A
Altamonte Springs: Seminole Co. - Altamonte is Spanish for "high hill".
Anna Maria Island: Manatee Co. - Ponce de Leon was said to have named 
       the island for the queen of King Charles II, the sponsor of his 
       expedition. Pronunciation is often disputed, most prefer Anna Mar-
       EE-a, but the old timers like Anna Mar-EYE-a.
Apalachicola: Franklin Co. - probably of Hitchiti "apalahchi" (on the 
       other side) and "okli" (people), therefore "those people residing 
       on the other side, shore, or river."
Arcadia: De Soto Co. - Named in honor of Arcadia Albritton, daughter of 
       pioneer settlers, who baked a birthday cake for Rev. James Hendry.  
       In appreciation he named the town after her.
Aripeka: Pasco Co. - Named after Sam Jones, a famous Miccosukee chief, 
       who was called Aripeka or Aripeika. The name is possible corrupted 
       from Muskogee "abihka" (pile at the base or heap at the root), 
       which was a contest for supremacy among warriors who piled up 
       scalps, covering the base of the war-pole.
B
Belle Glade: Palm Beach Co. - Was originally known as the Hillsborough 
       Canal Settlement. When the inhabitants requested their own post 
       office a new name was necessary. A tourist one day said on a trip 
       to the area that the Hillsborough Canal Settlement was "the belle 
       of the " glades. It was later voted on and became the official 
       name.
Bithlo: Orange Co. - Derives from the Muskogee word "pilo" (canoe). In 
       the transliteration of this Indian language the voiceless "l" was 
       often written as "thl-."
Blountstown: Calhoun Co. - Named for John Blount, a Seminole Indian and 
       the distinguished chief of the Indian tribe who occupied the 
       reservation that was just east of the area.
Boca Ciega: Pinellas Co. - Named for Boca Ciega Bay. Literally the 
       Spanish word for "boca" (mouth) and "ciega" (blind). This may have 
       been a reference to what it looked like at the entrance of the 
       river.
Boca Raton: Palm Beach Co. - The Spanish words "Boca de Ratones" mean 
       rat's mouth, a term used by seamen to describe a hidden rock that 
       a ship's cable might rub against.
Bonifay: Holmes Co. - Named for a prominent old family in the vicinity.
Brandon: Hillsborough Co. - Named by John Brandon, who moved his family 
       and all their possessions to Florida. The settlement is named for 
       his family.
Brooksville: Hernando Co. - Named after Congressman Preston Brooks of 
       South Carolina.
C
Cape Canaveral: Brevard Co. - Canaveral is the Spanish word for "a place 
       of reeds or cane."
Cedar Key: Levy Co. - Named for the abundant growth of cedar trees that 
       originally covered the island.
Chattahoochee: Gadsden Co. - The name was taken from the well-known 
       river in Georgia. The name itself is from Muskogee "chato" (rock) 
       and "huchi" (marked).
Chipley: Washington Co. - Named in honor of Colonel William D. Chipley, 
       a railroad official.
Clearwater: Pinellas Co. - The town was first called Clear Water Harbor, 
       because of a spring of water that bubbles up in the Gulf of Mexico 
       close to shore, making the water in the vicinity clear. The harbor 
       was later dropped from the name.
Cross City: Dixie Co. - Two public roads crossed at this point, one 
       coming from Perry to old Archer and the other from Branford to 
       Horseshoe. W.H. Mathis, who decided the name, wanted the location 
       to be thought of as more than a crossroads.
Crystal River: Citrus Co. - The correct translation of the name is 
       "weewahiiaca" which is derived from Seminole-Creek Indians "wiwa" 
       (water), "haiyayaki (clear, shining).
D
Dade City: Pasco Co. - Named for Maj. Francis Langhorne Dade, a U.S. 
       Army officer killed by Seminoles. The Dade Massacre triggered the 
       start of the second Seminole War.
Daytona Beach: Volusia Co. - Named after its founder Mathias Day.
