US Place Names ~ Vacaville, California to Voorheesville, Massachusetts

Vacaville; township and city in Solano County, California, so named because of the large number of cattle in the surrounding country, vaca being the Spanish word for "cow."

Vaiden; town in Carroll County, Mississippi, said to be named for Doctor Vaiden, a resident planter.

Vailsburg; borough in Essex County, New Jersey, named for the Vail family, residents of the neighborhood.

Valatie; village in Columbia County, New York, situated near a small falls. Derived from a Dutch word meaning "little falls."

Valdosta; city in Lowndes County, Georgia. From the Spanish, meaning "vale of beauty."

Valentia; county in New Mexico, named from the city in Spain.

Valentine; village in Cherry County, Nebraska, named for Hon. E. K. Valentine, of the State.

Vallejo; city in Solano County, California, named for Gen. Mariano G. Vallejo, a Mexican officer.

Valley; counties in Montana and Nebraska, so named on account of the topography of the county.

Valley; town in Douglas County, Nebraska, so named because situated at the junction of the Republican Valley branch and the Union Pacific Railroad.

Valley Forge; village in Chester County, Pennsylvania, so named because situated at the mouth of Valley Creek, where a forge was erected by Isaac Potts previous to the Revolution.

Valley Junction; town in Polk County, Iowa; so named because situated at the junction of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific and Des Moines Valley railroads.

Valley Ridge; town in Dunklin Coonty, Missouri, so named because of the peculiar formation of the land.

Val Verde; town in Riverside Coonty, California, and county in Texas. A descriptive Spanish name meaning ''green valley."

Van Buren; counties in Arkansas, Iowa, Michigan, and Tennessee, named for Martin Van Buren, President of the United States.

Vance; county in North Carolina.

Vanceboro; town in Craven County, North Carolina. Named for Z. B. Vance, governor and Senator.

Vances; town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, named for the Vance family, who formerly kept the ferry.

Vancouver; town and military fort in Clarke Coonty, Washington, named for Capt. George Vancouver, Royal Navy, who explored that part of the country in 1791.

Vandalia; city in Audrain Coonty, Missouri, and village in Cass County, Michigan, named from the city in Illinois.

Vandemere; town in Pamlico County, North Carolina, named for a resident family.

Vanderbilt; mining district in San Bernardino Coonty, California, named for Cornelius Vanderbilt, of New York.

Vanderburgh; county in Indiana, named for Henry Vanderburgh, judge of the first court formed in the State.

Van Deusen; village in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, named for Isaac L. Van Deusen, an early manufacturer.

Van Etten; village in Chemung County, New York, named for James B. Van Etten, member of the assembly in 1852.

Van Leuvens Corners; village in Albany County, New York, named for Isaac Van Leuven.

Van Orin; village in Bureau County, Illinois, named for Van Orin Greesap, an extensive landowner.

Van Wert; county in Ohio, named for Isaac Van Wert, one of the militiamen who assisted in the capture of Major Andre.

Van Zandt; county in Texas, named for Isaac Van Zandt, member of the Texas congress.

Varinagrove; town in Henrico County, Virginia, named from the town in Spain, because the same kind of tobacco is raised in both places.

Varna; village in Marshall County, Illinois, named by its founders from Varna in Bulgaria.

Varnville; town in Hampton County, South Carolina, named for a resident family.

Varysburg; village in Wyoming County, New York, named for William Vary, one of the first settlers.

Vashon; island in Washington, named for a captain in the British navy.

Vassalboro; town in Kennebec County, Maine, named for Florentins Vassall, a proprietor of the Plymouth patent.

Vaughns; creek in Simpson County, Mississippi, named for an early settler.

Veazie; town in Penobscot County, Maine, named for Gen. Samuel Veazie, a large property owner.

Vega; town in Monterey County, California. A Spanish name descriptively applied, meaning a "tract of level, fruitful ground."

Venable; creek in Fluvanna County, Virginia, named for Lewis Venable.

Venango; county, and borough in Crawford County, in Pennsylvania. From the Indian imungah, in reference to a figure found on a tree, carved by the Eries.

Ventura; river, county, and township and city in same county, in California. A Spanish word meaning "luck," "fortune," "favorable chance."

Vera; village in Fayette County, Illinois; from the Latin reritas, meaning "truth.''

Vera Cruz; town in Wells County, Indiana, named from the city in Mexico. From the Spanish, meaning "true cross."

Veras; town in Santa Barbara County, California. The Spanish word for "truth."

Verde; river in Arizona with water of a greenish cast. A Spanish word meaning "green."

Verdery; town in Greenwood County, South Carolina, named for a resident family.

Verdugo; town in Los Angeles County, California. A Spanish word meaning "young shoot of a tree" or "bud."

Vergennes; city in Addison County, Vermont, named for Charles Granvier, Count de Vergennes.

Vermilion; counties in Illinois and Indiana, parish in Louisiana, and village in Erie County, Ohio, named from the rivers.

