Philipstown; town in Putnam County, New York, named for Adolph Philipse, the original patentee.

Phillips; county in Arkansas, named for Sylvan us Phillips, a prominent resident.

Phillips; county in Colorado, named for R. O. Phillips, a prominent statesman.

Phillips; county, and city in same county, in Kansas, named for Col. William A. Phillips.

Phillips; lake in Maine, named for the man who has owned it for fifty years.

Phillips; town in Franklin County, Maine, named for a prominent resident family, by whom the town site was formerly owned.

Phillips; city in Price County, Wisconsin, named for Elijah B. Phillips, a railroad constructor.

Phillipsburg; town in Warren County, New Jersey, named for a resident family.

Phillipston; town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, named for Lieut. Gov. William Phillips, 1814.

Phillipsville; village in Humboldt County, California, named for a settler.

Philmont; village in Columbia County, New York. Compound of Philip, the name of a prominent family, and mont, from its elevated location.

Philo; township and village in Champaign County, Illinois, named for Philo Hale, who made the first land entry in the vicinity.

Phippsbnrg; town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, named for Sir William Phipps, governor of Massachusetts.

Phoenix; city in Maricopa County, Arizona, named in prophecy of a "new growth," being situated in the midst of prehistoric ruins.

US Place Names

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