US Place Names ~ Phoenix, New York to Pompey, New York

Phoenix; village in Oswego, County, New York, named for Alexander Phoenix.

Phoenixville; borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, named for the Phoenix Iron Works.

Piasa; town in Macoupin County, Illinois. The Indian name of a huge animal figure which they had chiseled in an adjacent ledge of rock on the banks of the Mississippi River. The word seems to refer to a panther.

Piatt; county in Illinois, named for James Andrew Piatt, the first white settler within the limits of the county.

Piccowaxen; creek in Maryland. An Indian word meaning ''torn shoes."

Pickaway; county in Ohio. Another form of Piqua or Pequea, the name of a sub-tribe of the Shawnee Indians.

Pickens; counties in Alabama and Georgia, and county, and town in same county, in South Carolina, named for Gen. Andrew Pickens, of the Revolutionary war.

Pickens; town in Holmes County, Mississippi, named for James Pickens a land-owner.

Pickensville; town in Pickens County, Alabama, named for Gen. Andrew Pickens, an officer of the Revolution.

Pickett; county in Tennessee, named for Col. George Edward C. A. Pickett, who led the famous charge at the battle of Gettysburg.

Piedmont; town in Alameda County, California, at the foot of the Berkeley Hills; city in Wayne County, Missouri; and town in Mineral County, West Virginia, at the base of the Alleghenies. From the French pied, meaning ''foot," and mont, "mountain."

Piedra; town in San Luis Obispo County, California. A Spanish name meaning "stone."

Piegan; village in Chouteau County, Montana, named for a subtribe of the Blackfeet Indians, the original form being apikuni, meaning "badly tanned robes."

Pierce; mountain in Humboldt County, California, and counties in Georgia, Nebraska, Washington, and Wisconsin, named for President Franklin Pierce.

Pierce; county in North Dakota, named for Hon. Gilbert A. Pierce, first United States Senator from North Dakota.

Pierce; village in Wharton County, Texas, named for Thomas W. Pierce, an early railroad man.

Pierce City; city in Lawrence County, Missouri, named for Andrew Pierce, of Boston, Massachusetts.

Pierceton; town in Kosciusko County, Indiana, named for President Franklin Pierce.

Piermont; village in Rockland County, New York, so named because it is backed by high hills and facing the river, into which extends a long pier.

Pierre; city in Hughes County, South Dakota. Derives its name from Pierre Choteau, who established a post for fur trading with the Indians.

Pierrepont; town in St. Lawrence County, New York, named for Hezekiah B. Pierrepont, one of the original proprietors.

Pierrepont Manor; village in Jefferson County, New York, named for the Hon. William C. Pierrepont's residence.

Pierres Hole; valley in Idaho, named for an Iroquois chieftain in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company.

Person; village in Montcalm County, Michigan, named for O. A. Pierson, the first white settler.

Piffard; village in Livingston County, New York, named for David Piffard, a prominent settler.

Pigeon; one of the Apostle Islands, in Lake Superior, Wisconsin. A translation of the Indian name.

Pike; counties in Alabama and Arkansas, peak in Colorado, counties in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Missouri, town in Wyoming County, New York, and counties in Ohio and Pennsylvania, named for Gen. Zebulon M. Pike, the explorer.

Piketon; village in Pike County, Ohio, named from the county.

Pikeville; town in Wayne County, North Carolina, named for a prominent resident.

Pillsbury; village in Todd County, Minnesota, named for an early governor.

Pilot Grove; city in Cooper County, Missouri, so named because of the presence of a grove in a nearby prairie, which served as a landmark.

Pilot Knob; town in Iron County, Missouri, named from the hill which is a prominent feature of the landscape.

Pima; county and town in Graham County, Arizona, named for an Indian tribe.

Pinal; county in Arizona, named for a chief of the Apaches.

Pinckney; town in Lewis County, New York, named for Charles C. Pinckney, a prominent statesman of South Carolina. Pinckney; town in Union County, South Carolina.

Pinckneyville; towns in Clay County, Alabama, and Wilkinson County, Mississippi. Named for the Pinckney family of South Carolina.

Pinckneyville; city in Perry County, Illinois, named for Charles C. Pinckney, of South Carolina.

Pinconning; village in Bay County, Michigan. An Indian word meaning ''potato place."

Pine; county in Minnesota, so named because of the extensive forests of red and white pines in the district.

Pine Log; town in Tuolumne County, California, so named because the crossing of the Stanislaus River at this point was originally by a large log.

Pinkham; grant in Coos County, New Hampshire, named for Daniel Pinkham, the grantee.

Pino Blanco; town in Mariposa County, California. A descriptive Spanish name, meaning "white pine."

Pino Grande; town in Eldorado County, California, in a forest of large pine trees. A Spanish phrase, meaning "big pine."

Pinole; town in Contra Costa County, California. A Spanish word meaning "parched corn."

