US Place Names ~ Stephens County, Texas to Syracuse, New York

Stephens; county in Texas, named for Alexander H. Stephens, the American statesman.

Stephenson; county in Illinois, named for Col. Benjamin Stephenson of the War of 1812.

Stephenson; village in Menominee County, Michigan, named for Robert Stephenson.

Stephentown; town in Rensselaer County, New York, named for Stephen van Rensselaer.

Steptoe; town in Whitman County, Washington, named for Colonel Steptoe, United States Army.

Sterling; township and city in Whiteside County, Illinois, named for Colonel Sterling, of Pennsylvania.

Sterling; city in Rice County, Kansas, named for Sterling Rosan, father of C. W. and J. H. D. Rosan, early settlers.

Sterling; town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, named for Lord Sterling, an American general.

Sterling; county in Texas, named for a noted frontiersman.

Sterlingburg; village in Jefferson County, New York, named for James Sterling, the builder of an iron furnace there.

Stetson; town in Penobscot County, Maine, named for the original proprietor, Amasa Stetson.

Steuben; county in Indiana, town in Washington County, Maine, and county, and town in Oneida County, in New York;

Steubenville; city in Jefferson County, Ohio. Named for Baron von Steuben, a Prussian soldier who fought in the American Revolution.

Stevens; town in Kern County, California, and county in Kansas, named for Thaddeus Stevens.

Stevens; counties in Minnesota and Washington, named for Isaac I. Stevens, governor of Washington Territory in 1853.

Stevens; stream in Caledonia County, Vermont, named for Capt. Phineas Stevens.

Stevenson; mountain, and island in Yellowstone Lake, named for James Stevenson, of the United States Geological Survey.

Stevens Point; city in Portage County, Wisconsin, named for the Rev. J. D. Stevens, missionary to the Indians.

Stevensville; village in Berrien County, Michigan, named for Thomas L. Stevens, who laid out the town.

Stevensville; town in Ravalli County, Montana, named for Isaac I. Stevens, the first governor of Washington.

Stewart; county in Georgia, named for Gen. Daniel Stewart.

Stewart; county in Tennessee, named for Duncan Stewart.

Stewartstown; town in Coos County, New Hampshire, named for John Stewart, one of the original proprietors.

Stewartsville; city in Dekalb County, Missouri, named for Robert M. Stewart, a former governor.

Stilesville; village in Hendricks County, Indiana, named for Jeremiah Stiles, the proprietor.

Stillman Valley; village in Ogle County, Illinois, named for Gen. Joshua Stillman, an officer of the Black Hawk war.

Stillwater; city in Washington County, Minnesota, named for a lumber company which selected this site for its mill.

Stillwater; town in Saratoga County, New York, so named because of the "still water" in the Hudson River near the town.

Stockbridge; town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, named from Stockbridge in England.

Stockbridge Bowl; lake in the town of Stockbridge, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, situated in a depression in the surrounding hills and mountains.

Stockport; town in Columbia County, New York, and Wayne County, Pennsylvania, named from the town in England.

Stockton; cities in San Joaquin County, California, and Cedar County, Missouri, and town in Chautauqua County, New York, named for Commodore R. F. Stockton, who participated in the conquest of California.

Stockton; city in Rooks County, Kansas, named from the city in California.

Stockton; borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, named for a resident family.

Stockville; village in Frontier County, Nebraska, so named because stock raising was an important industry.

Stoddard; county in Missouri, named for Amos Stoddard, a military officer and author.

Stoddard; town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, named for Col. Samson Stoddard, one of the original proprietors.

Stokes; county in North Carolina, named for Col, John Stokes, a Revolutionary officer.

Stone; county in Arkansas, named for Gen. T. J. (Stonewall) Jackson.

Stone; county in Missouri;

Stoneham; town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. So named because of the sterile soil.

Stonefort; township in Saline County, Illinois, named from an old stone fort supposed to have been built for protection against Indians.

Stonewall; county in Texas and town in Pamlico County, North Carolina, named for Gen. T. J. (Stonewall) Jackson.

Storey; county in Nevada, named for Colonel Storey, killed in battle with the Pyramid Lake Indians.

Story; county in Iowa, named for Judge Joseph Story, of the Supreme Court.

Stoughton; town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, named for William Stoughton, lieutenant-governor and chief justice of the province.

Stoughton; city in Dane County, Wisconsin, named for Luke Stoughton, who platted the village.

Stoutsville; village in Monroe County, Missouri,* named for Robert P. Stout, of Kentucky.

Stow; town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, named from the town in England.

Stow; township in Summit County, Ohio, named for Judge Jonathan Stow.

Stoystown; borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, named for an early settler and Revolutionary soldier, John Stoy.

Strafford; county in New Hampshire, named from the town in England.

Strasburg; town in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, and borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, named from the city in Germany.

Stratford; town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, named by an early English settler from his native town Stratford-on-Avon.

