US Place Names ~ Fabius River, New York to Fly Stream, New York

Fabius; river in Missouri and town in Onondaga County, New York, named for the celebrated Roman consul. The town was named by the State land board of New York.

Factory; hill in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, covered with geysers and hot springs, so named because of the noise and steam proceeding from them, resembling in this respect an active factory town.

Fair; a name used with various suffixes, such as "brook," "land," "port," etc., to indicate an attractive appearance.

Fairbank; township in Sullivan County, Indiana, named for General Fairbanks. Fairbury; city in Jefferson County, Nebraska, named by an early settler, Mr. McDonell, for his home, Fairbury, Illinois.

Fairchild; creek in Park County, Colorado, named for A. Fairchild, a prospector. Fairfax; county, and town in same county, in Virginia, named for Lord Fairfax, grandson of Lord Culpeper.

Fairfield; county, and town in same county, in Connecticut, town in Somerset County, Maine, and counties in Ohio and South Carolina, so named from the beauty of their fields.

Fairmont; city in Marion County, West Virginia, so named for its situation on a hill.

Fairplay; town in Park County, Colorado, established by gold miners who named it as a living reproof to their "grab-all" neighbors.

Fairport; village in Monroe County, New York, so named for its pleasing location on the Erie Canal.

Faison; town in Duplin County, North Carolina, named for a prominent family.

Falkner; island in Long Island Sound, New Haven County, Connecticut. Named by the discoverer, Capt. Adrien Block, Valcken Eylandt (Falcon Island), of which the present appellation is a corruption.

Fall; river in Massachusetts, so named because it is only about 2 miles in length and falls about 140 feet in a half mile.

Fall River; city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, situated on the Fall River.

Fall River; county in South Dakota, named from the river. A literal translation of the Indian name.

Fallowfield; township in Washington County, Pennsylvania, named for Lancelot Fallowfield, one of the first purchasers of the land from William Penn.

Falls; county in Texas, named from the falls in Brazos River.

Falls Church; town in Fairfax County, Virginia, so named because of the Episcopal church established there.

Fallston; borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, named from the falls in Beaver River.

Falls Village; village in Litchfield County, Connecticut, named from the falls in the Housatonic River.

Falmouth; towns in Cumberland County, Maine, and Barnstable County, Massachusetts, named from the seaport town in Cornwall.

Famoso; town in Kern County, California. A Spanish word meaning "famous," or "celebrated."

Fannin; county in Georgia, and county, and village in Goliad County, in Texas, named for Col. James W. Fannin, of North Carolina, who fought in the Texan war.

Farallone; group of small islands on the coast of California, named by the early Spanish explorers. The word farallon means "needle," or "small, pointed island."

Fargo; city in Cass County, North Dakota, named for one of the members of the Wells, Fargo Express Company. Several other places bear his name.

Faribault; county, and city in Rice County, in Minnesota, named for John Baptiste Faribault, a settler and French fur trader among the Sioux Indians.

Farina; town in Fayette County, Illinois, named from its location in the wheat-growing district.

Farley; town in Dubuque County, Iowa, named for the superintendent of the Sioux City Railroad.

Farmer; name applied to many small places, either with or without suffixes, indicative of rural conditions and appearance.

Farmersville; village in Collin County, Texas. An early settler set apart a square piece of land as a gathering place for farmers from the surrounding country, which square forms the nucleus of the existing village.

Farmington; town in San Joaquin County, California; an agricultural district, so designated to distinguish it from the mining regions.

Farmington; town and river in Hartford County, Connecticut, named from a place in England.

Farmington; township and city in Fulton County, Illinois, and town in Ontario County, New York, named from Farmington, Connecticut.

Farmington; village in Oakland County, Michigan, named from Farmington, New York.

Farmington; town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, so named because of its unusual adaptability to farming purposes.

Farnham; village in Erie County, New York, named for Le Roy Farnham, the first merchant.

Farnham; town in Richmond County, Virginia, named from the town in Surrey, England.

Farragut; town in Fremont County, Iowa, named for Admiral Farragut.

Farrandsville; village in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, laid out by and named for William P. Farrand, of Philadelphia.

Farrar; town in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, named for a wealthy citizen.

Farwell; village in Clare County, Michigan, named for Samuel B. Farwell, an officer of the old Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad. Faulk; county in South Dakota;

Faulkton; township and city in Faulk County. Named for Andrew J. Faulktho, the second governor of Dakota Territory.

Faulkner; county, and village in same county, in Arkansas, named for Sandy Faulkner, the real "Arkansas Traveler." Fauquier; county in Virginia;

Fauquier Springs; village in Fauquier County. Named for Francis Fauquier, governor of the State.

