Alternate North American Names
- Thread starter Future8
- Start date
I may be able to add possible alternate names for a few Canadian provinces and territories and a few US states...
Alberta:
(West) Buffalo - Maybe possible if Princess Louise, born Louise Caroline Alberta, hadn't existed or died in childhood. "Buffalo" *was* indeed a name proposed in the early 1900s for a Canadian province by Sir Frederick Haultain, the first and last premier of the Northwest Territories before Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces in 1905. He proposed that Buffalo be a single province between the 60th and 49th Parallels and BC and Manitoba, with Regina as the capital (but some people wanted Calgary as the capital instead). But Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the Prime Minister of Canada at the time, and whom Haultain had ill relations with, had other plans. And that plan was to carve Haultain's Buffalo into Alberta and Saskatchewan. This was done to reduce the political influence of Western Canada - an issue which still haunts this part of the country from time to time even today.
British Columbia:
New Hanover
New Caledonia
- These two names above show up in some 19th Century maps of Oregon Territory, often both at once, with "New Hanover" in the Coast Mountains and the Sunshine Coast and "New Caledonia" in the BC Interior. As for how plausible these two names were, I don't know, but they could have been possible if the British ended losing Oregon Territory to the Americans and the name "Columbia" somehow rejected for any new state in that region.
Kootenay/Kootenai/Kutenai/Kutenay - Possible alternate name. But then again, probably not - unless the British lost all of Oregon Territory and the Americans were to create an inland state in OTL BC/Idaho/western Montana. It refers to the Ktunaxa (Kutenai) people who lived in this region in southeastern OTL BC and the northern Idaho Panhandle/northwestern Montana. Note that "Kootenay" is the OTL Canadian spelling referring to SE BC, while the OTL spelling of "Kootenai" strictly refers to the other side of the 49th Parallel.
Saskatchewan:
(East) Buffalo - See above (Alberta) for the origin of this name.
Assiniboia - From the Assiniboine people of the same name as that river basin as well as the river of the same name who lived in what is now southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba and northern North Dakota/Minnesota. Assiniboia is best known as a district of the Northwest Territories created in 1882 in what is now southern Saskatchewan before Saskatchewan attained provincehood in 1905. But earlier in the 19th Century, the "District of Assiniboia" was also an alternate name for official purposes for the Red River Colony, centered around Fort Garry (Winnipeg) which eventually became OTL Manitoba.
Manitoba:
Assiniboia - Even though this name is derived from the First Nations people who lived in what is now southern Manitoba, this alternate name is probably not likely, unless maybe Manitoba didn't become a province until a lot later than in OTL and/or possibly if the Riel Rebellion had not happened. In OTL, Manitoba became a province in 1871 - well before the 2nd District of Assiniboia was set up in OTL southern Saskatchewan in 1882.
New Brunswick/Nova Scotia/Prince Edward Island:
Acadia/Acadiana* - Acadia (Acadie in French) is the name given to the region encompassing what is now New Brunswick and also Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island by French settlers before the British took over in 1710. This is quite a plausible alternate name if the Acadians still ended being the majority and probably also if the British hadn't tried to kicked them out during the Great Expulsion of 1755-1763 (at roughly the same time as the Seven Years' War). Nova Scotia had a large Acadian population until the British expelled them during the 18th Century. Many Acadians fled to what is now northern and eastern New Brunswick and also voluntarily to Louisiana, where they became the Cajuns.
*Acadiana was and is still a real name in OTL given to the Cajun-speaking regions of Louisiana. However, this could also have been a possible name for a province in the Canadian Maritimes if the Great Expulsion and/or remained a majority there.
Ontario:
Huronia/Huron - Maybe not likely, but in OTL this is an unofficial name given to the region in Southern Ontario between the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and Georgian Bay.
Skanadario, Kanadario, Skanatario, Kanatario, Canatario, Cantario - from the word skanadario, meaning "beautiful water" in some Iroquoian languages.
Karenondi/Karenandi/Karenandia - possible anglicization of the Wendat (an Iroquoian langage) word karegnondi, meaning "freshwater sea" - in OTL, this same Wendat name was used for Lake Huron in 1656 by Nicolas Sanson, a French cartographer. However, this is unlikely, because the Wyandot people, who were originally from around Lake Ontario were forced to relocate to Lake Huron in the Georgian Bay area before European settlement really took hold in Upper Canada.