DeFuniak Springs: Walton Co. - Colonel Fred Defuniak, an official of the 
       Louisville and Nashville Railroad, gave his name to the town.
F
Fenholloway: Taylor Co. - The source of Fenholloway (finalui) is 
       Muskogee "fina" (footlog) and "halwi" )high) giving you "high 
       footlog."
Fernandina Beach: Nassau Co. - Fernandina was the early name of Cuba. 
       Fernandina claims to be the oldest city in the United States.
Flagler Beach: Flagler Co. - Names honors Henry M. Flagler.
Floridatown: Santa Rosa Co. - Old of the oldest place names in this 
       state. The town was a trading post in the Spanish days.
Fort Dade: Pasco Co. - Named for Maj. Francis Langhorne Dade.
Fort Lauderdale: Broward Co. - Named for Maj. William Lauderdale.
Fort Myers: Lee Co. - Named for Gen. Abraham Charles Myers, a 
       distinguished officer in the U.S. Army.
Fort Pierce: St. Lucie Co. - Named for Lt. Colonel Benjamin Kendrick 
       Pierce, the brother of President Franklin Pierce, the fort was the 
       headquarters of the Army of the South under General Jesup.
Fort Walton Beach: Okaloosa Co. - Named after the fort that was 
       established here during the Seminole Wars.
Frostproof: Polk Co. - It was named by cowboys who brought cattle to the 
       region during the winter months because of the absence of frost.
G
Gainesville: Alachua Co. - Named for Gen. Edmund Pendleton Gaines, who 
       led the capture of Aaron Burr.
Green Cove Springs: Clay Co. - The St. Johns River curves here and is 
       sheltered by trees that are perennially green.
Groveland: Lake Co. - Originally called Taylorville, it was renamed 
       Groveland due to the large number of citrus groves in the region.
H
Haines City: Polk Co. - It was first known as Clay Cut but the name was 
       later changed to Haines City, in honor of a railroad official 
       named Colonel Henry Haines.
Hialeah: Dade Co. - Of Muskogee origin "haiyakpo" (prairie) and "hili" 
       (pretty).
High Springs: Alachua Co. - It was named this because a spring was 
       located atop a hill within the town. The spring no longer exists.
Hillsborough River or Locktsapopka: Hillsborough Co. - The Indian name 
       of the stream came from the Muskogee "lokchia" (acorns) and 
       "papka" (eating place) - the place where the acorns are eaten.
Hollywood: Broward Co. - It was established Hollywood-by-the-Sea by its 
       founder, Joseph W. Young of California.
Homosassa: Citrus Co. - Muskogee "homo" (pepper) and "sasi" (is there) - 
       the place where the wild pepper grows.
I
Indian Rocks Beach: Pinellas Co. - A number of large rocks along the 
       shore gave the community its name.
Inverness: Citrus Co. - Named by a Scotch settler for the ancient 
       capital of the Scottish Highlands.
Islamorada: Monroe Co. - It is Spanish for "purple island."
J
Jacksonville: Duval Co. - Two of the Spanish names for the area can be 
       translated as "pass of San Nicolas." It was also called "the place 
       where the cows cross" by the Timucuan Indians.
Jasper: Hamilton Co. - Named in memory of Sgt. William Jasper, 
       Revolutionary War hero, who rescued the American flag during the 
       British assault on Ft. Sullivan, now Ft. Moultrie.
K
Key West: Monroe Co. - It is the westernmost island extending from the 
       Florida peninsula. It was originally called Bone Island by the 
       early Spanish explorers because they found large quantities of 
       human bones.
L
LaBelle: Hendry Co. - Named by Capt. Francis Ausbury Hendry for his two 
       daughters, Laura and Belle.
Lacoochee: Pasco Co. - A shortened form of the river (Withlacoochee) 
       where the town is located.
Lake Butler: Union Co. - Named for Colonel Robert Butler, who received 
       the surrender to East Florida from the Spanish.
Lake City: Columbia Co. - The name was renamed from "Alligator" by an 
       act of the legislature to its present form because of the myriad 
       of lakes that surround the area.