Vermilion; village in Edgar County, Illinois, named for Edward S. Vermilion, owner of the site.

Vermilion; rivers in Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio, and South Dakota; said to have been so named because of the red earth produced by the burning of the shale over-lying the outcrop of coal.

Vermont; State of the Union, so named because of the appearance of its mountains. Derived from the French vert mont, "green mountain."

Vermontville; village in Eaton County, Michigan, named from the State.

Vernal Fall; waterfall in Yosemite Valley, California, so named because of the beautiful greenish tints which it displays.

Vernon; village in Marion County, Illinois, named for William Vernon, a railroad official.

Vernon; parish in Louisiana and many other places, being generally named for the home of Gen. George Washington, Mount Vernon.

Vernon; county in Missouri, named for Miles Vernon, of Laclede County.

Vernon; county in Wisconsin, given this name to suggest the greenery of the surrounding country.

Verona; towns in Hancock County, Maine, and Oneida County, New York, and seventeen other towns and villages, named from Verona in Italy.

Verplanck; village in Westchester County, New York, named for Philip Verplanck.

Versailles; town in Ripley County, Indiana, and eight other places bear the name of the palace in Paris.

Vershire; town in Orange County, Vermont, name formed by a combination of the first syllable of the State name and "shire," the English suffix designating county.

Vevay; city in Switzerland County, Indiana, named from the town in Switzerland.

Vicksburg; city in Warren County, Mississippi, named for Neivitt Vick, its founder.

Victor; town in Ravalli County, Montana, named for Victor, a chief of the Flathead, Kootenai, and Pend'd Oreille tribes.

Victor; village in Ontario County, New York, so named because the French commander in a battle fought there defeated the Iroquois Indians.

Victoria; county in Texas, indirectly named for D. Felix Victoria, first president of Mexico, known as Guadalupe Victoria.

Vidalia; town in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, named for Vidal, the Spanish governor of the district in which the town is situated.

Viejos; town in San Diego County, California. A Spanish word meaning "ancients."

Vienna; township in Montgomery County, Michigan, and eighteen other places, bear the name of the capital city of Austria-Hungary.

Vigo; county in Indiana, named for Col. Francis Vigo.

Vigo; town in Concho County, Texas, named from the seaport in Spain.

Vilas; county in Wisconsin, named for Senator William F. Vilas.

Villa Rica; town in Carroll County, Georgia, having gold mines. Spanish words meaning "rich city."

Villenova; town in Chautauqua County, New York. A Spanish name meaning "new town."

Vinalhaven; island and town in Knox County, Maine, named for John Vinal, of Boston.

Vincennes; city in Knox County, Indiana, named from the fort built by Sieur de Vincennes.

Vineland; borough in Cumberland County, New Jersey, so named because it was the intention of its founder to raise grapes on an extensive scale, which was realized to a considerable extent.

Vineyard Haven; town in Dukes County, Massachusetts, so named because of the quantity of vines found on the island at the time of discovery. Haven from the harbor or haven on which the village is situated.

Vining; city in Clay County, Kansas, named for E. P. Vining, an officer of the Union Pacific Railroad.

Vinton; township and city in Benton County, Iowa, named for Hon. Plynn Vinton.

Vinton; county in Ohio, named for S. F. Vinton, member of Congress from that State.

Viola; village in Richland County, Wisconsin, named for Viola Buck.

Virden; .township and city in Macoupin County, Illinois, named for John Virden, founder.

Virgil; town in Cortland County, New York, named for the poet, Publius Vergilius Maro.

Virgin; river in Utah. Derived from the original Spanish name, Rio Virgen, "river of the virgin."

Virginia; one of the original thirteen States, named for Elizabeth, Queen of England.

Virginia; cities in Cass County, Illinois, and Storey County, Nevada, named from the State.

Virginia; cascade in Yellowstone Park, named for the wife of Hon. Charles Gibson, president of the Yellowstone Park Association.

Virginia City; city in Storey County, Nevada, named for an early prospector known as "Old Virginia," who is said to have been the finder of the largest gold nugget in America.

Viroqua; town in Vernon County, Wisconsin, named from a version of the title given to Columbus and his descendants, Duke of Veragua.

Visalia; city in Tulare County, California, named for Vise, a hunter.

Vista; town in San Diego County, California. A descriptive Spanish name, meaning "view."

Volney; villages in Allamakee County, Iowa, and Oswego County, New York, named for Count Volney, the French writer.

Voluntown; village in New London County, Connecticut, so named because the greater part of the town was granted to the volunteers of the Narragansett war.

Volusia; county in Florida, named for a town within its limits supposed to have been named for Volus, an English settler.

Voorheesville; village in Albany County, New York, named for Theodore Voorhees, director of the Delaware and Lackawanna Railroad.

US Place Names

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

 

Please Come Again!!





This page was last updated Thursday, 13-Aug-2015 17:44:11 EDT

 Copyright 2011-2024 AHGP - Judy White
The American History and Genealogy Project.
Enjoy the work of our webmasters, provide a link, do not copy their work.