Yukon:
Klondike (territory) - I don't know how possible, but this was the (northern) part of Yukon centered around the Klondike River, the location of Dawson City and the namesake of the infamous Klondike Gold Rush.
Arizona:
Alta Sonora - Although the Sonoran desert extends into Arizona (but not into New Mexico, as has been suggested earlier in this thread), just "Sonora" itself could be confused with the Mexican state to the south, hence the "Alta" ("upper" in Spanish - Alta California was the old name for the US state to the west).
Louisiana:
Acadiana - See above referring to New Brunswick/Nova Scotia. Maybe possible, since this is the name given to the Cajun-speaking part (SW and most of the Mississippi Delta) of this state.
New Mexico:
Montezuma - Don't know how possible, but this was really an altername name that probably could have occurred for this state. This alternate name referred to a hero-god worshipped by the Tohono O'odham and Pueblo peoples in this part of the US, not either of the two Aztec rulers (Moctezuma I and Moctezuma II - the spelling of "Montezuma" is also used for these two guys).
Alberta:
(West) Buffalo - Maybe possible if Princess Louise, born Louise Caroline Alberta, hadn't existed or died in childhood. "Buffalo" *was* indeed a name proposed in the early 1900s for a Canadian province by Sir Frederick Haultain, the first and last premier of the Northwest Territories before Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces in 1905. He proposed that Buffalo be a single province between the 60th and 49th Parallels and BC and Manitoba, with Regina as the capital (but some people wanted Calgary as the capital instead). But Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the Prime Minister of Canada at the time, and whom Haultain had ill relations with, had other plans. And that plan was to carve Haultain's Buffalo into Alberta and Saskatchewan. This was done to reduce the political influence of Western Canada - an issue which still haunts this part of the country from time to time even today.
British Columbia:
New Hanover
New Caledonia
- These two names above show up in some 19th Century maps of Oregon Territory, often both at once, with "New Hanover" in the Coast Mountains and the Sunshine Coast and "New Caledonia" in the BC Interior. As for how plausible these two names were, I don't know, but they could have been possible if the British ended losing Oregon Territory to the Americans and the name "Columbia" somehow rejected for any new state in that region.
Kootenay/Kootenai/Kutenai/Kutenay - Possible alternate name. But then again, probably not - unless the British lost all of Oregon Territory and the Americans were to create an inland state in OTL BC/Idaho/western Montana. It refers to the Ktunaxa (Kutenai) people who lived in this region in southeastern OTL BC and the northern Idaho Panhandle/northwestern Montana. Note that "Kootenay" is the OTL Canadian spelling referring to SE BC, while the OTL spelling of "Kootenai" strictly refers to the other side of the 49th Parallel.
Saskatchewan:
(East) Buffalo - See above (Alberta) for the origin of this name.
Assiniboia - From the Assiniboine people of the same name as that river basin as well as the river of the same name who lived in what is now southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba and northern North Dakota/Minnesota. Assiniboia is best known as a district of the Northwest Territories created in 1882 in what is now southern Saskatchewan before Saskatchewan attained provincehood in 1905. But earlier in the 19th Century, the "District of Assiniboia" was also an alternate name for official purposes for the Red River Colony, centered around Fort Garry (Winnipeg) which eventually became OTL Manitoba.
Manitoba:
Assiniboia - Even though this name is derived from the First Nations people who lived in what is now southern Manitoba, this alternate name is probably not likely, unless maybe Manitoba didn't become a province until a lot later than in OTL and/or possibly if the Riel Rebellion had not happened. In OTL, Manitoba became a province in 1871 - well before the 2nd District of Assiniboia was set up in OTL southern Saskatchewan in 1882.
New Brunswick/Nova Scotia/Prince Edward Island:
Acadia/Acadiana* - Acadia (Acadie in French) is the name given to the region encompassing what is now New Brunswick and also Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island by French settlers before the British took over in 1710. This is quite a plausible alternate name if the Acadians still ended being the majority and probably also if the British hadn't tried to kicked them out during the Great Expulsion of 1755-1763 (at roughly the same time as the Seven Years' War). Nova Scotia had a large Acadian population until the British expelled them during the 18th Century. Many Acadians fled to what is now northern and eastern New Brunswick and also voluntarily to Louisiana, where they became the Cajuns.