Stratton; town in Windham County, Vermont, named for Samuel Stratton, an early settler of Vernon.

Strawberry Point; town in Clayton County, Iowa, so named because of an abundance of these berries.

Streator; city in Lasalle County, Illinois, named for Worthy S. Streator, of Cleveland, Ohio.

Streeter; creek in Nansemond County, Virginia, named for a resident family.

Streetsboro; township in Portage County, Ohio, named for David Street, an early settler.

Stromsburg; city in Polk County, Nebraska, named by a Swedish colony from a suburb of Stockholm.

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

Strong; city in Chase County, Kansas, named for W. B. Strong, president, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company.

Strong; town in Franklin County, Maine, named for Caleb Strong, United States Senator.

Strongsville; township in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, named for John S. Strong.

Strother; town in Monroe County, Missouri, named for Prof. French Strother.

Stroudsburg; borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, named for Col. Jacob Stroud, its first settler.

Stuart; township and city in Guthrie County, Iowa, named for Capt. Charles Stuart, of Vermont.

Stuart; village in Holt County, Nebraska, named for Peter Stuart, an early settler.

Sturbridge; town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, named from Stourbridge, England.

Sturgeon; town in Boone County, Missouri, named for Isaac H. Sturgeon, of St. Louis.

Sturgeon Bay; city in Door County, Wisconsin, named from the bay, which abounds with this fish.

Sturgis; town in St. Joseph County, Michigan, named from the prairie which was named for Judge John Sturgis, first settler.

Sturgis; city in Meade County, South Dakota, named for Col. Samuel Sturgis, of the Seventh U. S. Cavalry.

Stutsman; county in North Dakota, named for Hon. Enoch Stutzman, a pioneer settler prominent in the State's history.

Stuyvesant; town in Columbia County, New York, named for Governor Peter Stuyvesant.

Suamico; river in Wisconsin. An Indian word meaning "yellow sand."

Subeet; town in Solano County, California. A combination of "sugar" and "beet" from its location in the sugar-beet raising district.

Sublett; town in Cassia County, Idaho, named for Captain Sublette, a partner in the Rocky Mountain Fur Company.

Sublette; township and village in Lee County, Illinois, so named because of the subletting of the contract for the grading on that part of the Illinois Central Railroad.

Succasunna; town in Morris County, New Jersey, in a locality famous for its iron ore. Derived from the Indian sukeu, "black," and achsun, "stone;" hence "place where black stone is found."

Sudbury; town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, named from the town in England.

Suffern; town in Rockland County, New York, named from the Suffern family, which owned considerable property in the county.

Suffield; town in Hartford County, Connecticut, originally called South field, and situated in Massachusetts; so named because "being the southernmost towne that either at present or is like to be in that county."

Suffolk; counties in Massachusetts and New York, and town in Nansemond County, Virginia, named from the county in England.

Sugar; creek in North and South Carolina, named for the Indian tribe Sugaree.

Sugarpine; lumber town in Tuolumne County, California, so named for its location in the sugar-pine forests.

Suisun; town in Solano County, California, named from an Indian tribe. The word means "big expanse."

Sullivan; township and city in Moultrie County, Illinois, named by the county commissioners, who desired to associate the name with Moultrie, from Fort Moultrie on Sullivan Island, Charleston harbor, South Carolina.

Sullivan; county and town in Indiana, named for Daniel Sullivan, killed by the Indians when bearing messages from Captain Clark, after the capture of Vincennes.

Sullivan; county, and town in Franklin County, in Missouri, named from the county in Tennessee.

Sullivan; town in Hancock County, Maine, named for an original proprietor.

Sullivan; county, and town in Cheshire County, in New Hampshire, county, and town in Madison County, in New York, and counties in Pennsylvania and Tennessee, named for Maj. Gen. John Sullivan, of the Revolutionary War.

Sully; county in South Dakota, named for Alfred Sully, who commanded a brigade in Dakota.

Sulphur Spring; town in Hopkins County, Texas, so named because of its local features.

Summer; lake in Oregon, so called because of the warm weather which was experienced there by the Fremont party.

Summerfield; city in Marshall County, Kansas, named for E. Summerfield, of Lawrence, Kansas.

Summers; county in West Virginia, named for George W. Summers, congressman from Virginia.

Summerville; town in Dorchester County, South Carolina, so named because it is a summer resort for residents.

Summit; county in Colorado, town in Pike County, Mississippi, city in Union County, New Jersey, and county in Ohio. So named because of the elevated situation.

Summit; village in Cook County, Illinois, named from its location on high land between two streams.

Summit; county in Utah, so named because of its mountains.

Summit Hill; borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, so named because of the elevation.

Sumner; county in Kansas, named for Charles Sumner, the American statesman.

Sumner; town in Oxford County, Maine, named for Governor Increase Sumner.

Sumner; county in Tennessee, named for Col. Jethro Sumner.

