List of Hudson County, New Jersey placename etymologies

This is a list of locales in Hudson County, New Jersey categorized by origin of their name.

Municipalities
  1. Bayonne (Bynne)
  2. Jersey City (JC)
  3. Hoboken (Hbkn)
  4. Union City (UC)
  5. West New York (WNY)
  6. Guttenberg (Gtbg)
  7. Secaucus (Sec)
  8. Kearny (Kearny)
  9. Harrison (Har'sn)
  10. East Newark (EN)
  11. North Bergen (NB)
  12. Weehawken (Whkn)

Lenape

The Lenape people who lived in the region spoke an Algonquian language from which the current names are derivative through Dutch and English.

Name Municipality Origin Comments
Caven Point JC peninsula[1] through Dutch kewan (see:cay) Road
Communipaw JC gamunk, on the other side of the river, and pe-auke, water-land, meaning big landing-place from the other side of the river.[2] Upper New York Bay before land reclamation at turn of the 20th century

current: gamuck meaning other side of the water or otherside of the river[3] or landing place at the side of a river [4]

 Terminal
Station
Junction
Cove
Avenue
Hackensack JC, Sec
Whkn		 place of stony ground[5] or place of sharp ground [6] exonym for Hackensack (Native Americans) and the terrain around main village at Overpeck Creek near a ridgefield River
Plank Road
Harsimus JC sea marsh or sea grass, possibly crow's marsh salt marsh cove along the North River before landfilling in the 19th century
current: ahas meaning crow [7]		 Cove
Hoboken Hob hoopookum or hupoken meaning smoking pipe,[6]

from Hopoghan Hackingh [8] or place of stone for pipes

 serpentinite rock found at the outcropping of Castle Point

current: Hopoakan meaning pipe for smoking

 Terminal
Cemetery
Lackawanna stream that forks Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, originally the Lackawanna and Western Railroad, consolidated with the Erie Railroad to become the Erie Lackawanna Railway, travelled through the region of the Lackawanna River and across NJ to the waterfront Hoboken Terminal
Manhattan UC island of many hills[9] From the word Manna-hata, as written in the 1609 logbook of Robert Juet, a first mate on Henry Hudson's yacht Halve Maen, while anchored at Weehawken Cove.[10] A 1610 map depicts the name Manahata twice, on both the west and east sides of what became the Hudson River
Pamrapo JC
Bay		 rock Natural break in Bergen Hill where the east-west crossing of Morris Canal was later built and city line established. Station
Avenue
Court
Passaic pahsaayeek,[6] pasayak or pahsayèk
meaning valley or water that flows through the valley

[11]

 Current: Pachsa'jeek[6]
Secaucus Sec sukit meaning black and achgook meaning snake,[12] hence black snakes.[4] Snake Hill Road
Weehawken Whkn at the end of[13] emergence of Hudson Palisades at King's Bluff Cove
Cemetery

Dutch

New Netherlanders established a factorij in 1617 at Communipaw, a patroonship in 1630 at Pavonia, and New Jersey's first independent gemeente, or municipality, in 1661 as Bergen.

Name Municipality Origin Comments
Bergen county-wide bergen meaning hills or mountain ridge,

alternatively from the verb to save, recover, keep safe [14]

 speaks to the terrain of Bergen Hill or the establishment of a stockaded village to which settlers could withdraw if needed Square
Point
Bergenline, etc
Constable Hook Bynne Konstapel's Hoeck

constable &
hoek or hoeck meaning cape or peninsula.

land grant to Jacob Jacobsen Roy, chief gunner or constable in at Fort Amsterdam in New Amsterdam in 1646

[15]
Cromakill Creek Sec, NB kromme kill meaning crooked creek border between Secaucus and North Bergen in Hackensack Meadowlands
Paulus Hook JC variously Paulus Hoeck, Powles Hoek, Powles Hook

hoek or hoeck[16]

 originally a tidal island, site of ferry and factorij operated by Micheal Paulus on behalf of the patroon[15]
Pavonia JC, Bynne latinized pauw meaning peacock from surname of absentee patroon Michael Reyniersz Pauw, as was common for educated men in Dutch Golden Age to take a Latin name
Kill van Kull Bynne channel from the ridge
from kille meaning water channel and col meaning mountain pass or ridge		 Achter Kol described the terrain behind, or west, of the Hudson Palisades. Arthur Kill is an anglicisation of achter kill meaning back channel, which would speak to its location behind Staten Island.
North River In maritime usage, the Hudson River between Hudson County and Manhattan