Pinon Blanco; peak and ridge in California. A Spanish phrase meaning "mountain of white rock."

Pinos Altos; town in Grant County, New Mexico. A Spanish phrase meaning "high pines."

Pintada; peak of the San Juan Mountains, California. A Spanish word meaning "mottled" or "spotted."

Piper City; village in Ford County, Illinois, named for its 'founder, Dr. William Piper.

Pipestone; county, and village in same county, in Minnesota, so named because of its celebrated quarry of red pipestone.

Piqua; city in Miami County, Ohio. From an Indian word signifying "ashes," the name of one of the four divisions of the Shawnee Indians, formerly occupying that region.

Pissacassick; river in New Hampshire.

Piscasset; stream in Maine. Derived from an Indian word meaning ''white stone."

Piscataqua; river in New Hampshire, said to have been derived from the Indian word pishgachtigok, meaning "the confluence of two streams," or "great deer river."

Piscataquis; county, and branch of the Penobscot River in Maine. An Indian word meaning "divided tidal river."

Pischelville; town in Knox County, Nebraska, named for the first postmaster, Anton Pischel.

Pisgah; mountain in Colorado, and town in Cooper County, Missouri, named indirectly from the mountain in Palestine. A Hebrew word meaning "peak."

Pishtaka; lake in northern Illinois. An Indian word meaning "fox."

Pit; river in California, so named because the Indians dug pits upon its banks to catch men and animals.

Pitcairn; island in the Pacific, named for its discoverer, Major Pitcairn.

Pitcairn; town in St. Lawrence County, New York, named for Joseph Pitcairn, the original proprietor.

Pitcher; creek in Humboldt County, California, named for an early settler.

Pitcher; town in Chenango County, New York, named for Nathaniel Pitcher, lieutenant-governor of the State.

Pithole City; village in Venango County, Pennsylvania, named from a creek which had a deep hole in the rocks upon its banks.

Pitkin; county, and village in Gunnison County, in Colorado, named for F. W. Pitkin, an early governor of the State.

Pitt; county in North Carolina, and mountain in Oregon, named for Sir William Pitt, Earl of Chatham.

Pittsboro; town in Calhoun County, Mississippi, named for an early settler.

Pittsboro; town in Chatham County, North Carolina,

Pittsburg; city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Named for Sir William Pitt, Earl of Chatham.

Pittsburg; city in Crawford County, Kansas, named from the city in Pennsylvania.

Pittsfield; township and city in Pike County, Illinois, named from the city in Massachusetts, the home of many of the settlers.

Pittsfield; town in Somerset County, Maine, named for William Pitts, of Boston.

Pittsfield; city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts.

Pittston; town in Kennebec County, Maine,

Pittsylvania; county in Virginia. Named for Sir William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, the celebrated English statesman.

Piute; mountain in San Bernardino County, and town in Kern County, California, and county in Utah. Named for an Indian tribe.

Placer; County in California.

Placerville; city in Eldorado County, California. From the Spanish plaza, meaning "place;" in mining districts, a place where surface deposition is washed for valuable minerals.

Plainfield; city in Union County, New Jersey, so named because it is situated on a beautiful plain.

Plankinton; township and city in Aurora County, South Dakota, named for John Plankinton, of Milwaukee.

Piano; town in Tulare County, California. A Spanish word meaning "plan" or "draft."

Plant City; town in Hillsboro County, Florida, named for H. C. Plant, who organized a railroad system in that State.

Plaquemines; parish, and town in Iberville Parish, in Louisiana, so named by Bienville on account of the quantities of persimmons which grow in the vicinity.

Plata; river in Colorado. A Spanish word meaning "silver."

Platte; river in Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming. From the French plate, meaning "dull," "shallow," a term singularly applicable to this stream.

Platte; county, and city in same county, in Missouri, and county in Nebraska, named from the Platte River.

Plattekill; town in Ulster County, New York. A Dutch word meaning "flat brook."

Plattsburg; village in Clinton County, New York, named for Judge Zephaniah Piatt, it's founder.

Plattsmouth; city in Cass County, Nebraska, so named because of its location at the confluence of the Platte and Missouri rivers.

Plattville; village in Porter County, Indiana, named for Thomas Piatt, who laid it out.

Pleasanton; city in Linn County, Kansas, named for Gen. Alfred Pleasanton.

Pleasant Plains; village in Sangamon County, Illinois, a descriptive name suggestive of the location.

Pleasants; county in West Virginia, name for James Pleasants, an early governor.

Plessis; village in Jefferson County, New York, named from the town in France.

Plum; stream in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, the name being a translation of the Indian word sipuas-hanne.

Plumas; county in California traversed by the Feather River. A Spanish word meaning "feather.''

Plymouth; town in Marshall County, Indiana; counties in Iowa and Massachusetts, towns in Washington County, North Carolina, and Windsor County, Vermont; and city in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin; named from the town in Massachusetts.

