- List of Minnesota county name etymologies
This is a list of
Minnesota county name etymologies. Many of the 87 counties of theU.S. state of Minnesota are either named after pioneers in the region the county is now a part of, or after people who served in Minnesota's first governments. Other counties are named after prominent19th century Americans, or after geological features, like lakes and rivers, that can be found within the county's boundaries.*Aitkin County is named after the 19th Century fur trader
William Alexander Aitkin .
*Anoka County is named after a Dakota word meaning "on both sides."
*Becker County is named after the lawer and politicianGeorge Loomis Becker .
*Beltrami County is named afterGiacomo Beltrami , who explored the northern sources of theMississippi River in 1823.
*Benton County is named afterMissouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton.
*Big Stone County is named afterBig Stone Lake .
*Brown County is named afterJoseph Renshaw Brown .
*Carlton County is named afterReuben B. Carlton .
*Carver County is named afterJonathan Carver .
*Cass County is named after statesmanLewis Cass .
*Chippewa County is named after the Chippewa River, which flows through the county.
*Chisago County is named afterChisago Lake , the largest lake in the county.
*Clay County is named after statesmanHenry Clay .
*Clearwater County is named after theClearwater River andClearwater Lake , which are both located within the county.
*Cook County is named after Major Michael Cook, a Civil War soldier.
*Cottonwood County is named after the Cottonwood River, which flows through the county.
*Crow Wing County is named after an island shaped like araven 's wing at the junction of the Crow Wing River andMississippi River .
*Dakota County is named after the Dakota tribe of Native Americans.
*Dodge County is named after father and son politiciansHenry Dodge andAugustus Caesar Dodge .
*Douglas County is named afterStephen Arnold Douglas , the famousIllinois statesman.
*Faribault County is named afterJean Baptiste Faribault .
*Fillmore County is named afterMillard Fillmore , the thirteenthpresident of the United States .
*Freeborn County is named afterWilliam Freeborn , the second mayor of Red Wing.
*Goodhue County is named afterJames Madison Goodhue .
*Grant County is named afterUlysses Simpson Grant , the eighteenthpresident of the United States
*Hennepin County is named after Father Louis Hennepin.
*Houston County is named afterSam Houston , theTexas politician.
*Hubbard County is named afterLucius Frederick Hubbard , the ninthgovernor of Minnesota .
*Isanti County is named after the tribal name of the area.
*Itasca County is named afterLake Itasca .
*Jackson County is named after Henry Jackson, a member of the firstMinnesota territorial legislature.
*Kanabec County is named after theSnake River , which flows through the area. "Kanabec" isOjibwa for "snake".
*Kandiyohi County is named after a Dakota word meaning "where the buffalo fish come."
*Kittson County is named afterNorman Wolfred Kittson , a former mayor of St. Paul.
*Koochiching County is named after aCree word of uncertain meaning given byOjibwa s toRainy River , which flows through the county, forming a border withCanada .
*Lac qui Parle County is named after a French phrase meaning "lake which talks."
*Lake County is named afterLake Superior .
*Lake of the Woods County is named afterLake of the Woods , which forms the county's northern border.
*Le Sueur County is named afterPierre Charles Le Sueur .
*Lincoln County is named afterAbraham Lincoln , the sixteenthPresident of the United States .
*Lyon County is named after GeneralNathaniel Lyon .
*Mahnomen County is named after theOjibwa word forwild rice .
*Marshall County is named after formerMinnesota Governor William Rainey Marshall .
*Martin County is named afterHenry Martin .
*McLeod County is named afterMartin McLeod .
*Meeker County is named afterBradley B. Meeker , who was an associate justice of the Minnesota supreme court from 1849 to 1853.
*Mille Lacs County is named after the lake the French called "thousand lakes".
*Morrison County is named after William Morrison and his brotherAllan Morrison , who were figures in the 19th centuryfur trade inMinnesota .
*Mower County is named afterJohn Edward Mower .
*Murray County is named afterWilliam Pitt Murray .
*Nicollet County is named after Joseph Nicolas Nicollet.
*Nobles County is named afterWilliam H. Nobles , who served in the Minnesota territorial legislature in 1854 and 1856.
*Norman County is named after the early Norwegian, also known as "Norman", settlers.
*Olmsted County is named afterDavid Olmsted .
*Otter Tail County is named after theOtter Tail Lake andOtter Tail River . The river was named by theOjibwa for its long sandbar shaped like anotter 's tail.
*Pennington County is named afterEdmund Pennington , an executive of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (Soo Line).
*Pine County is named after the giant forests ofEastern White Pine and Red (Norway) Pine that flourish in the county.
*Pipestone County is named after the red pipestone, orcatlinite , rock that was used for pipes and effigies by Native Americans who lived in the area.
*Polk County is named after former U.S. President James K. Polk.
*Pope County is named after General John Pope.
*Ramsey County is named after formerMinnesota Governor Alexander Ramsey .
*Red Lake County is named after theRed Lake River , named by theOjibwa for its reddish sand and water.
*Redwood County is named after theRedwood River , which flows through the county.
*Renville County is named afterJoseph Renville .
*Rice County is named afterHenry Mower Rice .
*Rock County is named after a large rocky plateau located within the county, known as "the mound."
*Roseau County is named after theRoseau Lake and Roseau River.
*St. Louis County is named after the St. Louis River.
*Scott County is named after GeneralWinfield Scott .
*Sherburne County is named afterMoses Sherburne .
*Sibley County is named after formerMinnesota Governor Henry Hastings Sibley .
*Stearns County is named afterCharles Thomas Stearns .
*Steele County is named afterFranklin Steele .
*Stevens County is named afterIsaac Ingalls Stevens .
*Swift County is named after formerMinnesota Governor Henry Adoniram Swift .
*Traverse County is named afterLake Traverse , which is located within the county, and forms a border withSouth Dakota .
*Wabasha County is named after a three-generation line of Sioux chiefs named Wabasha.
*Wadena County is named after theWadena Trading Post , built in this county along a route of theRed River Trails .
*Waseca County is named after a Sioux word meaning "fertile."
*Washington County is named after former U.S. PresidentGeorge Washington .
*Watonwan County is named after a Dakota named believed to signify "where fish bait abounds."
*Wilkin County is named after ColonelAlexander Wilkin .
*Winona County is named after a Dakota woman of distinction, Winona, who was a cousin of the last of three chiefs named Wabasha.
*Wright County is named afterSilas Wright .
*Yellow Medicine County is named after theYellow Medicine River , which flows through the county.ource
* [http://www.sos.state.mn.us/student/coorigan.html Minnesota Secretary of State county name origin page]
ee also
*
Minnesota
*County (United States)
*List of Minnesota counties
*Lists of U.S. county name etymologies
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