US Place Names ~ Bremer County, Iowa to Byron, Georgia

Bremer; county in Iowa, named for Fredrika Bremer, the Swedish authoress, who spent some time in that region in 1850.

Brentwood; town in Contra Costa County, California, named from the town in New Hampshire.

Brentwood; town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, incorporated as Brintwood; probably named from a place in England.

Brevard; county in Florida, named for Doctor Brevard, author of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.

Brevard; town in Transylvania County, North Carolina, named for Ephraim J. Brevard, a Revolutionary patriot.

Brewer; mount in California, named for Prof. W. H. Brewer.
Brewer; city in Penobscot County, Maine, named for Col. John Brewer, a first settler.
Brewer; strait of Staten Island, New York, discovered by Brewer in 1643.
Brewster; town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, named for Elder William

Brewster, one of the first settlers in Plymouth colony.
Brewster; village in Putnam County, New York, probably named after James and Walter F. Brewster, who at one time owned the tract of land comprising the village.

Brewster; county in Texas, named for H. P. Brewster, private secretary to Samuel Houston.

Briceland; village in Humboldt County, California, named for a resident.

Bridal Veil; falls in Yosemite Valley, California, and falls on a branch of the Columbia River, Oregon. A descriptive name.

Bridal Veil; village in Multnomah County, Oregon, named for the falls.

Bridge; creek in Yellowstone Park, named from a natural bridge of trachyte over it Bridgeport; city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, also of numerous other places, usually so called from a bridge in or near the place. The suffixes "ton," "town," "water," and "ville" are also used frequently.

Bridgeport; township and town in Lawrence County, Illinois, first called The Bridge, from a bridge spanning a stream at that point.

Bridger; peak, village in Carbon County, and river in Montana, lake in Yellowstone Park, and pass in the Rocky Mountains, named for Maj. James Bridger, a noted guide.

Bridgeton; city in Cumberland County, New Jersey. Corrupted from bridge town, so named because of its location by the bridge over the old fording place on the Cohansey River.

Bridgewater; town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, named for the Duke of Bridge water. Nason says the name was derived from a town in Somersetshire, England.

Bridgton; town in Cumberland County, Maine, named for an early settler. Moody Bridges.

Briensburg; village in Marshall County, Kentucky, named for Janie" Brien, member of the legislature.

Brigham; city in Boxelder County, Utah, named for Brigham Young.

Bright Angel; creek in Arizona, so named because of the clearness of its waters.

Brighton; township and village in Macoupin County, Illinois, named by settlers from Brighton (a part of Boston), Massachusetts. Many other places also bear this name, being named either directly or indirectly from Brighton in England.

Briscoe; county in Texas, named for Andrew Briscoe, a San Jacinto veteran.

Bristol; town in Lincoln County, Maine, county in Massachusetts, town in Ontario County, New York, village in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, county, and city in same county, in Rhode Island, town in Sullivan County, Tennessee, and city in Harrison County, West Virginia; named from the town in England.

Bristol; town in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, named for Rev. Ira Bristol, an early settler.

Britton; village in Marshall County, South Dakota, named for Col. Isaac Britton.

Broad; mountain ridge in Pennsylvania which has a broad tableland almost desti-tute of trees.

Broadalbin; town in Fulton County, New York, named from a place in Scotland.

Broadhead; town in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, named for a resident.

Broadlands; village in Champaign County, Illinois, so called from a farm of the same name, containing a thousand acres.

Broadtop; mountain in Bedford and Huntingdon counties, Pennsylvania; a descrip-tive name.

Broadwater, county in Montana, named for Col. Charles Broadwater.

Brock; village in Nemaha County, Nebraska, named for a resident.

Brockport; village in Monroe County, New York, named for Hiel Brockway, an early settler.

Brockton; city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, named for an old resident family.

Brocton; village in Edgar County, Illinois, named from Brockton, Massachusetts.

Brodhead; city in Green County, Wisconsin, named for Edward Brodhead, a prominent resident.

Brokenstraw; village in Chautauqua County, New York, and creek in Warren County, Pennsylvania. A translation of the Indian word degasysnohdyahgah.

Bronco; village in Nevada County, California. A Spanish word meaning "rough" or "coarse."

Bronson; village in Bourbon County, Kansas, named for Ira D. Bronson, of Fort Scott.

Bronx; river in Westchester County, New York;
Bronzdale; village in Westchester County, New York;

Bronxville; village in Westchester County, New York. Named for Jonas or Jacob Bronck, an early settler.

Brook; many places in the country bear this name, mostly descriptive of the situation upon some stream. The word is used with various suffixes, such as "ville," "vale," "Wiew," "wood," etc.