Fausse Riviere; village in Louisiana, so called because it is situated on what was formerly the bed of the Mississippi River. Many years ago the river wore through an isthmus and left its former bed dry for a distance of about 30 miles. A French name, meaning "false river."

Faustburg; village in South Carolina, named for the first settler.

Fayette; counties in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia, and many places through-out the country, named for the Marquis de la Fayette. The name is also used with suffixes, such as "ville" and "corner."

Fear; cape and river in North Carolina. Sir Richard Grenville narrowly escaped being wrecked near the cape, in consequence of which he so named it.

Feather; river in California. A translation of the early Spanish name, plumas.

February; village in Washington County, Tennessee, named for a resident of the place.

Federal; name given to several places in the country, in reference to the national form of government.

Federalsburg; village in Caroline County, Maryland, so named because settled by persons from the Northern States.

Felix; townships in Grundy counties, Illinois and Iowa, named for Felix Grundy, Senator from Tennessee.

Fells; point in Maryland named for the purchaser, a ship carpenter, William Fell.

Felts Mills; village in Jefferson County, New York, named for John Felt, an early proprietor.

Fence; rivers in Wisconsin and Michigan. A translation of the Indian word "mitchigan" referring to a wooden fence constructed near its banks by the Indians for catching deer.

Fenner; towns in San Bernardino County, California, and Madison County, New York, named for Governor Fenner, of Rhode Island.

Fennimore; village in Grant County, Wisconsin, named for a settler who disappeared during the Black Hawk war.

Fennville; village in Allegan County, Michigan, named for a lumberman, Elam Fenner, who founded the village.

Fenton; village in Genesee County, Michigan, named for Colonel Fenton, who owned a large tract of land on the present site.

Fentonville; village in Chautauqua County, New York, named for Reuben Eaton Fenton, governor of the State in 1865-1869.

Fentress; county in Tennessee, named for James Fentress, member of a commission appointed to fix upon a place for the seat of justice for Shelby County.

Fergus; county in Montana;

Fergus Falls; city in Ottertail County, Illinois. Named for John Fergus, a pioneer of the West.

Ferguson ville; village in Delaware County, New York, named for the Ferguson brothers, who were largely engaged in business there.

Fermanagh; township in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, named from the county in Ireland.

Fern; town in Shasta County, California, named from its location in the fern district of the Siskiyou Range.

Fern; name used with various suffixes, generally given because of the presence of the plant. Eighteen places bear this name, some with suffixes, such as "dale," "bank, "and "ridge."

Femandina; city in Nassau County, Florida, named for a Spaniard, Fernandez.

Ferrisburg; town in Addison County, Vermont, named for Benjamin Ferris, who applied for a charter in 1762.

Ferry; county in Washington, named for Elisha P. Ferry, governor of the Territory.

Fetterman; town in Taylor County, West Virginia, named for a resident of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, who owned the land.

Fever; river in Illinois, named by the early French, la rivière de fève, "the river of the bean," because of the immense quantity of wild beans upon its bank. The name was corrupted to fièvre, "fever," which gave rise to the impression that the place was unhealthy.

Fidalgo; island and village in Skagit County, Washington, and harbor in Alaska, named for the Spanish explorer.

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

Fifty Bight; village in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, named so because it is 58 miles from Charleston.

Fillmore; mount in California, named for a naval officer.

Fillmore; counties in Minnesota and Nebraska, and many places in the country named for Millard Fillmore, President of the United States.

Fillmore; station in Wyoming, named for a superintendent of the Southern Pacific Railroad.

Fincastle; town in Botetourt County, Virginia, and several other places directly or indirectly named for Governor Lord Dunmore and his son George, Lord Fincastle.

Findlay; city in Hancock County, Ohio, named from Fort Findlay, built by Col. James Findlay, of Cincinnati.

Findley; township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, named for William Findley, governor of the State in 1817-1820.

Fine; town in St. Lawrence County, New York, named for John Fine, the principal proprietor.

Finney; county in Kansas, named for David W. Finney, lieutenant-governor in 1881-1885.

Fire; hill in Humboldt County, California, so named because in early days it was used as a station from which to signal with fire.

Fire; creek in Missouri, originally called Fire-prairie Creek, because of the fires that swept over the prairies.

Firehole; river in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming. The word "hole" was used by the early explorers to designate depressions among the mountains, while the first part of the name refers to the remarkable geyser region from which the river flows.

Fisher; county, and village in same county, in Texas, named for S. Rhodes Fisher, secretary of the navy in Houston's cabinet.

Fishkill; town, creek, plains, and mountains in Dutchess County, New York, named by the early Dutch settlers, vishkill "fish creek."

Fitch; stream in Stark County, Illinois, named for George Fitch, an early settler on its banks.

Fitchburg; city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, named for John Fitch, one of the committee that procured the act of incorporation.

