Chicago derives from the Algonquian word 'shikaakwa', meaning 'wild garlic' or 'striped skunk place'. The wild garlic plant (Allium tricoccum) once grew abundantly along the Chicago River, and the Algonquian-speaking peoples named the area after it. French explorers first recorded the name around 1679, transcribing it from oral indigenous usage.
| Country | United States |
| Region | IL |
| Population | 2,664,452 |
| Language of origin | Algonquian |
| Type of name | Indigenous language |
Etymology & History
Chicago is a ppla2 located in IL, United States. With a population of approximately 2,664,452, it is one of many communities whose name tells a story about the region's past.
Understanding why places are named as they are gives us a window into history — the languages spoken, the people honoured, the landscapes encountered and the cultures that shaped the world we live in today. The field of toponymy (the study of place names) reveals that almost every name has a meaning, even when that meaning has been obscured by centuries of linguistic change.