List of Place Names in New England of Aboriginal Origin - Massachusetts

Massachusetts

Common languages:

  • Eastern: Massachusett, Nipmuc, Wampanoag (southeast)
  • Western: Natick, Nipmuck, Narragansett (southwest), Pocumtuck
  • Massachusetts (the state): (Natick) "by the great hills" (the hills of Milton, Blue Hill, south of Boston)
    • Achastapac: (Pocumtuck) "Land of rivers and mountains"
    • Acoaxet: (Narragansett) "at the fishing promontory" or "place of small pines"
    • Acushnet River (and town): (Naragansett) "at the cove"
    • Agawam: (Nipmuck or Pennacook) "low land" (with water) or "place to unload canoes" (possible portage spot)
    • Annisquam (and river)
    • Assabet River: (Nipmuck) "at the boggy place"
    • Assawompset Pond: Narragansett "trading place"; (Wampanoag) "place of large upright rock"
    • Assinippi: (Wampanoag) "rocks in water"
    • Assonet River (also Cedar Swamp and village): (Narragansett) "at the rock" – the rock in question being Dighton Rock
    • Cataumet: (Wampanoag) "at the ocean" or "landing place"
    • Lake Chaubunagungamaug: (Nipmuck-Mohegan) "boundary fishing place"
    • Chappaquiddick Island: (Wampanoag) "separated island"
    • Chicopee (also falls, and river): (Nipmuck) "violent water"
    • Cochituate: (Natick) "place of swift water"
    • Cohasset: (Natick) "long rocky place"
    • Congamond Lake (on CT border – Congamuck Ponds): (Nipmuck) "long fishing place"
    • Cotuit: (Wampanoag) "long planting field"
    • Cummaquid: (Wampanoag) "harbor"
    • Cuttyhunk: (Wampanoag) "thing that lies out in the sea"
    • Gansett Harbor
    • Mount Greylock: named for a Missisquoi chief
    • Hockanum: (Podunk) "hook"
    • Hockomock Swamp: (Natick-Abnaki) "evil spirit" or "hellish place"; (Narragansett) "hook-shaped place"
    • Hoosac Tunnel: (Mahican) "rock place"
    • Humarock: (Wampanoag) "shell place" or "rock carving"
    • Hyannis: (Wampanoag) name of a 17th-century chief, "Iyanogh's"
    • Jamaica Plain and (pond): (Natick) "beaver"
    • Manhan River: (Nipmuck) "island"
    • Manomet and (point): (Wampanoag) "portage place"
    • Mashpee: (Wampamoag) "place near great cove"
    • Mattapan: (Natick) "resting place" or "end of portage"
    • Mattapoisett: (Wampanoag) "resting place" or "edge of cove"
    • Megansett Harbor
    • Merrimac: (Pennacook) "deep place"
    • Merrimack River: (Abnaki) "at the deep place"
    • Mishaum Point: (Narragansett) "great neck" or "canoe-landing place"
    • Lake Monomonac (NH border): (Abnaki) "at the very deep place"
    • Monomoy Island (and point): (Wampanoag) "look-out place" or "deep water"
    • Muskeget Island (and channel): (Wampanoag) "grassy place"
    • Mystic River: (Natick) "great tidal stream"
    • Nabnasset: (Nipmuck)
    • Nagog Pond: Concord water supply located in Acton
    • Nahant: (Natick) "the point" or "almost an island"
    • Nantasket Beach: (Natick/Wampanoag) "at the strait" or "low-tide place"
    • Nantucket Island: (Wampanoag) "in the midst of waters"; (Naragansett) far off, among the waves
    • Nashawena Island: (Wampanoag) "between"
    • Nashoba Brook
    • Natick: tribe; "the place I seek" or "home," "place," "clearing"
    • Naushon Island: (Wampanoag) "middle" (no clear translation)
    • Nemasket River: (Wampanoag) "place where the fish are"
    • Neponset River: (Natick) possibly "a good fall" (easy for canoe travel)
    • Nonamesset Island: (Wampanoag)
    • Nonquitt: (Narragansett) "dry or landing place"
    • Onota Lake: (Mahican) "blue/deep"
    • Pasque Island
    • Penikese Island
    • Pocasset: (Natick) "where the stream widens"
    • Pontoosuc: (Mahican or Nipmuck) "falls on the brook"
    • Punkatasset Hill (Algonquian)
    • Quabbin Reservoir: (Nipmuck) "crooked streams"
    • Quaboag River: (Nipmuck) "before the pond" or abbreviation of "red pond" (m'squ'boag)
    • Quinebaug River: (Nipmuck) "long pond"
    • Lake Quinsigamond: (Nipmuck) "pickerel-fishing place
    • Quissett: (Nipmuck) "at the place of small pines"
    • Sagamore: (Wampanoag) "chief"
    • Santuit: (Wampanoag) "cool water place"
    • Saugus: (Natick) "outlet"
    • Scituate: (Wampanoag) "at the cold spring or brook"
    • Seekonk: (Narragansett) "wild black goose" or (Wampanoag) "mouth of stream" or "wild goose"
    • Segreganset River: (Narragansett) "place of hard rocks"
    • Shawmut Peninsula: (Algonquian) "ferry" or "place to draw up canoes"
    • Siasconset: (Narragansett) "at the place of many/great bones" (whales?)
    • Sippewissett
    • Snipatuit Pond: (Wampanoag) "at the rocky river"
    • Squannacook River
    • Squibnocket Point (and pond): (Wampanoag) "at the place of dark rocks" (or clay cliff)
    • Swampscott: (Natick) "place of red rocks"
    • Succanessett
    • Taconic Mountains: (Natick) "steep ascent"
    • Tantiusques: (Nipmuck) "black stuff between the hills"
    • Tuckernuck Island: (Wampanoag) "round loaf of bread"
    • Uncatena Island
    • Mount Wachusett (and reservoir): (Natick) "near the mountain"
    • Waquoit: (Wampanoag) "at the end"
    • Mount Watatic: (Nipmuck)
    • Watuppa Ponds: (Wampanoag) "roots"
    • Weepecket Islands
    • Weweantic River: (Wampanoag) "crooked" or "wandering stream"
    • Wianno
    • Minnechaug Regional High School (Algonquian) "Land of Berries"
    • Woronoco (Nipmuck) "winding about"
  • Former names:
    • Capawack or Capoag: (Wampanoag) "enclosed harbor" Martha's Vineyard
    • Cohannet: (Wampanoag or Narragansett) "at the long or pine place" Taunton
    • Poughkeeste: (Wampanoag) "bay with coves" Buzzards Bay

Read more about this topic:  List Of Place Names In New England Of Aboriginal Origin