Sumter; counties in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, and county, town in same county, and fort in Charleston Harbor, in South Carolina, named for Gen. Thomas Sumter, an officer of the Revolutionary war.

Sunapee; lake in New Hampshire. From an Indian word, shehunk-nippe, "wild goose pond."

Sunapee; town in Sullivan County, and mountain in New Hampshire, named from the lake.

Sunbury; borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, named from a village on the Thames.

Suncook; river in New Hampshire. From an Indian word, schunk-auke, meaning "goose place."

Sunderland; town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, named for Charles Spencer, Earl of Sunderland.

Sunflower; river and county in Mississippi, no doubt descriptively named.

Sun Prairie; town in Dane County, Wisconsin, so named because a party of pioneers, after a nine days' tramp over the prairies in the rain, came to this spot as the sun came out.

Superior; lake in Michigan. Translation of the original French name, lac supérieur "upper lake."

Superior; city in Douglas County, Wisconsin, located on the border of Lake Superior; hence the name.

Surprise; creek in Yellowstone Park, so named because recent explorations find its course different than was formerly supposed.

Surry; county in North Carolina, named for Lord Surry, an advocate of American independence.

Surry; town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, and county in Virginia, named from the county in England.

Survey; peak in the Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, so named because a signaling point for the Indians.

Suspecaugh; stream in New Jersey. A Delaware Indian word meaning "muddy water."

Susquehanna; river, county, and borough in same county, in Pennsylvania. From an Indian word, suckahanne, "water."

Sussex; counties in Delaware, New Jersey, and Virginia, named from the county in England.

Sutro; village in Lyon County, Nevada, named for Adolph Sutro. Sutter; county, and town in same county, in California, named for Col. John Sutter, on whose land the first gold was discovered in California by John Marshall.

Sutton; town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, named from the town in England.

Sutton; city in Clay County, Nebraska, and town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, named from the town in Massachusetts.

Sutton; county in Texas, named for Lieutenant-Colonel Sutton, of the army of the Confederacy.

Suwanee; county, town in same county, and river in Florida, and creek and town in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Interpretations of this Indian word are various, but it seems to be derived from sawani, meaning "echo" or "echo river."

Swain; county in North Carolina, named for David L. Swain, an early governor.

Swainsboro; town in Emanuel County, Georgia, named for Col. Stephen Swain, of the State legislature.

Swampscott; town in Essex County, Massachusetts. Various derivations are given this word, from the Indian word, wonnesquamsauke, "pleasant water place;" from m'sam-ompsk. "red rock," or "at the red rock;" or from another Indian word meaning "broken waters."

Swannanoa; stream and town in Buncombe County, North Carolina. A Cherokee Indian word meaning "Swali trail," the Swali or Sara being an ancient trail of eastern North Carolina.

Swansboro; town in Onslow County, North Carolina, probably so named on account of the swans frequenting the neighborhood.

Swansea; town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, named from the town in Wales.

Swanton; town in Franklin County, Vermont, named for Capt. William S wanton, an officer in the British army before the colonies gained their independence.

Swanville; village in Erie County, Pennsylvania, named for John L. Swan, its first settler.

Swarthmore; borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, named from the district in England.

Sweathouse; creek in Ravalli County, Montana. A translation of its Indian name (Flathead). The Indians built their sweathouses along the creek, believing its waters had medicinal qualities.

Swedesboro; town in Gloucester County, New Jersey, so named because settled by Swedes.

Sweet Grass; county in Montana, named from the sweet-grass hills.

Sweet Springs; city in Saline County, Missouri, so named because of its neighboring springs.

Sweetwater; town in Monroe County, Tennessee. Translation of an Indian word meaning "crooked stream."

Sweetwater; river in Wyoming, so named because its waters have a sweet taste.

Sweetwater; county in Wyoming, named from the river.

Swepsonville; village in Alamance County, North Carolina, named for George W. Swepson, a capitalist.

Swift; county in Minnesota, named for Henry A. Swift, governor of the State in 1863.

Swisher; county in Texas, named for James G. Swisher, a signer of the Texas declaration of independence.

Switzerland; county in Indiana, named from the republic of Switzerland.

Sycamore; township and city in Dekalb County, Illinois, named from the abundance of sycamore trees within its limits.

Sylva; town in Jackson County, North Carolina, named for a prominent resident.

Sylvan Grove; city in Lincoln County, Kansas, so named because situated near the Twin Groves, on the north bank of the Saline River.

Symmes; town in Hamilton County, Ohio, named for John Cleves Symmes, judge in the Northwest Territory.

Syracuse; town in Hamilton County, Kansas. In 1873 a colony emigrated from Syracuse, New York, to Kansas, and gave their settlement the same name.

Syracuse; village in Otoe County, Nebraska, named from the city in New York.

Syracuse; city in Onondaga County, New York, named from the ancient city of Sicily.

US Place Names

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