Brooke; county in West Virginia, named for Robert Brooke, governor of the State of Viiginia in 1794-1796.

Brookfield; township and city in Linn County, Missouri, named for John W. Brooks, of Boston, a prominent railroad official.

Brookfield; town in Orange County, Vermont, so called, according to tradition, because of the number of brooks in the region in early days.

Brookings; county in South Dakota, named for Wilmot W. Brookings, a legislator.

Brookland; town in Lexington County, South Carolina, crossed by several small streams.

Brookline; U)wn in Norfolk County, Mafisachusetts. The name is said to be a modification of Brooklyn. Some authorities say, however, that the name was given because of a small creek running through the place.

Brooklyn; township in Schuyler County, Illinois, town in Poweshiek County, Iowa, and villages in Jackson County, Michigan, and Perry County, Mississippi, named from Brooklyn, New York.

Brooklyn; part of New York City; a corruption of the Dutch name Breuckelen, from a village in the province of Ttrecht, Holland. The name signifies "broken up land" or "marshy land."

Brooks; county in Georgia, named for Preston L. Brooks.

Brooks; town in Waldo County, Maine, named for Governor Brooks, of Massa-chusetts.

Brooks Grove; village in Livingston County, New York, named for Micah Brooks.

BrooksTille; town in Noxubee County, Mississippi, named for a resident family.

BrookTille; town in Franklin County, Indiana, named for Jesse Brook Thomas, the original proprietor.

Brookville; town in Bracken County, Kentucky, named for David Brooks. Broome; county in New York;

Broome Center; village in Schoharie County, New York. Named for Lieutenant-Governor John Broome.

Brown; counties in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin, named for Maj. Gen. Jacob Brown, commander in chief. United States Army, 1821-1828.

Brown; county in Kansas, named for O. H. Browne, member of the first Territorial legislature.

Brown; county in Minnesota, named for Joseph R. Brown, a member of the council in 1865.

Brown; county in Nebraska, named for two members of the committee who reported the bill for the organization of the county.

Brown; county in South Dakota, named for Alfred Brown, a legislator in 1879.

Brown; county in Texas, named for Henry S. Brown, an old settler.

Brownfield; town in Oxford County, Maine, named for Capt. Henry Young Brown, to whom the site was granted.

Brownington; town in Orleans County, Vermont, named for Timothy and Daniel Brown, to whom part of the land was originally granted.

Browns; village in Edward County, Illinois, named for L. J. Brown, the principal landowner.

TBrownstown; town in Jackson County, Indiana;

iBrownsville; town in Edmonson County, Kentucky. Named for Gen. Jacob Brown.

Brownsville; borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, named for the Brown brothers, Thomas and Basil, early settlers.

Brownsville; city in Cameron County, Texas, named for Major Brown, who was killed there at the beginning of the war with Mexico.

Browntown; village in Green County, Wisconsin, named for William G. Brown, an earlv settler.

Brownville; town in Piscataquis County, Maine, named for Deacon Francis Brown, an early resident.

Brownville; city in Nemaha County, Nebraska, named for the first settler, Richard Brown, who went there from Holt County, Missouri.

Brownville; town in Jefferson County, New York, named for John Brown, an early settler, father of General Brown.

Brownwood; city in Texas, named for Henry S. Brown, an old settler.

Bruceton Mills; town in Preston County, West Virginia, named for an early prom-inent settler.

Bruceville; village in Knox County, Indiana, named for William Bruce, the former owner of the land.

Brule; town in Keith County, Nebraska, county in South Dakota, and town in Douglas County, Wisconsin, and several other places, named for a tribe of Indians. The word means "burnt," and the tribe, the Brule Sioux, were said to have acquired the name from having been caught in a prairie fire and being badly burned about the thighs.

Brunson; town in Hampton County, South Carolina, named for a prominent family.

Brunswick; town in Cumberland County, Maine, named for the house of Bruns-wick, to which the reigning King of Great Britain, William III, belonged.

Brunswick; city in Chariton County, Missouri, named for Brunswick Terrace in England, the former home of the founder, James Keyte.

Brunswick; counties in North Carolina and Virginia, named for the duchy in Germany.

Brush.; creek in Pennsylvania. From the Indian word, achweeky meaning '* bushy" or "overgrown with brush."

Brushland; village in Delaware County, New York, named for Alexander Brush, first settler and proprietor.

Brushton; village in Franklin County, New York, named for Henry N. Brush, an extensive property owner.

Brutus; town in Cayuga County, New York, named by the State land board of New York, which gave names of celebrated Romans to townships in the military tract in central New York. Village in Clay County, Kentucky, town in Emmet County, Michigan, and village in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, also bear this name.

Bryan; county in Georgia, named for Jonathan Bryan, one of the founders of the State.

