French Place-Names in the United States

Many places in the United States have names of French origin, a legacy of past French exploration and rule over much of the land and in honor of French help during the founding of the country.

Because most of you probably ignore that: Without the French Navy and Army, the U.S. would not even exist today. They’d have been beaten by the Brits at Yorktown.
http://franceusa.blogspot.com/2008/01/fightin-frenchies.html

-First of all Washington D.C has been designed by Pierre Charles L'Enfant:
http://franceusa.blogspot.com/2008/01/pierre-charles-lenfant.html

-2nd (BIG) clue: The Statue of Liberty is French!
http://franceusa.blogspot.com/2008/01/la-statue-de-la-libert.html

Now let's continue:

Alabama
Bay Minette, Alabama ("Cat Bay")
Bayou la Batre, Alabama ("Bayou of the Battery")
Belle Fontaine, Alabama ("Beautiful Fountain")
Bon Secour, Alabama ("Safe Harbor")
Citronelle, Alabama (named after the citrus trees.)
DeKalb County
Dauphin Island, Alabama (named after the Dauphin , French crown prince)
Fayette County
Lamar County
Mobile, Alabama (French pronunciation of the indigenous Mauvilla tribe)
St Clair

Alaska
Juneau, Alaska named after Joseph Juneau, French-Canadian prospector and gold miner

Arizona
Picket Wire, Arizona (Corruption of French Purgatoire "Purgatory")

Arkansas
Arkansas (named by French explorers from Indian word meaning "south wind")
Belleville, Arkansas
Bois D'arc, Arkansas (local wood traded by the Native Americans)
Fayetteville, Arkansas (named for French general, Marquis de LaFayette)
Petit Jean, Arkansas (named after a French sailor on the Arkansas river)
La Petite Roche, Arkansas (state capital, translated into "Little Rock"]
Maumelle, Arkansas
Ozark, Arkansas (phonetic rendering of either aux Arks, "of the Ark(ansas)" or aux Arcs, "of the arches", or possibly aux arcs-en-ciel, "of the rainbows")
Paris, Arkansas
Saline County, Arkansas
Sevier county
Smackover, Arkansas (Anglicization of Sumac Couvert , "covered in sumac")
Terre Rouge, Arkansas

California
Artois, California (named after Artois, France)
Bel Air, California ("Good Air")
Butte County
Fremont, California (named for John C. Frémont , American soldier, explorer and politician of French ancestry)
Lafayette, California (named for the French general, Marquis de Lafayette)
Montclair, California ("Clear Mountain")

Colorado
Laporte, Colorado (from la porte, "the door." One of several American communities named "La Porte," "Laporte" or "LaPorte." )

Delaware
Delaware (named after Lord de la Warre (originally de la Guerre meaning; "of the war"),

Florida
Belandville, Florida (failed "colony" in northern Santa Rosa County, approximately one mile south of its border with Escambia County, Alabama)
Collier county
Duval County, Florida (named for William Pope DuVal )
La Belle, Florida ("The Beauty")
Lafayette county

Georgia
DeKalb County, Georgia
Fayette County, Georgia
Lamar County, Georgia
Lanier County, Georgia
LaGrange, Georgia (named for the French Estate of Marquis de Lafayette)

Hawaii
Fort DeRussy (named for Lewis and René Edward De Russy, soldiers of Huguenot ancestry)

Idaho
Boise, Idaho (from boisé, "Wooded")
Bonneville county
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho ("Heart of the Awl")
Montpelier
Nez perce county
Payette
Teton

Illinois
Illinois French version of Illini, a local Native American tribe
Belleville, Illinois ("Beautiful City")
Bureau County
Champaign County
Des Plaines, Illinois ("of the Plains")
DuPage County
Joliet, Illinois (named after explorer Louis Jolliet )
La Grange, Illinois ("The Barn")
La Salle, Illinois (named after explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. La Salle literally means "the Room.")
Marseilles, Illinois
Prairie du Rocher, Illinois ("Prairie of the Rock")
Saline County,
St Clair
Vermilion County
Versailles, Illinois
Wilmette

Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa ("of the Monks")
Dubuque, Iowa (named after explorer Julien Dubuque)