In relation to another of the great rivers in New Netherland, the Delaware or South River.[17] Alternatively, the "North" River and "East" River were so named for the direction of travel they permitted once having entered the harbor.[18]

 Tunnels
Robbins Reef Bynne rob or robyn meaning seal collections of seals would sometimes lay on the reef at low tide[19]
Suydam JC south dam once part of the village of Communipaw Street

Odonyms

Places bearing eponymous names.
(Streets with names of US presidents, more than half of whom are honored, are not included.)[20]

Place Municipality Origin of Name Comments
Barrow Street JC Dr William Barrow Prominent early 19th century resident of Van Vorst
Barrow Mansion
Bartholdi Avenue JC Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi French sculptor and designer of the Statue of Liberty
Bedloe's Island JC Issac Bedloo original name of Liberty Island
Bentley Avenue JC Peter Bentley, Sr. Fifth Mayor of Jersey City
Black Tom JC Black Tom resident of the island[21]
Bloomfield Avenue Hbkn Joseph Bloomfield Twice Governor of New Jersey
Bonn Place Whkn John H. Bonn [22] Founder of North Hudson County Railway
Boyle Plaza JC John F. Boyle Director interstate commission which built Holland Tunnel
North Hudson
-James J. Braddock Park		 NB James J. Braddock World heavyweight champion
Burr Place Whkn Aaron Burr Third Vice President of the United States
Bulls Ferry NB
WNY		 Bull family 18th century ferry operators
Clinton Street Hbkn De Witt Clinton
Colden Street JC Cadwallader D. Colden Mayor of New York & President of the Morris Canal Company
Coles Street JC John B. Coles New York State Senator (1799-1802) who initiated the plan for a public park in Jersey City to be named for Alexander Hamilton and whose land the park was built upon.[23]
Colgate Street JC William Colgate Colgate-Palmolive long a fixture in Paulus Hook
Cornelison Avenue JC John M. Cornelison Director of the Hudson and Bergen Plank Road Company
Sixth Governor of New York.
Celia Cruz Plaza UC Celia Cruz Singer and performer
Curries Woods JC
Bynne		 James Currie[24] Early settler and prominent citizen of Greenville
Danforth Avenue JC HBLR station
Pietro di Donato Square UC Pietro di Donato Italian-American writer
Dixon Mills JC Joseph Dixon Inventor and manufacturer
Duer Place Whkn William Duer, son-in-law of Lord Stirling
Ellis Island JC Samuel Ellis Colonial merchant and one time owner of island[25]
Fulton Whkn
JC		 Robert Fulton Introduced world's first steamboat ferry service at Paulus Hook in 1812
Gangemi Drive JC Thomas Gangemi 35th Mayor of Jersey City
Garfield Avenue Station JC James A. Garfield 20th President of the United States
Gates Avenue JC Horatio Gates British soldier turned American general in Revolutionary War.
Gracie Lane Whkn Gracie family
Gregory Avenue Whkn Dudley S. Gregory 1st Mayor of Jersey City, Congressman 5th congressional district-NJ
Greene Street JC Nathanael Greene Major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War.
J. Owen Grundy Park JC J. Owen Grundy City historian and writer
Hamilton Whkn
JC		 Alexander Hamilton Founding Father and first United States Secretary of the Treasury
Hamilton Plaza
Hamilton Park
Harrison William Henry Harrison Ninth President of the United States
Holland Tunnel JC Clifford Milburn Holland First chief engineer on the Hudson River Vehicular Tunnel project, who died before the completion of the project.
Hudson used county-wide Hudson River for Henry Hudson Sea-captain and explorer of estuary and river in 1609
Arthur Imperatore Drive NB Arthur Edward Imperatore, Sr. Trucking magnate and founder of New York Waterway
Port Imperial
Journal Square JC Jersey Journal Newspaper with headquarters located on square
Jeanette Street UC Joe Jeanette African-American heavyweight boxer
Johnston Bynne
JC		 John Taylor Johnston President of the Central Railroad of New Jersey
Port Johnston
Johnston Ave
Town of Kearny Kearny Philip Kearny Civil War General
Kennedy Boulevard Bynne, JC, North Hudson John F. Kennedy 35th President of the United States
King Avenue Whkn James Gore King Congressman New Jersey's 5th congressional district
Lafayette Park JC Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette French general who served in Continental Army
McAdoo Avenue JC William McAdoo Congressman New Jersey's 7th congressional district and New York City Police Commissioner
Manischewitz Plaza JC Manischewitz Company which built its factory at location in 1932