Lakeland: Polk Co. - So named because of the nineteen lakes within the 
       city limits.
Largo: Pinellas Co. - Named for Lake Largo nearby. Largo is the Spanish 
       word for "big" or "long".
Longboat Key: Sarasota Co. - The exact origin of this name has been lost 
       but a longboat is the largest boat carried by a merchant sailing 
       vessel.
M
Macclenny: Baker Co. - Named after H.C. Macclenny, who owned large 
       tracts of land in the vicinity.
MacDill A.F.B.: Hillsborough Co. - Named in honor of Colonel Leslie 
       MacDill, who was killed in an air crash near Washington, D.C.
Maderia Beach: Pinellas Co. - Named for Maderia, Portugal's wine 
       producing island off of Africa.  The word itself means "wood."
Madison: Madison Co. - First called Hickstown, after the Seminole Indian 
       chief John Hicks; later known as Newton. But the mail kept coming 
       addressed to Madison C.H. (meaning the courthouse of Madison Co.) 
       so they dropped the C.H. and used Madison as the name of the town.
Marianna: Jackson Co. - Named for the daughters of the original owners 
       of the site, the Beveridges.
Masaryktown: Hernando Co. - Named by the editor of a Czech newspaper in 
       New York, who was its founder, after the first president of 
       Czechoslovakia.
Mayo: Lafayette Co. - Named after James Mayo, a colonel who had been in 
       charge of the Confederate Army. He delivered a speech in the area 
       on the Fourth of July and the settlers were so impressed by him 
       that they named the community after him.
Miami: Dade Co. - Comes from Mayaimi (a lake - now Lake Okeechobee) 
       which means "very large."
Micanopy: Alachua Co. - Head chief of the Seminoles in the Seminole War; 
       it means "head chief."
Miccosukee: Leon Co. - From Hitchiti "miki" (chief) and "suki" (hogs) - 
       "chiefs of the hog clan."
Monticello: Jefferson Co. - Named for the historic Virginia home of 
       Thomas Jefferson.
Moore Haven: Glades Co. - Named for its founder, James A. Moore.
N
Naples: Collier Co. - Named for Naples, Italy.
O
Ocala: Marion Co. - The literal meaning of this Indian word is "heavily 
       clouded," perhaps beyond discovery.
Opa Locka: Dade Co. - Refers to a hammock located within the present 
       limits of the city. The source is Muskogee "opilwa" (swamp) and 
       "lako" (big), though the usual combination is "opillakpo."
Orlando: Orange Co. - There are several different versions to the origin 
       of Orlando's name, however, the official story is that it is named 
       in honor of Orlando Reeves. Orlando Reeves was on sentinel duty 
       for a camping party. While they were sleeping, an Indian attempted 
       to penetrate the camp, but Reeves saw him and fired on him, but 
       not before the Indian shot an arrow killing Reeves.
P
Palatka: Putnam Co. - Its name is derived from the Muskogee work 
       "pilotaikita" which means "ferry", "ford", or "crossing." Palatka 
       was a major trading post on the St. Johns River.
Panama City: Bay Co. - George West, the original developer of the town, 
       named it Panama City because it is in a direct line between 
       Chicago and Panama City, Panama.
Panasoffkee: Sumter Co. - derived from the Muskogee "pani" (valley) and 
       "sufki" (deep) - deep valley.
Pass-a-Grille Beach: Pinellas Co. - The name referred to the practice of 
       fishermen, who, using this point to cross over the island, would 
       stop here to cook or grill their meals.
Pensacola: Escambia Co. - Most likely derivation of the name is from a 
       tribe called Pansfalaya or long-haired people in Choctaw.
Ponte Verde: St. Johns Co. - Named for the city in Spain.
Punta Gorda: Charlotte Co. - The Spanish words for "wide point" or "fat 
       point", which was in reference to the arm of land jutting into 
       Charlotte Bay near the present city.