Plymouth; town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, the landing place of the Pilgrims, named from Plymouth in England, where they were hospitably entertained prior to their emigration to America.

Plymouth; township and village in Richland County, Ohio, so named by pioneers from Plymouth, Pennsylvania.

Plympton; town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, doubtless named for one of the Plymptons of England.

Pocahontas; village in Bond County, Illinois; county in Iowa; village in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri; and county in West Virginia; named for the Indian princess. The name is said to signify "stream between two hills."

Pocantecs; stream running through "Sleepy Hollow," near Tarrytown, New York. An Indian word meaning "a run between two hills."

Pocasset; village in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. An Indian word meaning "at which a strait widens."

Pochaug; stream in Connecticut. An Indian word meaning "where they divide in two."

Pockwocamus; lake on Penobscot River, Maine. An Indian word meaning "mud pond." Pocomoke; river in Maryland;

Pocomoke City; town in Worcester County, Maryland. An Indian word meaning "broken by knolls."

Pocono; stream in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. An Indian word meaning "stream between mountains."

Poconteco; river in Westchester County, New York, said to have been densely shaded by trees. An Indian word meaning "dark river."

Pocosen; river in Virginia. Derived from an Indian word signifying "grassy bottom."

Poe; township in Hancock County, West Virginia, named for a family of pioneers and Indian fighters.

Poestenkill; town in Rensselaer County, New York, named from its principal stream. A Dutch word meaning "foaming creek."

Poge; cape at the north end of Chappaquidick Island, Massachusetts. Derived from an Indian word which means "harbor" or "place of shelter."

Pogues; creek in Indiana, named for an early settler.

Pohopoco; stream in Pennsylvania. Derived from the Indian word pochkapockla, signifying "two mountains bearing down upon each other with a stream intervening."

Poinsett; county in Arkansas, named for Joel R. Poinsett, secretary of war during the administration of President Van Buren.

Point a la Hache; town in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. A French name meaning "hatchet point."

Point Allerton; point near Boston, Massachusetts, named for a passenger on the Mayflower.

Point Arena; town in Mendocino County, California, on the coast. From the Latin, harena, meaning "sand," and point.

Point Bonita; southern extremity of Marin County, California. A Spanish phrase meaning "beautiful point."

Point Caswell; village in Pender County, North Carolina, named for Richard Caswell, a Revolutionary governor and general.

Pointe Coupee; parish, and town in same parish, in Louisiana, so named because of an extensive cut-off formed by the change in the course of the river. A French name meaning "cut-off point"

Point Pleasant; town in Mason County, West Virginia, so named because it was once a place of great natural beauty.

Point Remove; stream in Conway County, Arkansas. A corruption of the French word remous, meaning "eddy."

Point Reyes; town in Marin County, California, named from the point on which a light-house is situated, called by the Spanish punta des reyes, "point of the kings."

Point Roberts; cape on the coast of Washington, named for its discoverer.

Point Saint Ignace; village in Mackinac County, Michigan, named for Saint Ignacius.

Point Shirley; point and strait in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, named for William Shirley, an early governor.

Point Sur; town in Monterey County, California. From the Spanish meaning "south point."

Pokagon; village in Cass County, Michigan, named for a Pottawatomie chief, the name meaning "woman butcher."

Pokomoka; river in Maryland. An Indian name meaning "place of shellfish."

Poland; town in Androscoggin County, Maine, said to have been named for a noted Indian chief.

Poland; village in Mahoning County, Ohio, named for George Poland, its original proprietor.

Polk; counties in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin, and probably the counties of the same name in Minnesota, Nebraska, and Oregon, named for President James K. Polk.

Polk; county in North Carolina, named for Col. William Polk, of the North Carolina Continental Line.

Polkton; town in Anson County, North Carolina, named for Leonidas Polk.

Pollepel; island on the Hudson River, New York. A Dutch word meaning "ladle."

Polloksville; town in Jones County, North Carolina, named for a prominent citizen.

Polo; city in Ogle County, Illinois, named for the distinguished traveler, Marco Polo.

Pomeroy; city in Meigs County, Ohio, named for its original proprietor, Samuel Wyllis Pomeroy.

Pomfret; towns in Windham County, Connecticut, Charles County, Maryland, and Windham County, Vermont, named from the town in Yorkshire, England.

Pomme de Terre; river of Missouri entering the Osage River. A French phrase, meaning "potato."

Pomo; town in Mendocino County, California, named from its location in the fruit-growing region. A Spanish word denoting fruit in general, but applied particularly to the apple.

Pomona; cities in Los Angeles County, California, and Franklin County, Kansas, named for the Roman goddess of fruit. From the Latin pomum, "fruit''

Pomperang; river in Connecticut. An Indian word probably meaning ''place of offering."

Pompey; town in Onondaga County, New York, named for Pompey the Great.

US Place Names

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