Fitchville; township in Huron County, Ohio, named for Colonel Fitch.

Fithian; village in Vermilion County, Illinois, named for Dr. William Fithian.

Fitzwilliam; town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, named for the Earl of Fitzwilliam.

Five Comers; village in Miami County, Indiana, so named because it is at the junction of several roads.

Flackville; village in St. Lawrence County, New York, named for John P. Flack, first postmaster.

Flagstaff; town in Coconino County, Arizona, named from a pole set by a party of immigrants who camped near and celebrated the Fourth of July.

Flagstaff; plantation in Somerset County, Maine, so named because Benedict Arnold encamped here on his Quebec expedition and erected a flagstaff.

Flambeau; river and lakes in Wisconsin, so called because of the practice of using torches to catch fish at night.

Flambeau; town in Gates County, Wisconsin, named from the river of the same name.

Flathush; part of Brooklyn, New York, so named from woods that grew on flat country.

Flathead; lake, county, and river in Montana, named from an Indian tribe. The name originated with the early settlers who called several different tribes of Indians by this name on account of their custom of flattening the heads of infants by fastening a piece of board or a pad of grass upon the forehead. After this had been worn several months it caused a flat appearance of the head.

Flatonia; city in Fayette County, Texas, named for F. W. Flato, a first settler.

Flattery; promontory in Washington, so named by Captain Cook, "in token of an improvement in our projects."

Flavel; summer resort in Clatsop County, Oregon, named for a prominent resident of Astoria.

Flemings; town in Cayuga County, New York, named for Gen. George Fleming, an old resident.

Fleming; county in Kentucky;

Flemingsburg; town in Fleming County. Named for Col. John Fleming, an early settler in the State.

Flint; river in Georgia; a translation of the Indian word thronatuska, also lonoto, "flint."

Flint; city in Genesee County and river in Michigan; called by the Indians, pawon-nuk-ening, "river of the flint."

Flirt; lake in Florida, named for a Government schooner.

Flora; city in Clay County, Illinois, named for Flora Whittleby, daughter of the founder.

Flora; town in Madison County, Mississippi, named by W. B. Jones for his wife.

Floral Park; village in Nassau County, New York, so named because of the abundance of flowers.

Florence; city in Lauderdale County, Alabama, village in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, and town in Oneida County, New York, named from the city in Italy.

Florence; city in Marion County, Kansas, named for Miss Florence Crawford, of Topeka.

Florence; town in Ravalli County, Montana, named for Florence Abbott Hammond, wife of A. B. Hammond, of Missoula.

Florence; village in Douglas County, Nebraska, named for Miss Florence Kilbourn.

Florence; county, and township and town in same county, in South Carolina, named for the daughter of Gen. W. W. Hardlee.

Florence; county in Wisconsin, named for the Florence Mining Company.

Flores; creek in Idaho, named from the flowers on its banks.

Florida; State of the Union, named by Ponce de Leon, the florid or flowery land. He chose this name for two reasons: First, because the country presented a pleasant aspect; and, second, because he landed on the festival which the Spaniards call Pascua de Flores, or Pascua Florida, "Feast of flowers," which corresponds to Palm Sunday. The second reason is generally considered to have more weight.

Florissant; town in El Paso County, Colorado, named by Judge James Castello from his old home in Missouri.

Florissant; city in St. Louis County, Missouri, named from the flowery valley in which it is situated.

Flowing Well; town in San Diego County, California, named from the artesian wells used for irrigating purposes.

Floyd; county in Georgia, named for Gen. John Floyd, at one time member of Congress from that State.

Floyd; county in Indiana, said by some authorities to have been named for Col. John Floyd, while others claim that it was named for Davis Floyd.

Floyd; county, town in same county, and river in Iowa, named for Sergt. Charles Floyd, of the Lewis and Clarke exploring party.

Floyd; county in Kentucky, named for Col. John Floyd, an officer of the Revolution.

Floyd; town in Oneida County, New York, named for William Floyd, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Floyd; county in Texas, named for Dolfin Floyd, who fell at the Alamo.

Floyd; county, and town in same county in Virginia, named for Gov. John Floyd.

Floyds; creek in Adair County, Missouri, named for an early settler who came from Kentucky.

Flushing; town in Queens County, New York, now a part of New York City, called by the early Dutch settlers, "Vlissengen," of which the present name is a corruption. Some authorities claim that the early settlers came from Flushing, Holland.

Fluvanna; county in Virginia, named from a river which was named for Queen Anne, of England.

Fly; stream, and swamp of 12,000 acres, in Fulton County, New York. From vlaie, meaning a "channel of water," a name given by the Dutch settlers, from the fact that the region is land at certain seasons and water at other times. The name was corrupted by the Scotch, Dutch, and Irish settlers to the present form.

US Place Names

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