Name Origins of Florida Places @ Florida OCHP


City Name Origins
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- Q - Quincy, Gadsden County -- The town is named in honor of John Quincy Adams, who was Secretary of State of the United States when the city was founded. Right: Adams Street in downtown Quincy, ca. 1900. Quincy Image
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Sanibel, Lee County -- The name is thought to be a combination of health and beauty.

Sebring, Highlands County -- The town is named for George Sebring, a pottery manufacturer from Sebring, Ohio.

Silver Springs, Marion County -- Silver springs is named after Florida's largest spring, whose crystal-clear waters inspired the name.

Sopchoppy, Wakulla County -- The name has been corrupted from "Lockchoppe," the former name of the waterway in Wakulla County. Muskogee "lokchapi," which signifies the red oak, is composed from "lokcha" (acorn) and "api" (stem).

St. Augustine, St. Johns County -- The oldest continuiously inhabited city in the United State, St. Augustine was named by its founder, Pedro Menendez de Aviles, for St. Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo.

St. Petersburg Image St. Petersburg, Pinellas County -- Called the "Sunshine City," it was named after one of the coldest, great cities of the world -- Russia's St. Petersburg. Left: a December 1939 view of St.Petersburg Beach and Municipal Pier.

Starke, Bradford County -- It was named after former Florida Gov. Starke Perry or possibly for Thomas Starke, a slaveholder who once owned much land around the area.

Steinhatchee, Taylor County -- The name is derived from the Muskogee "ak" (down), "isti" (man) and "hatchee" (creek). It means "dead man's creek."

Stuart, Martin County -- This city is named for Samuel C. Stuart, the first telegraph operator and station agent in the town. Formally Potsdam, the name change came after the Florida East Coast Railroad began traveling through Stuart across the St. Lucie River.

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- T - - B -Tallahassee, Leon County -- The name is derived from a Muskogee word meaning "old town." Right: Ca. 1892, the Wanish Cigar Factory in downtown Tallahassee. Manuel Roffe, a Cuban-born cigar maker, trained all of the workers Tallahassee Image

Tarpon Springs, Pinellas County -- The name is said to have come from a remark from Mrs. Ormond Boyer, who exclaimed "See that trapon spring" while watching fish leap out the water. Note, however, that the fish were not tarpon, but mullet.

Temple Terrace, Hillsborough County -- This town is named for the temple orange.

Titusville, Brevard County -- The town was established just after the Civil War by Col. Henry T. Titus, who had been a fierce antagonist of John Brown in the struggle over Kansas which preceded the war.

Trenton, Gilchrist County -- This town is named after Trenton, Tenn., by Ben Boyd, who served in the Confederate Army and set up a sawmill there.

Tyndall A.F.B., Bay County -- The base was named for Lt. Frank B. Tyndall, a World War I ace killed while on duty near Mooresville, N.C.

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Valparaiso, Okaloosa County -- This name was taken from the city in Indiana, which in turn was named for the famous Chilean port. The word is Spanish for "valley of paradise."

Venice, Sarasota County -- Franklin Higel, an early settler, came up with the name because he felt that the blue waters of the bays, rivers and ocean gave the place a resemblance to the famous Italian city.

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Wauchula, Hardee County -- The name may be derived from the Muskogee "wakka" (cow) and "hute" (house or tank).

Weeki Wachee Springs, Hernando County -- From the Muskogee words "wekiwa" (spring) and "chee" (little), the town's name means "little spring."

Wewahitchka, Gulf County -- This complex name may have come from an unknown Indian language and probably means "water eyes." A perfect pair of eyes is formed by two oblong lakes along the edge of town; these are separated by a pronounced ridge which resembles the bridge of a human nose.

Winter Haven Image Winter Haven, Polk County -- The area was considered a haven from the severe winters of the north. Winter Haven also is nicknamed "The City of a Hundred Lakes." Left: the 1924 Orange Festival Parade in downtown Winter Haven. First held in 1923, the celebration is now known as the Florida Citrus Festival.

Winter Park, Orange County -- It was named by Loring Chase and Oliver Chapman, who were designing a town in the style of the New England town. They chose this name because the area was a "veritable park in winter."

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Yeehaw, Indian River County -- A corruption of Muskogee "yaha" which means wolf is the origin of Yeehaw.

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Zellwood, Orange County -- Named for Col. T. Elwood Zell, publisher of Zell's Cyclopedia; Zellwood was his home. The community adopted the name in his honor.

Zephyrhills, Pasco County -- The name calls attention to the cooling breezes that blow over the hills in this slice of Florida. Right: the American State Bank in Zephyrhills, March 9, 1925. Zephyrhills Image
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