List of Alaska placenames of Native American origin

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

The following list includes settlements, geographic features, and political subdivisions of Alaska whose names are derived from Native American languages.

Listings

Boroughs and census areas

• Aleutians West and Aleutians East Borough
• Kenai Peninsula Borough – from the Dena'ina phrase dena, meaning "flat meadow" or "open area with few trees".
  • Shared with the city of Kenai.
• Ketchikan Gateway Borough – from the Tlingit phrase kichx̱áan, whose English translation is unclear.
  • Shared with the city of Ketchikan.
• Kodiak Island Borough – from the Alutiiq phrase qikertaq, meaning "island".
  • Shared with the island of Kodiak, and its largest city Kodiak.
• Matanuska-Susitna Borough
• The City and Borough of Sitka – from the Tlingit phrase shee at'iká, meaning "people on the outside of Baranof Island".
• The Municipality and Borough of Skagway – from the Tlingit phrase sha-ka-géi, meaning "a windy place with white caps on the water".
• The City and Borough of Yakutat – from the Tlingit phrase yaakwdáat, meaning "the place where canoes rest".
  • Shared with the neighboring Yakutat Bay.

Settlements

• Adak – from the Aleut phrase adaax, whose English translation is unclear.
  • Shared with Adak Island
• Alakanuk – from the Yupik phrase alakanuk, meaning "wrong way".
• Akutan – from the Aleut phrase achan-ingiiga, whose English translation is unclear.
  • Shared with Akutan Bay, Mount Akutan, Akutan Island and the Akutan Hot Springs.
• Chevak – from the Cup'ik phrase cev'aq, meaning "cut-through channel".
• Eklutna – from the Dena'ina phrase idluytnu, meaning "river of objects".
  • Shared with the Eklutna River and Eklutna Lake.
• Emmonak – from the Yup'ik phrase imangaq, whose English translation is unclear.
• Hoonah – from the Tlingit phrase xunaa, meaning "leeward of the north wind".
• Klawock – from the Tlingit phrase ɬawa:k, the name given to a subgroup of the Tlingit tribe.
• Kotlik – from the Yup'ik phrase qerrulliik, whose English translation is unclear.
• Kwethluk – from the Yup'ik phrase kuiggluk, meaning "unnatural river".
• Noorvik – from the Iñupiaq phrase nuurvik, meaning "a place to move to".
• Nunapitchuk – from the Yup'ik phrase nunapicuar, whose English translation is unclear.
• Quinhagak – from the Yup'ik phrase kuinerraq, meaning "new river channel".
• Savoonga – from the Yup'ik phrase sivungaq, whose English translation is unclear.
• Selawik – from the Iñupiaq phrase siiḷivik, meaning "the place of sheefish".
  • Shared with the nearby Selawik Lake.
• Toksook Bay – from the Yup'ik phrase tuqsuk, whose English translation is unclear.
• Unalakleet – from the Iñupiaq phrase uŋalaqłiq, meaning "from the southern side".
• Unalaska – from the Aleut phrase ounalashka, meaning "near the peninsula".
  • Shared with Unalaska Island.
• Utqiagvik – from the Iñupiaq word utqiq, meaning "edible root", full name means "place to gather edible roots".
• Wasilla – named after the eponymous Dena'ina chief.

Bodies of water

• Binnyanaktuk Creek – from an Iñupiaq phrase meaning "superlatively rugged".
• Iliamna Lake – from the Dena'ina phrase nila vena, meaning "lake of the island".
• Ipnek Creek – from an Iñupiaq word ipnaiq meaning "sheep".
• Kapoon Creek – named after an Inuit resident from Wiseman.
• Karillyukpuk Creek – from an Iñupiaq phrase meaning "very rugged".
• Kenunga Creek – from an Iñupiaq phrase meaning "knife edge".
• Kinnorutin Creek – from an Iñupiaq phrase Kinnaurutin meaning "you are crazy".
• Kupuk Creek – named after an Inuit resident from Wiseman.
• Mashooshalluk Creek – from an Iñupiaq word masu meaning "wild potato plant".
• Nutirwik Creek – named after an Inuit hunter.
• Pamichtuk Lake – from an Iñupiaq phrase meaning "other".
• Pegeeluk Creek – from an Iñupiaq word pigiilaq meaning "not very good".
• Publituk Creek – from an Iñupiaq phrase meaning "hollow, drumlike sound made when walking on shell ice".
• Shukok Creek – from an Iñupiaq phrase meaning "rock found on a creek".
• Teshekpuk Lake – from the Iñupiaq phrase tasiqpak, meaning "large lagoon".
• Tobuk Creek – named after an Inuit resident from Alatna.

Islands

• Aagumchiidalix Island
• Aalikam Tangii Island
• Adugak Island
• Afognak Island
• Agattu Island
• Aiktak Island
• Akun Island
• Amak Island
  • Mount Amak
• Amaknak Island
• Amatignak Island
• Amchitka Island
• Amukta Island
  • Mount Amukta
• Unalga Island – from the Aleut phrase unalĝa, whose English translation is unclear.
  • Shared with another Unalga Island in the Delarof Islands.
• Unga Island – from the Aleut phrase uĝnaasaqax̂, whose English translation is unclear.
• Unimak Island – from the Aleut phrase unimax, whose English translation is unclear.

Other

• Alapah Mountain – from an Iñupiaq word alappaa meaning "cold".
• Amawk Mountain – from an Iñupiaq word amaġuq meaning "wolf".
• Apoon Mountain – from an Iñupiaq word apun meaning "snow".
• Arrigetch Peaks – from an Iñupiaq word argaich meaning "fingers outstretched".
• Denali, Denali National Park – from Koyukon deenaalee, "the tall one" (with -naał-, "be long/tall").
• Katiktak Mountain – from an Iñupiaq phrase qatiqtaaq meaning "white".
• Kollutuk Mountain – from an Iñupiaq phrase kałuutik meaning "sheep horn dipper".
• Mount Doonerak – from an Iñupiaq phrase tuunġaq meaning "shaman's helping spirit".
• Nahtuk Mountain – from an Iñupiaq phrase naataq meaning "great grey owl".
• Oolah Mountain – from an Iñupiaq phrase meaning "ulu (scraping tool)".
• Oxadak Mountain – named after an Inuit elder.
• Sukakpak Mountain – from an Iñupiaq phrase meaning "marten deadfall".

See also

• List of place names in the United States of Native American origin

References

Sources

• Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 080613576X.