Bryan; village in Williams County, Ohio, named for John A. Bryan, a former audi-tor of the State.

Bryan; city in Brazos County, Texas, named for Moses Austin Bryan.

Bryn Mawr; village in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, named from the town in Wales.

Bryson; town in Swain County, North Carolina, named for T. D. Bryson, member of the legislature, and owner of the town site.

Buchanan; counties in Iowa, Missouri, and Virginia, and several other places in the country, named for President James Buchanan.

Buchanan; town in Botetourt County, Virginia, named for Col. John Buchanan, pioneer and Indian fighter of Augusta County.

Buck Creek; village in Greene County, Indiana, so named because a buck appeared each returning season on the banks of a nearby creek.

Buckeye; township in Shasta County, California, named by settlers from Ohio, the Buckeye State.

Buckeye; post-offices in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, Mississippi County, Missouri, and several towns and villages. The word is applied to a species of horse chestnut which grows on river banks in western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan, the fruit resembling the eye of a buck.

Buckfield; town in Oxford County, Maine, named for Abijah Bucks, one of the first settlers.

Buckhannon; river and town in Upshur County, West Virginia. An Indian name said to mean "brick river."

Buckingham; county in Virginia; Bucks; county in Pennsylvania. Named from Buckinghamshire, England. Bucks Bridge; village in St. Lawrence County, New York, named for Isaac Buck, an early settler.

Buckskin; village in Park County, Colorado, named for Joseph Higginbottom, "Buckskin Joe."

Bucksport; town in Humboldt County, California, named for David Buck, who laid it out in 1851.

Bucksport; town in Hancock County, Maine, named for Col. Jonathan Backs, of Haverhill, an early settler.

Bucoda; village in Thurston County, Washington, named by taking the first part of the names of three men, Buckley, Collier, and Davis.

Bucyrus; city in Crawford County, Ohio, named by Col. James Kil bourne. The daughters of Samuel Norton, who live there, say that Colonel Kilboume's favorite character was Cyrus, King of Persia, to which **bu" was prefixed, referring to the beautiful country. An old citizen, F. Adams, says that it was named by Colonel Kil bourne from Busiris in ancient £gypt.

Buda; village in Bureau County, Illinois, named from Buda in Austria.

Buel; village in Montgomery County, New York, named for Jesse Buel, of Albany.

Buell; lake, partly in the town of Great Barrington, Berkshire County, Maasachu-setts, named for Samuel Buell, a neighboring resident, who saved three girls from drowning.

Buena Vista; county in Iowa, city in Rockbridge County, Viiginia, and twenty other places in the country. The name of the field upon which General Taylor won his victory, and doubtless given in some cases for patriotic reasons, but the majority of places are named descriptively. Spanish words, meaning '' beautiful view."

Buffalo; county in Nebraska, city in Erie County, New York, counties in South Dakota and Wisconsin, and numerous creeks, rivers, towns, and villages, usually so named because of the former presence of the buffalo.

Bullards Bar; town in Yuba County, California, named for an old settler. Bullitt; county in Kentucky; Bullittsville; town in Boone County, Kentucky. Named for Alexander Scott Bullitt.

Bulloch; county in Georgia;

Bullochville; village in Meriwether County, Georgia. Named for Archibald Bul-loch, one of the most eminent men of his time.

Bullock; county, and village in Crenshaw County, in Alabama, named for E. 0. Bul-lock, of that State.

Bulltown; village in Braxton County, West Virginia. Named for an Indian called Bull, who was imprisoned for taking part in Pontiac's conspiracy, and was murdered in 1773 by Jesse Hughes and John Hacker.

Bunceton; city in Cooper County, Missouri, named for Harvey Bunce, of the county.

Buncombe; county in North Carolina and several places in the Southern States, named for Col. Edward Buncombe, of the Continental Army.

Bunker Hill; city in Macoupin County, Illinois, and eleven other places, named for the famous battle of the Revolution.

Bunker Hill; eminence in Charlestown (Boston), Massachusetts, the scene of con-flict between the American and British forces, June 17, 1775.

Bunsen; peak in Yellowstone Park, named by the United States Geological Survey for the eminent chemist and physicist, Robert Wilhelm Bunsen.

Burden; city in Cowley County, Kansas, named for Robert F. Burden, a leading member of the town company.

Bureau; county, and town in same county, in Illinois, named for a French trader, Pierre de Beuro, who established a trading post upon a creek which first bore his name.

Burgaw; village in Pender County, North Carolina, named for a resident family.

Biirke; county in Georgia, and towns in Franklin County, New York, and Caledonia County, Vermont, named for Edmund Burke, the English statesman.

Burke; county in North Carolina, named for Thomas Burke, governor of North Carolina in 1781-82.

