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Origin of "Ohio"

Ohio State Name Origin

Ohio geology and topography map courtesy of USGS: A Tapestry of Time and Terrain.

What does "Ohio" mean?

The name Ohio originates from the Iroquois* word for "good river." This name was later translated by the French as "La Belle Riviere" (the beautiful river). Ohio is the 17th state admitted to the Union March 1, 1803. All State Name Origins

*The Iroquois Confederacy (also called the "League of Peace and Power," the "Five Nations," the "Six Nations," or the "People of the Longhouse") is a group of Native Americans originally consisting of five nations: the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, and the Seneca. A sixth tribe, the Tuscarora, joined after the original five nations were formed.

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