Indiana
Lafayette, Indiana (named for the French general, Marquis de Lafayette)
La Porte, Indiana (named by French explorers travelling up from the south, this area was the first clearing or "door" out of the heavy woods to the south.)
Terre Haute, Indiana ("High Ground")
Vincennes, Indiana (named for François Marie Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes)
Versailles, Indiana
Delaware County, Indiana (Muncie, Indiana is the county seat)
Fayette County, Indiana
Dubois County, Indiana
Lagrange County, Indiana
Vermillion County, Indiana

Kansas
Labette county
La Cygne, Kansas ("The Swan"; after the Marais des Cygnes River, which was named by French explorers)
Saline County

Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky (named in honor of King Louis XVI in 1778)
Paris, Kentucky
Versailles, Kentucky
La Grange, Kentucky
Bellefonte, Kentucky
Bellemeade, Kentucky
Bellevue, Kentucky
Frenchburg, Kentucky
La Center, Kentucky
LaFayette, Kentucky

Counties:

Bourbon County, Kentucky (name for House of Bourbon, European Royal House)
Fayette County, Kentucky (named for Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette)
Gallatin County, Kentucky (named for Albert Gallatin,Swiss American & Secretary of State )
Larue County, Kentucky (named for John LaRue early Kentucky settler)
Marion County, Kentucky (named for Francis Marion )

Louisiana
Acadia Parish
Ascension Parish
Avoyelles Parish
Louisiana (named in honor of King Louis XIV in 1682)
Abbeville, Louisiana (after Abbeville, France) ( One of several communities in the United States named "Abbeville".)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana ("Red Stick")
Bayou Gauche, Louisiana ("Left Bayou")
Beauregard Parish
Belle Chasse, Louisiana ("Good Hunting")
Belle Isle lake
Bienville Parish
Chataignier, Louisiana ("Chestnut tree")
Des Allemands, Louisiana ("of the Germans")
Destrehan, Louisiana (named in honor of Jean N. Destréhan, Creole politician)
Dulac, Louisiana ("of the lake")
Grosse Tête, Louisiana ("big head")
Lacassine
Jean Lafitte, Louisiana (named for Jean Lafitte , a famous pirate)
Lafayette, Louisiana (named for the Marquis de La Fayette. There are a number of cities named either "Lafayette" or "Fayetteville" in the United States. )
Lafourche Parish, Louisiana (from la fourche, referring to a forked path)
Lake Pontchartrain
La Place, Louisiana (named for early settler Basile LaPlace.)
La Salle Parish
Mandeville, Louisiana (named for developer Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville)
Metairie, Louisiana (from a French word for sharecropping )
New Orleans, Louisiana (named for Philip II, Duke of Orléans, who was Regent of France at the time of the city's founding)
Orleans parish
Paradis, Louisiana ("Paradise")
Plaquemines Parish
Pointe à la Hache, Louisiana ("Axe Point")
Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana (from pointe coupée, "cut point")
Rapides
Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana ("Good Earth")
Vermilion Parish

Maine
Maine (one theory suggests the state was named after the historic French province of Maine)
Calais, Maine
Frenchville, Maine
Paris, Maine
Presque Isle, Maine (from the French word "presqu'île"meaning "peninsula"--- from presque meaning "almost", and isle meaning "island". The town is surrounded on three sides by water, and therefore is "almost an island")

Maryland
L'État du Maryland est baptisée en l'honneur d'Henriette-Marie de France, fille d'Henri IV et épouse du roi d'Angleterre Charles Ier.
Havre de Grace, Maryland (named after Le Havre (originally Le Havre de Grâce, lit. harbour/haven of grace), France)
montpelier

Massachusetts
Orleans, Massachusetts (named for Louis Philippe II, the Duke of Orleans )
Revere, Massachusetts (from Paul Revere, of Huguenot ancestry; his family name originally was Rivoire)