*Acadiana was and is still a real name in OTL given to the Cajun-speaking regions of Louisiana. However, this could also have been a possible name for a province in the Canadian Maritimes if the Great Expulsion and/or remained a majority there.
Ontario:
Huronia/Huron - Maybe not likely, but in OTL this is an unofficial name given to the region in Southern Ontario between the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and Georgian Bay.
Skanadario, Kanadario, Skanatario, Kanatario, Canatario, Cantario - from the word skanadario, meaning "beautiful water" in some Iroquoian languages.
Karenondi/Karenandi/Karenandia - possible anglicization of the Wendat (an Iroquoian langage) word karegnondi, meaning "freshwater sea" - in OTL, this same Wendat name was used for Lake Huron in 1656 by Nicolas Sanson, a French cartographer. However, this is unlikely, because the Wyandot people, who were originally from around Lake Ontario were forced to relocate to Lake Huron in the Georgian Bay area before European settlement really took hold in Upper Canada.
Yukon:
Klondike (territory) - I don't know how possible, but this was the (northern) part of Yukon centered around the Klondike River, the location of Dawson City and the namesake of the infamous Klondike Gold Rush.
Arizona:
Alta Sonora - Although the Sonoran desert extends into Arizona (but not into New Mexico, as has been suggested earlier in this thread), just "Sonora" itself could be confused with the Mexican state to the south, hence the "Alta" ("upper" in Spanish - Alta California was the old name for the US state to the west).
Louisiana:
Acadiana - See above referring to New Brunswick/Nova Scotia. Maybe possible, since this is the name given to the Cajun-speaking part (SW and most of the Mississippi Delta) of this state.
New Mexico:
Montezuma - Don't know how possible, but this was really an altername name that probably could have occurred for this state. This alternate name referred to a hero-god worshipped by the Tohono O'odham and Pueblo peoples in this part of the US, not either of the two Aztec rulers (Moctezuma I and Moctezuma II - the spelling of "Montezuma" is also used for these two guys).
Well, I took a list of names, and if you don't mind my commentary:
Alabama-
1. Al[a/i]ba[h]m(a/o)- Although Alibama is indeed a good alternative, the others are highly improbable.
2. South Tennessee- Highly improbable, for the reasons that a.) the Tenn River only runs thru a very small portion of the state. and b.)Some Alabamans might not want to be confused with their northern neighbor.
3. Coosa- This is actually pretty plausible given that the Creeks did have a notable presence here.
1. I think it really depends on the language.
2. So I should remove it?
Alberta-
1. New Argyll- Technically plausible, though very unlikely.
2. West Sasketchewan/Athabasca: See above.
1. Well, Princess Alberta was the Duchess of Agryll. I thought it might be named that the way New York was named.
2. Perhaps if somehow Canada had not remained a dominion...?
Arizona-
1. The only truly plausible version of the original OTL name I can think of would be Aritzonac. Maybe.
2. Gila- Plausible, though unlikely.
3. South Colorado-Not plausible, but only because it doesn't have a border with Colorado.
1. Aridzonas could work if it was Spanish and the etymology was "arid zones".
3. But the Colorado River forms its entire western border.
California-
1. Sacramento-Plausible, though it would be better off in an ATL where Calif. had been broken up.
Okay.
Delaware-
1.)Delawarr-Somewhat plausible but very unlikely.
2.)South Delaware- Wouldn't be plausible unless there was another Delaware to the north of it.
2. Yes. That corresponds to New Jersey's AH name of "North Delaware."
Florida-
1.)San Juan-Could be plausible, though I don't know where you came up with this.
2.)Okeechobee-Plausibility is questionable and highly unlikely.
1. The St. Johns river.
2. All right.
Georgia.
1. Oconee-Seems plausible but unlikely, IMO.
2. Altahama-Don't know.
3. Savannah-Plausible, but a little far-fetched. Also, no other spelling is plausible under British and/or American rule.
Those were mostly rivers that drained out along the coast there.
