US Place Names ~ Dade, Florida to Deuel County, South Dakota

Dade; county, and city in Pasco Comity, in Florida, and counties in (Georgia and Missouri;

Dadeville; town in Tallapoosa County, Alabama. Named for Maj. Francis L. Dade, of the Seminole war.

Daggett; pond in Maine, named for an early settler.

Daggett; town in San Bernardino County, California, named from the town in Indiana.

Daggett; village in Owen County, Indiana, named for Charles Daggett, a prominent resident.

Dagsboro; town in Sussex County, Delaware, named for Sir John Dagworthy.

Dahlonega; towns in Lumpkin County, Georgia, and Wapello County, Iowa. From a Cherokee Indian word signifying "yellow," referring to the gold formerly mined in upper Georgia.

Dakota; States of the Union, North Dakota and South Dakota, and counties in Minnesota and Nebraska, and several small places, named for the Indian tribe. The Indian form is Lakota, Nakota or Dakota, according to the dialect, signifying "allies," the common name of the confederated Sioux tribes.

Dale; county in Alabama, named for Gen. Samuel Dale of that State.

Dallam; county in Texas, named for James W. Dallam, the lawyer who made the first digest of Texas laws.

Dallas; county in Alabama, named for A. J. Dallas, Secretary of the Treasury under President Madison.

Dallas; counties in Arkansas, Iowa, and Missouri; town in Gaston County, North Carolina, and county, and town in same county, in Texas;

Dallas Center; town in Dallas County, Iowa. Named for George M. Dallas, Vice-President under President Polk.

Dalles; city in Wasco County, Oregon, named from The Dalles on the Columbia River.

Dalles; the name given by the Hudson Bay Company to deep chasms in rocks forming a narrow passage for rivers. A French word meaning "flagstone," "slab," also a "spout for water" or "trough." The most famous dalles are on the Columbia River, Oregon.

Dalmatia; town in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, named from the titular kingdom of Austria.

Dalton; towns in Whitfield County, Georgia, and Berkshire County, Massachusetts, named for Gen. Tristram Dalton, speaker of the house of representatives of Massachusetts.

Dalton; village in Chariton County, Missouri, named for William Dalton.

Dalton; town in Coos County, New Hampshire, named for Hon. Tristram Dalton, a grantee.

Daly; mountain in Colorado, named for Judge Charles P. Daly, formerly president of the American Geographical Society.

Daly; county in Montana, named for Marcus Daly.

Damariscotta; river, and town in Lincoln County, in Maine. An Indian name meaning "ale wife place" or "river. of little fishes."

Damascus; town in Placer County, California, and thirteen other towns and villages, named from the ancient city in Syria.

Dana; village in Lasalle County, Illinois, named for a railroad official.

Dana; town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, named for the family of which Chief Justice Francis Dana was a member.

Danbury; city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and several other places, named from the town in Essex, England.

Danby; town in Rutland County, Vermont, named from Danby, England.

Dandridge; town in Jefferson County, Tennessee, named for the maiden name of the wife of George Washington, Mrs. Martha Custis, nee Dandridge.

Dane; county, and village in same county, in Wisconsin, named for Nathan Dane, an American jurist and a member of Congress.

Danforth; township and village in Iroquois County, Illinois, named for George M. Danforth, its founder.

Danielson; borough in Windham County, Connecticut, named for Gen. James Danielson, the builder of the first house in the settlement.

Danielsville; town in Madison County, Georgia, named for Gen. Allen Daniel.

Dannebrog'; village in Howard County, Nebraska, settled by Danes from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Dannemora; town in Clinton County, New York, named from the celebrated iron region in Sweden.

Dansville; town in Steuben County, and village in Livingston County, New York, named for Daniel P. Faulkner, who laid out the village.

Danube; town in Herkimer County, New York, named from the river in Austria.

Danvers; township and village in McLean County, Illinois, named from the town in Massachusetts.

Danvers; Town in Essex County, Massachusetts, said to have received its name from the Earl D' Anvers, but Nason says it received its name in honor of Sir Danvers Osborn, governor of New York in 1753.

Danville; village in Ingham County, Michigan, named for Daniel L. Grossman, a resident.

Danville; township and city in Vermilion County, Illinois, named for Dan Beckwith, an Indian trader, who donated a part of the town site.

Danville; town in Hendricks County, Indiana, named for Daniel Bales, proprietor.

Danville; city in Boyle County, Kentucky, named for its founder Walker Daniel.

Danville; village in Montgomery County, Missouri, built on land which formerly belonged to Daniel M. Boone, son of Daniel Boone.

Danville; borough in Montour County, Pennsylvania, named for Gen. Daniel Montgomery, an early settler.

Danville; town in Caledonia County, Vermont, named for the distinguished French admiral, D'Anville.

