Many of Utah’s towns are named after the people who settled them originally. Others are named after people in the Book of Mormon. Some of Utah’s towns have more surprising origins. Check out these 15 town names and their meanings.
- Alta
Town of Alta The Spanish word for “tall” is “Alta.” Alta got its name due to its high elevation.
- Castle Dale
Ken Lund/flickr This town was originally named Castle Vale, but a post office worker made a mistake on some paperwork, and the town ended up as Castle Dale.
- Corinne
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/flickr The first child born in the settlement was given the name, “Corinne,” so they named the town after her!
- Elmo
By Ntsimp (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Elmo is named after the book “St. Elmo,” written in 1866 by Augusta Jane Evans.
- Goshen
Ken Lund/flickr The first LDS Bishop in the area was born in Goshen, Connecticut.
- Helper
Loco Steve/flickr When the Western and Rio Grande railroads came to Utah in the early 1880s, the area began to develop. “Helper” engines were stored in the town to assist locomotives over steep Soldier Summit.
- Hurricane
Terry Feuerborn/flickr LDS Church Apostle Erastus Snow visited the town and mentioned that the heavy winds there were like a hurricane.
- Kanab
Ken Lund/flickr The Native American word means “willow.”
- Loa
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/flickr The town of Loa is named after a volcano in Hawaii, “Mauna Loa.” One of the settlers served an LDS mission to Hawaii.
- Moab
Ken Lund/flickr A derivative of the Native American word “moapa,” which means “mosquito.”
- Orderville
Ken Lund/flickr Named for the United Order, a Mormon collectivist doctrine wherein church members gave the church all of their possessions, and the church distributed goods to members as necessary.
- Plymouth
madpoet_one/flickr Someone thought that a large rock in the area looked like Plymouth Rock.
- Roy
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/flickr A local pastor named David Peebles lost his young son to illness. When it was time to name the town, Reverend Peebles suggested that they name it in honor of his little boy.
- Sigurd
John Weiss/flickr This little town is named after the Norse God Sigurd.
- Toquerville
Paul Inkenbrandt/flickr Named after a local Native American tribal chief, Toquer.
Did you know what these town names meant?
Town of Alta
The Spanish word for “tall” is “Alta.” Alta got its name due to its high elevation.
Ken Lund/flickr
This town was originally named Castle Vale, but a post office worker made a mistake on some paperwork, and the town ended up as Castle Dale.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/flickr
The first child born in the settlement was given the name, “Corinne,” so they named the town after her!
By Ntsimp (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Elmo is named after the book “St. Elmo,” written in 1866 by Augusta Jane Evans.
The first LDS Bishop in the area was born in Goshen, Connecticut.
Loco Steve/flickr
When the Western and Rio Grande railroads came to Utah in the early 1880s, the area began to develop. “Helper” engines were stored in the town to assist locomotives over steep Soldier Summit.
Terry Feuerborn/flickr
LDS Church Apostle Erastus Snow visited the town and mentioned that the heavy winds there were like a hurricane.
The Native American word means “willow.”
The town of Loa is named after a volcano in Hawaii, “Mauna Loa.” One of the settlers served an LDS mission to Hawaii.
A derivative of the Native American word “moapa,” which means “mosquito.”
Named for the United Order, a Mormon collectivist doctrine wherein church members gave the church all of their possessions, and the church distributed goods to members as necessary.
madpoet_one/flickr
Someone thought that a large rock in the area looked like Plymouth Rock.
A local pastor named David Peebles lost his young son to illness. When it was time to name the town, Reverend Peebles suggested that they name it in honor of his little boy.
John Weiss/flickr
This little town is named after the Norse God Sigurd.
Paul Inkenbrandt/flickr
Named after a local Native American tribal chief, Toquer.
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