Michigan
Belleville, Michigan ("Beautiful City;" named for a Paris district)
Benzie county
Berrien County, Michigan
Cadillac, Michigan (named after explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac)
Charlevoix, Michigan (named for Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix (1682-1761), a French Jesuit in New France )
Detroit, Michigan ("Strait")
Dozens of Detroit streets are named after early French settlers
Ecorse, Michigan (from Rivière aux Écorces, "Bark River")
Grand Blanc, Michigan ("Large White")
Grand Marais, Michigan ("Large Marsh")
Gratiot County, Michigan
Grosse Ile, Michigan ("Big Island")
Grosse Pointe, Michigan ("Big Point")
Isle Royale National Park, Michigan ("Royal Island")
L'Anse, Michigan ("The Cove")
Marquette, Michigan (named after explorer Jacques Marquette)
Montcalm County, Michigan (named for Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, French military commander in the French and Indian War).
Montmorency County, Michigan (named for the Montmorency family, a noble family influential in the administration of New France)
Presque Isle, Michigan (from presqu'île, "peninsula")
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan ("St. Mary's Rapids")
St. Clair County, Michigan
St. Ignace, Michigan (French translation of St. Ignatius)
St. Joseph, Michigan

Minnesota
Baudette, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota (named after Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut)
Grand Marais, Minnesota ("Big Marsh"; some speculate "Big Harbor" in founders' accent)
Faribault County
Lac qui Parle County
Le Sueur County
Mille Lacs County
Nicollet County
Roseau County
Traverse County
Hennepin County, Minnesota (named in honor of the 17th-century French explorer Father Louis Hennepin.)
St. Cloud, Minnesota (named after a Paris suburb)
Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota (named after the French-Canadian explorers)

Mississippi
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Biloxi, Mississippi
D'Iberville, Mississippi (named after Pierre Lemoyne, Sieur d'Iberville, governor of New France)
Gautier, Mississippi (Named for the Gautier family, who established a homestead on the site in 1867.)

Missouri
Audrain County, Missouri
Cape Girardeau county
Creve Coeur, Missouri ("heart break")
Portage des Sioux, Missouri
St François
St. Louis, Missouri (named in honor of King Louis IX, later canonized as Saint Louis)
Saline County
Ste. Genevieve, Missouri
St Joseph (Saint Joseph was founded by Joseph Robidoux)
St Clair
Versailles, Missouri


Montana
Chouteau County, Montana (named for Auguste and Pierre Chouteau, fur traders who established a trading post in the area)
Havre, Montana (named after Le Havre, France)
Teton
Wibaux County, Montana

Nebraska
Du Bois, Nebraska ("of the Woods")
Papillion, Nebraska (from papillon, "butterfly")
Saline County,

Nevada
Lamoille, Nevada
Loup county
Pioche, Nevada (named for François Louis Alfred Pioche, financier who purchased the town in 1869)

New Hampshire
Fremont, New Hampshire (named for John C. Fremont , French-American pioneer and politician)

New Jersey
Le nom New Jersey provient de l'île anglo-normande de Jersey. Ce nom a été donné en l'honneur de Sir George Carteret, natif de Jersey, qui est l'un des deux hommes à qui la terre a été donnée.
Bayonne, New Jersey (according to tradition, from Bayonne , France)
Montclair, New Jersey ("Clear Mountain")

New Mexico
Bayard, New Mexico (named for George D. Bayard, Union general in the Civil War of French ancestry)
Clovis, New Mexico (named for Clovis, first Christian king of the Franks)

New York
Chateaugay, New York (named after Chateauguay, Quebec.)
Dunkirk, New York (named after the city of Dunkerque, France, because of the similar harbor.)
Massena, New York (named after Andre Massena , one of Napoleon's field marshalls.)
New Rochelle, New York (named after La Rochelle , France.)
Rouses Point, New York (named after early settler Jacques Rouse.)