Q
Quincy: Gadsden Co. - Named in honor of John Quincy Adams who was 
       Secretary of State of the U.S. at the time of establishment.
S
Sanibel: Lee Co. - The name is thought to be a combination of health and 
       beauty.
Sebring: Highlands Co. - Named for George Sebring, a pottery 
       manufacturer of Sebring, Ohio.
Silver Springs: Marion Co. - Named for the celebrated spring, Florida's 
       largest, whose crystal clearness inspired its name.
Sopchoppy: Wakulla Co. - The name has been corrupted from "Lockchoppe", 
       the former designation of the stream in Wakulla Co. Muskogee 
       "lokchapi" which signifies the (red) oak; the word is composed of 
       "lokcha" (acorn) and "api" (stem).
St. Augustine: St. Johns Co. - The oldest continually settled city in 
       the U.S. It was named by its founder, Pedro Menendez de Aviles, 
       for St. Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo.
St. Petersburg: Pinellas Co. - Called the "Sunshine City" but it was 
       named after one of the coldest, great cities of the world - 
       Russia's St. Petersburg, now Leningrad.
Starke: Bradford Co. - It was named after Gov. Starke Perry of Florida 
       or after Thomas Starke, a slaveholder who purchased the land 
       around the area.
Steinhatchee: Taylor Co. - The name is derived from the Muskogee "ak" 
       (down), "isti" (man), and "hatchee" (creek) - Dead man's creek.
Stuart: Martin Co. - Named for Samuel C. Stuart, first telegraph 
       operator and station agent, when the Florida East Coast Railroad 
       was built across the St. Lucie River.
T
Tallahassee: Leon Co. - The name is derived from a Muskogee word meaning 
       "old town."
Tarpon Springs: Pinellas Co. - The name was said to have come from a 
       remark from Mrs. Ormond Boyer, who while standing on the shore saw 
       many fish leaping from the water, and exclaimed "see that tarpon 
       spring," henceforth the name. However the fish was not a tarpon, 
       but a mullet.
Temple Terrace: Hillsborough Co. - Named for the temple orange.
Titusville: Brevard Co. - Established just after the Civil War by 
       Colonel Henry T. Titus, who had been a fierce antagonist of John 
       Brown in the struggle over Kansas which preceded the war.
Trenton: Gilchrist Co. - Named after Trenton, Tennessee by Ben Boyd, who 
       served in the Confederate Army and who established a sawmill 
       there.
Tyndall A.F.B.: Bay Co. - Named for Lt. Frank B. Tyndall, a World War I 
       ace who was killed in the line of duty near Mooresville, N.C.
V
Valparaiso: Okaloosa Co. - Name taken from that of the city in Indiana, 
       which in turn was named for the famous Chilean port. The word is 
       Spanish for valley of paradise.
Venice: Sarasota Co. - Named by Franklin Higel, an early settler who 
       felt that the blue waters of the bays, rivers, and Gulf gave the 
       place a resemblance to the famous Italian city.
W
Wauchula: Hardee Co. - The name may be derived from the Muskogee "wakka" 
       (cow) and "hute" (house or tank).
Weeki Wachee Springs: Hernando Co. - From the Muskogee words "wekiwa" 
       (spring) and "chee" (little). Therefore you get little spring.
Wewahitchka: Gulf Co. - This complex name believed to be derived from an 
       unknown Indian language and meaning "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 that corresponds to the 
       bridge of the nose.
Winter Haven: Polk Co. - It was so called because it was considered a 
       haven from the severe winters of the north. Also known as the City 
       of a Hundred Lakes.
Winter Park: Orange Co. - 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."
Y
Yeehaw: Indian River Co. - A corruption of Muskogee "yaha" which means 
       wolf.
Z
Zellwood: Orange Co. - Named for Colonel T. Elwood Zell, publisher of 
       Zell's Cyclopedia; Zellwood was his home and the community adopted 
       the name in his honor.
Zephyrhills: Pasco, Co. - The name calls attention to the cooling 
       breezes that blow over the hills in this section of the state.