Indiana
1. Wabash-Definitely plausible, though only in this particular spelling unless under French rule.
2. Oklahoma-An ironically cool name, though sadly not plausible unless the Choctaw are somehow forced to move northwards and/or its statehood is delayed somewhat.
2. I was thinking that if the Louisiana Purchase wasn't made, the Choctaw would probably be sent northwards.
Iowa-
No plausible names here I'm afraid.
Okay.
Maine-
1. the original name can be spelled 'Mayne', though nothing else is plausible.
2. New Broadmayne-Probably implausible.
3. North Appalachia-Definitely implausible as the Appalachians don't go that far north.
4. Gorges-Where did this come from?
5. Popham-Don't know.
2. Could I ask why?
3. [url="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/AppalachianLocatorMap2.png]According to this, they do.[/url]
4. From the founder of the state.
Montana-
1.West Missouri-Nice name, though sadly wouldn't make sense unless one or both Dakotas was also named Missouri.
2. Yellowstone-Though the volcano isn't here, the river is. So, although unlikely, IMO, it's plausible.
1. Perhaps "Northwest Missouri"?
New Brunswick-
1.)Georgia-Actually plausible, though strange IMO.
2.)Appalachia-Even more implausible than the entry for Maine.
2. See above map.
New Hampshire-
1.)Appalachia-Not quite as implausible as for Maine and N.B., but still so.
1. Again, that map.
New Mexico-
1.)Where did you get Keresa from?
1. From the Keres Pueblo people who live there.
New York.
1. Hudson-Very doable. Was the name for the eastern part of Upstate N.Y. in DoD, btw.
2. New Netherlands-Not at all hard to do, especially if people of Dutch ancestry become the majority.
Cool.
Ontario-
All of the names for Ontario are plausible but I don't think any of them could logically be applied to the whole province, at least not OTL's Ontario anyway.
If Ontario could be applied to the entire state, I don't see why the rest won't.
Rhode Island-
1. New Rhodes-This is a rather unique twist on the state's name. I like it.
1. Some people believe the name for the state comes from the Greek island of Rhodes, so New Rhodes, and OTL Rhodes as Old Rhodes.
Tennessee-
1. Tanasi-Definitely plausible but somewhat unlikely, IMO, unless relations with the Natives don't get as bad as they did IOTL.
1. Or if it's a different language that prefers "a"s.
Yukon-
Both names are doable, though the first spelling sounds much better, IMO.
---
I'm thinking about contributing my own list of names to this thread. Watch this thread closely.
I really appreciate the feedback. Thanks.
Thanks. I thought I already had those names for Wisconsin.
I'm not sure if the entire states would be named after the capital.
Thanks! And I really appreciate the long etymologies.
Thanks.
VT45
Banned
Someone already suggested New Somersetshire for Maine, but I don't think they posted a reason. New Somersetshire was the original name of the colony before they decided on Maine.
And for Massachusetts, you could also use Plymouth (original colony), New England (name of the colonial venture), and Cape Colony or something to that effect (reasons should be obvious).
And for Prince Edward Island, you could use Saint John's Island, as that was the original name for it.
And for Massachusetts, you could also use Plymouth (original colony), New England (name of the colonial venture), and Cape Colony or something to that effect (reasons should be obvious).
And for Prince Edward Island, you could use Saint John's Island, as that was the original name for it.
Thanks.
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Any ideas for alternate Mexican state names? I've done a couple so far, but they're just alternate spelling. Any plausible alternate names?
Colonial Maine didn't have the clean start that a lot of the other colonies did. When Fernando Gorges and John Mason were given the patent to settle the area of both New Hampshire and Maine, Mason took the southern bit and named it New Hampshire, and Gorges took the north and called it New Somersetshire.
So the reasoning for the names:
Mason: For NH, after the person who got the patent.
Merrimack: For NH, after the river.
Gorges: for ME after the person who got the patent.
New Somersetshire: for ME, it's original name.
Popham: for ME, a failed colonial venture in the area.
Sagahdoc: for ME, a name for the Eastern portion of Maine that wasn't settled as fast.
New Castle: for ME, alternate name for Sagahdoc.