North Carolina
Beaufort, North Carolina ("Beautiful Fort")
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Lenoir, North Carolina

North Dakota
Rolette
La moure
Bottineau, North Dakota (named for Pierre Bottineau, Métis pioneer, hunter, and trapper)
Des Lacs, North Dakota ("of the Lakes")

Ohio
Auglaize River (corruption of the French eau glaise, meaning "muddy water")
Bellefontaine, Ohio ("Beautiful Fountain")
Belmont County, Ohio
Champaign County, Ohio
Clermont County, Ohio
Delaware county
Fayette County, Ohio (for Marquis de Lafayette )
Gallia County, Ohio (Latin for Gaul, Roman name for France)
Huron County, Ohio (French word given to the Wyandot tribe)
LaRue, Ohio
Lorain County, Ohio (for the French province of Lorraine)
Marietta, Ohio (to honor Marie Antoinette)
Marseilles, Ohio
Montpelier
Vermilion River

Oklahoma
Le Flore, Oklahoma ("The Flora")
Poteau, Oklahoma ("Stake")

Oregon
Deschutes County, Oregon
La Grande, Oregon
La Pine, Oregon
Malheur County, Oregon ("Misfortune")
Terrebonne, Oregon
The Dalles, Oregon (from "les dalles")

Pennsylvania
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania ("Beautiful Fountain")
Charleroi, Pennsylvania ("Charles King" -- in reference to King Charles II of Spain)
Du Bois, Pennsylvania ("Of the Woods")
Versailles, Pennsylvania (Named after the Palace of Versailles)
Luzerne

South Carolina
Abbeville, South Carolina (from Abbeville , France)
Bonneau, South Carolina (from bonne eau, "good water")
Eau Claire, South Carolina ("Clear Water")

South Dakota
Bon Homme county
Belle Fourche, South Dakota ("Beautiful Fork")
Flandreau, South Dakota (named for Charles Eugene Flandrau, judge of Huguenot ancestry)
Fort Pierre, South Dakota
Pierre, South Dakota

Tennessee
Lafayette, Tennessee
La Follette, Tennessee
La Vergne, Tennessee
Lenoir City, Tennessee (named for William Lenoir, Revolutionary War general of Huguenot ancestry, and his son)
Sevierville, Tennessee (named for John Sevier , Tennessee governor of Huguenot ancestry)
Sevier county

Texas
Beaumont, Texas ("beautiful mountain")
Castroville
Grand Prairie, Texas ("large prairie")
Paris, Texas
La Grange, Texas
La Salle county
Fayette County
Sabine County, Texas

Utah
Provo, Utah (named after Étienne Provost)
Sevier county

Vermont
Vermont (Originally Vert Mont, or "Green Mountain")
Lamoille County, Vermont - Either for a misspelling of Champlain's intended name of Lake Champlain, or for the Old French la Moelle ("the marrow").
Montpelier, Vermont (named after Montpellier, France)
Orleans County, Vermont
Orleans, Vermont (named after Orléans, France)

Virginia
Chantilly
La Crosse
Montpelier

Washington
Beaux Arts Village, Washington (from "fine arts")
Bellevue, Washington ("Beautiful View")
Des Moines, Washington ("of the Monks")
Grand Coulee, Washington (from coulée or couler, meaning "to flow")
La Crosse, Washington
Normandy Park, Washington (named after Normandy )
Palouse, Washington (from pelouse, meaning "lawn")
Pend Oreille County, Washington (named after the Pend d'Oreilles tribe. French for "earring")

West Virginia
Despard, West Virginia
Montcalm, West Virginia (named for Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, French military commander in the French and Indian War).

Wisconsin
Allouez, Wisconsin (Named after Claude-Jean Allouez)
Calumet County, Wisconsin (French word for a Menominee peace pipe)
Couderay (From Lac Courte Oreilles, "Short Ears")
De Pere, Wisconsin (from "Les Rapides des Pères," The Rapids of the Fathers)
Eau Claire, Wisconsin ("Clear Water")
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin ("Bottom of the Lake")
Juneau county
La Crosse, Wisconsin
Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin
Lac La Belle, Wisconsin
Lake Butte des Morts ("Hill of the Dead")
Lac Courte Oreilles ("Lake Short Ears")
Marquette, Wisconsin
Nicolet National Forest
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin ("Dog Prairie")
Racine, Wisconsin ("Root", named after the Root River)
Ste Croix
Trempealeau County, Wisconsin

Wyoming
Grand Teton National Park (from French grands tétons, "large breasts" - presumably referring to the mountains' shape)
Sublette

From Wikipedia.