Danville; city in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, ho named because situated on the the river Dan.

Darby; borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, named from Derby, England, whence many of the early settlers came.

Darbyville; village in Pickaway County, Ohio, named for a Wyandotte Indian chief.

Dare; county in Virginia named for Virginia Dare, the first white child born in the New World, 1587.

Darke; county in Ohio;

Darkesville; town in Berkeley County, West Virginia. Named for Gen. William Darke, an officer of the Revolution.

Darlington; borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, named for S. P. Darlington, a merchant of Pittsburg.

Darlington; county, and village in same county, in South Carolina. The origin of the name is not known, but may have been given in honor of Colonel Darlington, a Revolutionary leader.

Darlington; city in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, named for Joshua Darlington, a prominent resident.

Dartford; village in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, named for the first settler.

Dartmouth; town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, named, according to Whitmore, from the seaport in Devonshire, England; other authorities give William, Earl of Dartmouth.

Dartmouth; college in Hanover, Grafton County, New Hampshire, founded by and named for William, Earl of Dartmouth.

Darwin; town in Inyo County, California, and village in Clark County, Illinois, named for Charles Darwin, the English naturalist.

Darysaw; village and township in Grant County, Arkansas. A corruption of the French, des ruisseaur, "of the streamlets."

Dauphin; county in Pennsylvania, named for the Dauphin of France, son of Louis XVI.

Davenport; city in Scott County, Iowa, named for Colonel Davenport, an early settler.

Davenport; village in Thayer County, Nebraska, named from Davenport, Iowa.

Davenport; town in Delaware County, New York, named for John Davenport, an early settler.

David City; city in Butler County, Nebraska, named for David Butler, first governor of the State.

Davidson; town in Boulder County, Colorado, named for Col. William A. Davidson, president of the Davidson Coal and Iron Mining Company, which platted the town.

Davidson; village in Josephine County, Oregon, named for Elijah B. Davidson, an early settler.

Davidson; counties in North Carolina and Tennessee;

Davidson College; town in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Named for Gen. William Davidson, an officer of the Revolution. Davie; county in North Carolina, named for Gen. William R. Davie, governor in 1798-99.

Daviess; counties in Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri, named for Col. Joseph Daviess, who fell at the battle of Tippecanoe.

Davis; creek in Humboldt County, California, named for an old settler.

Davis; village in Stephenson County, Illinois, named for one of its founders, S. J. Davis.

Davis; county, and town in Decatur County, Iowa, named for Garrett Davis, member of Congress.
Davis; county in Utah, named for Capt. Daniel Davis, a first settler, and captain of the first body of mounted rangers organized in the county.

Davis; town in Tucker County, West Virginia, named for Senator H. G. Davis.

Davison; county in South Dakota, named for Henry C. Davison, the first settler in the county.

Davitte; village in Polk County, Georgia, named for the original proprietor, J. S. Davitte.

Dawes; county in Nebraska, named for James W. Dawes, former governor of the State.

Dawson; county in Georgia, named for William C. Dawson, United States Senator from that State.

Dawson; township in McLean County, Illinois, named for John Wells Dawson, a pioneer.

Dawson; village in Sangamon County, Illinois, named for Bert Dawson, one of its founders.

Dawson; county in Montana, named for Andrew Dawson, of the American Fur Company.

Dawson; village in Richardson County, Nebraska, named for Joshua Dawson, an early settler.

Dawson; county in Texas, named for Nicholas Dawson, who led the forces at the battle of Salado, in 1836.

Dawsonville; town in Dawson County, Georgia, named for William C. Dawson, United States Senator from that State.

Day; county in Oklahoma. The counties in Oklahoma were originally named from the letters of the alphabet; later, names were given which began with the letter corresponding to the one by which the county had been known.

Day; county in South Dakota, named for Merritt H. Day, legislator.

Dayansville; village in Lewis County, New York, named for Charles Dayan, who founded it in 1826.

Dayton; town in York County, Maine, named for a prominent politician.

Dayton; city in Montgomery County, Ohio, named for Jonathan Dayton, one of the original proprietors.

Dayton; city in Rhea County, Tennessee, named from the city in Ohio.

Dayton; city in Columbia County, Washington, named for Jesse N. Day, an early proprietor.

Daytona; town in Volusia County, Florida, named for W. T. Day, of Ohio.

Dead; mountain in Nevada, so called because it was supposed by the Mohave Indians to be the abode of departed spirits.

Deadmans; island in San Pedro Bay Loa Angeles County, California, supposed to be an Indian burial ground, because of the skeletons found in excavating.

Deadwood; town in Trinity County, California, and city in Lawrence County, South Dakota, named from adjacent forests of dead timber.