Burleigh; county and creek in North Dakota, named for Walter A. Burleigh, an early settler, and delegate to Congress.

Burleson; county, and village in Johnson County, in Texas, named for Edward Bur-leson, Indian fighter, and vice-president of the Republic of Texas under President Houston, 1841.

Burling^ame; town in San Mateo County, California, named from Burlingame in England.

Burlingrame; city in Osage County, Kansas, named for Anson Burlingame, minister to China.

Burlington; city in Des Moines County, Iowa, town in Coffey County, Kansas, and village in Calhoun County, Michigan, named from the city in Vermont.

Burlington; county, and city in same county, in New Jersey, named from Brilington (commonly pronounced Burlington), England.

Burlington; city in Chittenden County, Vermont, named for the Burling family, of New York.

Burling^n; city in Racine County, Wisconsin, named from Burlington Flats in New York.

Burnet; county, and town in same county, in Texas, named for David G. Burnet, twice governor of the State.

Burnett; town in Antelope County, N.ebraska, named for the first superintendent of the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad.

Burnett; county in Wisconsin, named for Thomas P. Burnett, an early legislator of the State.

Bumside; river and island in Georgia, named for an early settler.

Bomsville; village in Bartholomew County, Indiana, named for Brice Burns, its founder.

Burnsville; town in Yancey County, North Carolina, named for Otway Burns, cap-tain of the privateer Snapdragon,

Burr; creek in Humboldt County, California, named for early settlers.

Burrillville; town in Providence County, Rhode Island, named for Hon. James Burrill, jr., attorney-general of the State.

Burr Oak; city in Jewell County, Kansas, and village in St. Joseph County, Michi-gan, named from the species of tree common to both sections.

Burrs Mills; village in Jefferson County, New York, named for John Burr and Sons, mill owners.

Burrton; city in Harvey County, Kansas, named for I. T. Burr, vice-president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa F^ Railroad.

Burt; town in Kossuth County, Iowa, named for the president of the Union Pacific Hailroad.

Burt; county in Nebraska, named for Francis Burt, governor of the Territory in 1854.

Bushkill; two creeks, and village, in Pike County, Pennsylvania. A Dutch word meaning "bushy stream."

Bushnell; township and city in McDonough County, Illinois, named for N. Bushnell, president of the first railroad in that part of the State.

Bushy; creek in western Pennsylvania. A translation of the Indian word achemek.

Buskirk Bridge; village in Washington County, New York, named for Martin Van Buskirk.

Busti; town in Chautauqua County, New York, named for Paul Busti, of the Hol-land Land Company.

Butler; county in Alabama, named for Capt. William Butler, of that State.

Butler; village in Montgomery County, Illinois, named for Butler Seward, a first settler.

Butler; county in Iowa, and city in Bates County, Missouri, named for William o. Butler, of Kentucky, a general in the Mexican war.

Butler; county in Kansas, named for Andrew P. Butler, United States Senator from South Carolina in 1846-1857.

Butler; counties in Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, named for Gen. Richard Butler, who fell at St. Clair's defeat.

Butler; county in Missouri, named for a member of President Jackson's Cabinet.

Butler; county in Nebraska, named for David Butler, first governor of the State.

Butte; County in California, name from Marysville Buttes. A French word meaning "small knoLL or "small hill."

Butte; city in Silverbow County, Montana, named from a bare butte overlooking the place.

Butte; county in South Dakota, so named from buttes, prominent features in the county.

Butte des Morts; town in Winnebago County, Wisconsin. French words meaning "hill of the dead," so calle by the early explorers from the native graves found there.

Butterfly; village in Madera County, California. A translation of the Mexican name Mariposa.

Butter Hill; an eminence on the Hudson River, so called from its resemblance to a huge lump of butter.

Butts; county in Georgia, named in honor of Capt. Samuel Butts, an officer in the war of 1812.

Buttzville; town in Ransom County, North Dakota, name for a resident.

Buxton; town in York County, Maine, named from the native place of Rev. Paul Coffin, the first minister.

Buxton; village in Washington County, Oregon, named for Henry Buxton, an early settler.

Buzzards Bay; village in Barnstable County, and bay in Massachusetts, named for a small hawk very abundant on the coast.

Byers; town in Arapahoe County and mount in Colorado, named for w. N. Byera, of Denver.

Byhalia; town in Marshall County, Mississippi. An Indian word meaning "standing white oaks."

Bynumville; town in Chariton County, Missouri, named for Dr. Joseph Bynum, an early settler.

Byron; town n Houston County, Georgia and Genesee County, New York, named for Lord Byron. Eighteen places bear this name, all of which were probably named for the English poet.

US Place Names

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

 

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