List of Michigan county name etymologies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of Michigan county name etymologies.
11 counties, the cabinet counties, are named for members of Andrew Jackson's presidential administration.
9 counties have fictional names created by Henry Schoolcraft, usually adopted from Indian words.
4 counties are named after Irish counties.
- Alcona County was a name created by Henry Schoolcraft.
- Alger County is named for Russell A. Alger, a Michigan Governor and U.S. Senator.
- Allegan County was a name created by Henry Schoolcraft.
- Alpena County was a name created by Henry Schoolcraft.
- Antrim County is named for County Antrim in Ireland.
- Arenac County was a name created by Henry Schoolcraft.
- Baraga County is named for missionary Bishop Frederick Baraga, who worked with local Native Americans.
- Barry County, named for William T. Barry, Postmaster General of the United States, is a Cabinet county.
- Bay County lies at the head of Saginaw Bay.
- Benzie County is an Americanization of the French name, Riviere Aux-Bec-Scies, for the local river.
- Berrien County, named for John M. Berrien, Attorney General of the United States, is a Cabinet county.
- Branch County, named for John Branch, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, is a Cabinet county.
- Calhoun County, named for U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun, is a Cabinet county.
- Cass County, named for territorial governor and Secretary of War Lewis Cass, is a Cabinet county.
- Charlevoix County is named for French Jesuit missionary Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix.
- Cheboygan County is named for the Cheboygan River, which itself comes from an Ojibwe word, probably zhaabonigan, "sewing needle"
- Chippewa County is named for the Chippewa, or Ojibwe, Native American people.
- Clare County is named for County Clare in Ireland.
- Clinton County is named for DeWitt Clinton, the Governor of New York under whom the Erie Canal was constructed.
- Crawford County may be named for Fort Crawford in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, which was in turn named for politician William H. Crawford.
- Delta County is named for the Greek "Delta" symbol, because the original shape of the county was triangular (i.e., like a delta.)
- Dickinson County is named for Don M. Dickinson, U.S. Postmaster General under Grover Cleveland.
- Eaton County, named for United States Secretary of War John H. Eaton, is a Cabinet county.
- Emmet County is named for Irish patriot Robert Emmet.
- Genesee County was named after Genesee County, New York, home of many original settlers.
- Gladwin County is named for Henry Gladwin British military commander at Detroit during Pontiac's War.
- Gogebic County probably comes from the Ojibwe language word bic, meaning rock.
- Grand Traverse County is an Americanization of the French phrase grande travers, meaning long crossing, and originally referring to Grand Traverse Bay.
- Gratiot County is named for Charles Gratiot, the military officer who built Fort Gratiot at the present site of Port Huron.
- Hillsdale County is a hilly area.
- Houghton County is named for Douglass Houghton, Michigan geologist and Mayor of Detroit from 1842 to 1843.
- Huron County is named for Lake Huron.
- Ingham County named for United States Secretary of the Treasury Samuel D. Ingham, is a Cabinet county.
- Ionia County is named for the ancient Greek region Ionia.
- Iosco County was a name created by Henry Schoolcraft.
- Iron County is named for the iron resources found widely in the county.
- Isabella County was named for Queen Isabella of Spain, who patronized Christopher Columbus.
- Jackson County is named for Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States.
- Kalamazoo County is named for the Kalamazoo River. See Etymology of Kalamazoo for a discussion of the river's name.
- Kalkaska County was a name created by Henry Schoolcraft.
- Kent County is named for New York jurist James Kent.
- Keweenaw County is named for an Ojibwe word gakiiwe-wewaning meaning portage.
- Lake County has several small lakes and lies near Lake Michigan.
- Lapeer County is said to be an Americanization of the French la pierre meaning flint.
- Leelanau County was a name created by Henry Schoolcraft.
- Lenawee County is named for a Native American word meaning man.
- Livingston County named for United States Secretary of State Edward Livingston, is a Cabinet county.
- Luce County is named for Michigan Governor Cyrus G. Luce.
- Mackinac County was originally Michilimackinac, believed to be a French interpretation of the Native American name for the place.
- Macomb County is named for U.S. General Alexander Macomb, a notable officer of the War of 1812.
- Manistee County was named for the Manistee River, which in turn is from the Ojibwe name, ministigweyaa meaning (river) at whose mouth there are islands.
- Marquette County is named for French Jesuit missionary Pere Jacques Marquette.
- Mason County is named for Michigan Governor Stevens T. Mason.
- Mecosta County is named for Mecosta, a Native American leader.
- Menominee County is named for the Menominee Native American people.
- Midland County is located near the midpoint of the Lower Peninsula.
- Missaukee County is named for Missaukee, an Ottawa leader who signed land-grant treaties in 1831 and 1833.
- Monroe County is named for James Monroe, the fifth U.S. President.
- Montcalm County is named for the Marquis de Montcalm.
- Montmorency County is probably named for a historical figure named Montmorency, but which one is unknown.
- Muskegon County is named for the Muskegon River, named for the Ojibwe language word mashkiigoong meaning in the swamp or in the marsh.
- Newaygo County was either named for a Ojibwe leader who signed the Saginaw Treaty of 1819 or for a Native American word meaning much water.
- Oakland County was named for the many oak openings in the area.
- Oceana County is named for Lake Michigan, a freshwater "ocean."
- Ogemaw County is named for the Ojibwe word ogimaa, meaning chief or leader.
- Ontonagon County is named for a river called Nantounagon on an early French map.
- Osceola County is named for Native American leader Osceola of the Seminole nation.
- Oscoda County was a name created by Henry Schoolcraft.
- Otsego County is named for Otsego County, New York.
- Ottawa County is named for the Native American Ottawa people.
- Presque Isle County is an Americanization of the French term almost island, indicating a peninsula.
- Roscommon County is named for County Roscommon in Ireland.
- Saginaw County is a Native American term.
- St. Clair County is either named for Arthur St. Clair, first governor of the Northwest Territory, or for Saint Clair on whose feast day Lake St. Clair was discovered.
- St. Joseph County is named for Saint Joseph, the patron saint of New France.
- Sanilac County was probably named for a Wyandotte leader named Sanilac.
- Schoolcraft County was named for explorer and ethnologist Henry Schoolcraft.
- Shiawassee County is named for the Shiawassee River.
- Tuscola County was a name created by Henry Schoolcraft.
- Van Buren County named for United States Secretary of State Martin Van Buren (later eighth President of the United States), is a Cabinet county.
- Washtenaw County comes from the Native American term O-wash-ten-nong.
- Wayne County is named for U.S. General "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
- Wexford County is named for County Wexford in Ireland.