Deaf Smith; county in Texas, named for Erastus Smith, Indian and Mexican fighter and scout, so called because his hearing was imperfect.

Deal; island in Maryland. The name is corrupted from the old name, Devils Island.

Deal; borough in Monmouth County. New Jersey;

Deal Beach; post-office in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Name from Deal, England.

Deal Island; village in Somerset County, Maryland, named from the island.

Deansville; village in Oneida County, New York, named for Thomas Dean, agent of the Brothertown Indians.

Dearborn; county in Indiana, town in Wayne County, Michigan, river in Montana, and mount in South Carolina, named for Gen. Henry Dearborn, Secretary of War under President Thomas Jefferson.

Death; valley in Inyo County, California, so called because of the death of a party of immigrants from thirst and starvation. A gloomy tract of desert, 159 feet below sea level.

Deblois; town in Washington County, Maine, named for Thomas Amory Deblois, a bank president.

Decatur; counties in Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, and Kansas; towns in Newton County, Mississippi, and Otsego County, New York, and many other places; named for Commodore Stephen Decatur.

Deckertown; borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, named for a family numerous in the neighborhood.

Decorah; city in Winneshiek County, Iowa, named for Dehere, meaning "spoon," a Winnebago chief. Another authority gives the orthography as Decorie.

Dedham; town in Hancock County, Maine, named from the Massachusetts town.

Dedham; town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, name from the parish in England.

Deep; river in North Carolina. A translation of the Indian name sapponah "deep river."

Deep River; town in Poweshiek County, Iowa, named from a creek near.

Deerfield; descriptive name given to many places. The town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, was so named because when the petition for a town was pending Mr. Batchelder killed a deer, and upon presenting it to Governor Wentworth obtained the act and name.

Deerfield; township in Portage County, Ohio, named from Deerfield Valley, in Massachusetts.

Deering; town in Hillsboro County, New Hampshire, named by Governor Benning Wentworth for the maiden name of his wife.

Deer Isle; town in Hancock County, Maine, named from three islands upon which deer were very abundant.

Deerlodge; county, and town in Powell County, in Montana, named from a salt lick where deer came in droves.

Defiance; county, and city in same county, in Ohio, named from a fort erected by Gen. Anthony Wayne in defiance of the British and Indians.

De Funiak Springs; celebrated resort in Walton County, Florida, named for a resident of Nashville.

Dehesa; town in San Diego County, California. A Spanish word meaning "pasture land."

Dekalb; township and city in Dekalb County, Illinois, named from the county.

Dekalb; counties in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Tennessee, and numerous places in the country, named for Baron De Kalb, who fell at the battle of Camden.

De Lacy; creek in Yellowstone Park, named for William W. De Lacy, the first white man known to have passed along the valley.

De La Mar; town in Shasta County, California. From the Spanish, meaning "by the sea."

Delancey; village in Delaware County, New York, named for James De Lancey, an early patentee.

De Land; town in Volusia County, Florida, named for H. A. De Land, a manufacturer of Fairport, New York, who founded it.

Delano; town in Kern County, California, and mountains in Montana and Utah, named for Columbus Delano, Secretary of the Interior under President Grant Delavan; township and city in Tazewell County, Illinois, and city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, named for E. C. Delavan, a temperance advocate of Albany, New York.

Delaware; State of the Union, river, and counties in Indiana, Iowa, New York,

Ohio, and Pennsylvania, named for Lord de la Warr, governor and first captain-general of Virginia. Many small places also bear this name. A tribe of Indians was known by this name, and in the case of the county in Indiana, the name was given because this tribe had villages within the boundaries of the county.

Deleon; town in Comanche County, Texas;

Deleon Springs; town in Volusia County, Florida. Named for Ponce de Leon.

Delgada; point in California, named for an old Spanish explorer.

Delhi; village in Delaware County, New York, named from the city in India. Several other places bear this name.

Dellenbaugh; mount in Arizona, named for F. S. Dellenbaugh, the artist, by the Powell survey.

Delmar; town on the border between Delaware and Maryland, named from the first syllables of the name of each State.

Del Monte; city in Monterey County, California. A Spanish phrase meaning "of the mountain."

Del Norte; county in California, situated in the northwest comer of the State. Spanish words, meaning "of the north."

Del Norte; town in Rio Grande County, Colorado, named from the river Rio Grande del Norte, "grand river of the north."

Delphi; town in Carroll County, Indiana, and village in Onondaga County, New York, named for the ancient town in Phocis.

Delphos; city in Allen County, Ohio, and several other places named from the classical Delphos of Greece.

Del Rey; town in Fresno County, California, A Spanish phrase meaning "of the king."

Del Bio; town in Valverde County, Texas, named from its situation on Rio Grande. Spanish words, meaning "of the river."