That would work. Especially Des Moines for Iowa given that Wilcoxchar ended up giving U & L's Iowa the same basic name, just with both s'es taken out.
Thank ye.
My bad. Dumb mistakes like these happen when you're jetlagged.
Colorado:
Jefferson (original territory movement in 1859)
San Luis (first settlers were Spanish in the southern San Luis Valley)
Montana
Zebulon (after Zebulon Pike, first American to explore Colorado)
Arapaho
Jefferson (original territory movement in 1859)
San Luis (first settlers were Spanish in the southern San Luis Valley)
Montana
Zebulon (after Zebulon Pike, first American to explore Colorado)
Arapaho
Aguascalientes can't be named Riocalientes. Aguascalientes is derived from the hot springs, not the rivers. However, you could use:
South Zacatecas: Aguascalientes was part of Zacatecas for a lot of time.
Montoro: Juan de Montoro, Aguascalientes City's founder
Triana or Guadalupe: Two of the main neighborhoods in Aguascalientes
South Zacatecas: Aguascalientes was part of Zacatecas for a lot of time.
Montoro: Juan de Montoro, Aguascalientes City's founder
Triana or Guadalupe: Two of the main neighborhoods in Aguascalientes
Sorry, I forgot to add another alternative name for Alberta and Saskatchewan:
Alberta:
(West) Palliser - From John Palliser, an OTL geographer and explorer who traveled extensively in the late 1850s with an exploration team throughout the Canadian Prairies and what is now northwestern Ontario partly in order to find new routes for future Canadian railroads. A part of the Canadian Prairies in a roughly triangular area within southeastern Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan is known today as the Palliser's Triangle. It is actually semi-arid and highly prone to droughts.
Saskatchewan:
(East) Palliser - see above.
Now you know where the "Palliser" in my location name comes from. I can see it being an alternative name to "Buffalo". Particularly if concerns with confusion with the city of the same name in upstate New York arose - many settlers coming in from Europe and Eastern Canada did have to pass through Southern Ontario, and Buffalo, NY wasn't that far from there. Not to mention that well before the St. Lawrence Seaway opened up to major shipping traffic, many goods and travelers/settlers coming into Canada from New England and the US Eastern Seaboard would have had to go through that city or near there anyways (there is a reason why Buffalo, NY was a major railroad hub and one of the top 10 largest cities in the US at the dawn of the 20th Century).
Alberta:
(West) Palliser - From John Palliser, an OTL geographer and explorer who traveled extensively in the late 1850s with an exploration team throughout the Canadian Prairies and what is now northwestern Ontario partly in order to find new routes for future Canadian railroads. A part of the Canadian Prairies in a roughly triangular area within southeastern Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan is known today as the Palliser's Triangle. It is actually semi-arid and highly prone to droughts.
Saskatchewan:
(East) Palliser - see above.
Now you know where the "Palliser" in my location name comes from.
I can see it being an alternative name to "Buffalo". Particularly if concerns with confusion with the city of the same name in upstate New York arose - many settlers coming in from Europe and Eastern Canada did have to pass through Southern Ontario, and Buffalo, NY wasn't that far from there. Not to mention that well before the St. Lawrence Seaway opened up to major shipping traffic, many goods and travelers/settlers coming into Canada from New England and the US Eastern Seaboard would have had to go through that city or near there anyways (there is a reason why Buffalo, NY was a major railroad hub and one of the top 10 largest cities in the US at the dawn of the 20th Century).Which is highly unlikely because England just finished with their Civil War.
Well, there is already a Colorado. Perhaps I should put South in square brackets.
Okay. Thanks for the other alternate names.
Okay.
Sorry, I forgot to add another alternative name for Alberta and Saskatchewan:
Alberta:
(West) Palliser - From John Palliser, an OTL geographer and explorer who traveled extensively in the late 1850s with an exploration team throughout the Canadian Prairies and what is now northwestern Ontario partly in order to find new routes for future Canadian railroads. A part of the Canadian Prairies in a roughly triangular area within southeastern Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan is known today as the Palliser's Triangle. It is actually semi-arid and highly prone to droughts.
Saskatchewan:
(East) Palliser - see above.
Now you know where the "Palliser" in my location name comes from.
Thanks for the lengthy etymology again!
Thanks!