Delrosa; town in San Bernardino County, California. A Spanish phrase meaning "of the rose."

Delsur; town in Los Angeles County, California. A Spanish phrase meaning "of the south."

Delta; town in Shasta County, California, and counties in Michigan and Texas, so named because triangular in shape.

Delta; county in Colorado, named from a delta of arable land at the mouth of the Uncompahgre River, where it flows into Gunnison River.

De Luz; township in San Diego County, California. From the Spanish, meaning "the light" "inspiration."

Demopolis; city in Marengo County, Alabama. A Greek word meaning "city of the people."

Denbigh; town in Warwick County, Virginia, named from the county in Wales.

Denison; city in Crawford County, Iowa, named for J. W. Denison; who laid it out.

Denison; city in Grayson County, Texas, settled by persons from the north, and probably named for Rev. C. W. Denison of early antislavery fame.

Denmark; town in Lewis County, New York, named from the kingdom in Europe.

Denmark; town in Bamberg County, South Carolina, named for B. A. Denmark, a railroad director.

Denning; town in Ulster County, New York, named for William H. Denning, a former proprietor.

Dennis; village in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, named for its first minister, Rev. Josiah Dennis.

Dennison; village in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, named, probably, for Gov. William Dennison.

Dennys; river in Maine, named for an Indian hunter.

Dennysville; town in Washington County, Maine, named from Dennys River.

Dent; county in Missouri, named for Lewis Dent, early resident.

Denton; town in Caroline County, Maryland, named for Sir Robert Eden, governor of the province in 1769-1776. It was first called Eden Town, from which it was shortened to the present form.

Denton; river, county, and city in same county in Texas, named for Capt. John B. Denton, who was killed in battle with the Indians.

Denver; county, and city in Arapahoe County, in Colorado, named for James W. Denver, a former governor of Kansas. Many towns and villages take their name from the city.

Depauville; village m Jefferson County, New York, named for Francis Depau, a large proprietor.

Depere; city in Brown County, Wisconsin, so named because situated on Rapides des Peres.

Depew; village in Erie County, New York, named for Chauncey M. Depew, United States Senator.

Depeyster; town in St. Lawrence County, New York, named for Frederick Depeyster, member of a celebrated New York family.

Deposit; village in Delaware and Broome counties, New York, so named because it was formerly a place of deposit for lumber.

Deptford; township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, named from a port in England.

Depue; village and creek in Bureau County, Illinois, named for De Pue, an early French trader.

Derby; city in New Haven County, Connecticut, and town in Orleans County, Vermont, named from the town and county in England. Many other places also bear this name, given either directly or indirectly from the same.

Derrick City; village in McKean County, Pennsylvania, so named from the great numbers of derricks which mark the oil wells in the vicinity.

Derry; town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, and borough in Montour County, Pennsylvania; also one or two small places. Named from the town in Ireland, now called Londonderry.

Deruyter; village in Madison County, New York, name for Admiral De Ruyter, of the Dutch navy.

Descanso; town in San Diego County, California. From the Spanish, meaning "rest from labor."

Deschutes; river, and village in Sherman (bounty, in Oregon. From the early French name riviere des chutes, meaning "river of the falls."

Desha; county in Arkansas, named for Captain Ben Desha, a prominent citizen of the State.

De Smet; town in Kootenai County, Idaho, and village in Kingsbury County, South Dakota, named for Peter John De Smet, a Jesuit missionary.

Des Moines; river, county, and city in Polk County, in Iowa. This name is thought to have been derived from the Indian word mikonang, meaning "road." This name was applied by the Indians in the form of moingona, which the French shortened into moin, calling the river "riviere des moins." Finally, the name became associated with the Trappist monks, and the river by a spurious etymology was called "la riviere des moines" "the river of the mohks."

De Soto; village in Sumter County, Georgia; county in Florida; township and village in Jackson County, Illinois; parish in Louisiana; county in Mississippi; and twelve other places, named for Hernando de Soto, the discoverer of the Missis-sippi River,

Des Plaines; river and village in Cook County, Illinois. Derived from the presence of a species of maple called by the French "plaine."

Destruction; island on the northwest coast of North America, so named because of the massacre of a boat crew upon this coast.

Detour; village in Chippewa County, Michigan, so named from its position, it being necessary to make a detour in order to reach it.

Detroit; township and town in Pike County, Illinois, named from Detroit, Michigan.

Detroit; river, and city in Wayne County, in Michigan. A French word, meaning "strait," or ''narrow passage," given to the river by the early French explorers because it is a short, narrow river connecting Lake St. Clair with Lake Erie.

Deuel; county in Nebraska, named for Harry P. Deuel, superintendent of the Union Pacific Railroad.

Deuel; county in South Dakota, named for Jacob Deuel, a legislator in 1862.

US Place Names

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