Martin Luther King Drive JC Martin Luther King Jr. Clergyman, activist, a leader in the Civil Rights Movement
Marin Boulevard JC
Hbkn		 Luis Muñoz Marín Puerto Rican poet, journalist, and politician
HBLR station
Mercer Street JC Hugh Mercer Brigadier General in the Continental Army
Merseles Street JC Jacob M. Merseles Founder the Bergen Point Plank Road Company
Monastery Place UC Monastery and Church of Saint Michael the Archangel
Montgomery Street JC Richard Montgomery or
James Montgomery Jr.		 Brigadier General in the Continental Army
Director of Hudson and Bergen Plank Road Company
Morgan Street JC Daniel Morgan Colonel in Continental Army
Nungessers NB Family Nungesser Nungesser's Guttenberg Racetrack
Ogden Avenue JC Aaron Ogden 5th Governor of New Jersey.
Paulus Hook JC Micheal Paulez Agent of patroon Micheal Pauw and Dutch West India Company[16]
Pavonia JC
Bynne		 Micheal Pauw Patroon of first European settlement, latinized version of name meaning peacock
PATH, HBLR stations
Pavonia Court
Pershing Whkn
JC		 John J. Pershing General of the Armies in World War I
Pershing Road
Pershing Field
Peter Street UC William Peter Founder Peter's Brewery[26]
Prior Street JC John Prior Owner of Prior's Mill in 18th century Jersey City[27]
Pulaski Skyway JC
Kearny		 Kazimierz Pułaski Polish General in Continental Army during American Revolutionary War.
Randolph Avenue JC Theodore Fitz Randolph
Ristaino Drive JC John Ristaino Candle and furniture-maker, champion speed-skater and Korean War Vet
Frank E. Rodgers Blvd. Har'sn Frank E. Rodgers Mayor of Harrison for 48 years from 1947 to 1995
Roosevelt JC
UC		 Franklin D. Roosevelt 32nd President of the United States
Roosevelt Stadium (Jersey City)
Roosevelt Stadium (Union City)
Schuyler Avenue Kearny Arent Schuyler
of the Schuyler family		 Early settler who developed mines in the region[28]
Shippen Street Whkn William W. Shippen.[22] President Hoboken Land and Improvement Company
Sinatra Drive Hbkn Frank Sinatra Actor, entertainer and famous son
Steuben Street JC Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Prussian who served as inspector general of the Continental Army
Sterling Avenue whkn Lord Stirling William Alexander, American general in Revolutionsry War
Tonnelle Avenue JC
NB		 John Tonnele Early settler to Hudson City
Tonnelle Circle
HBLR station
Teurs Avenue JC Jane Teurs[29] Instrumental in foiling Benedict Arnold plot to sell West Point to British during the American Revolution
Van Vorst Park JC Van Vorst family
including Cornelius Van Vorst		 Early settlers to Pavonia, New Netherland
12th Mayor of Jersey City
Van Vorst Street
Van Wagenen Avenue JC Van Wagenen family Early settlers to Bergen, New Netherland
Van Wagenen House
Varick Street JC Richard Varick Mayor of New York City and a founder of City of Jersey[30]
Warren Street JC Joseph Warren Sons of Liberty and Major General of Continental Army
Wayne Street JC Anthony Wayne American Revolutionary War brigadier general
Westervelt JC Westervelt family
including Jacob Aaron Westervelt		 Early settlers to Bergen, New Netherland
Ship builder and Mayor of New York City
Wittpenn Bridge JC, Kearny H. Otto Wittpenn 28th Mayor of Jersey City
Wright Street JC Edwin R. V. Wright Congressman New Jersey's 5th congressional district and Mayor of Hudson City
Audrey Zapp Drive JC Audrey Zapp Environmentalist influential in the development Liberty State Park

See also

References
  1. Ferretti, Fred (June 10, 1979), "Jersey City Hopes to Save Caven Point", New York Times
  2. "Four chapters of Paterson history: I. The war for independence. II. The early white settlers. III. Struggle for industrial supremacy. IV. Municipal administration". 1919 – via archive.org.
  3. The Lenape/English Dictionary http://www.gilwell.com/lenape
  4. "Indian Place Names".
  5. "Indigenous Population". www.bergencountyhistory.org. Archived from the original on 2004-08-15.
  6. "Woodland Indians Forum / Indian placenames in and around Paterson, NJ". Archived from the original on 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
  7. "Lenape Spelling System". Archived from the original on 2016-05-19. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
  8. HM-hist "The Abridged History of Hoboken", Hoboken Museum Archived 2009-02-26 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Holloway, Marguerite. "Urban tactics; I'll Take Mannahatta", The New York Times, May 16, 2004, accessed June 30, 2009. "He could envision what Henry Hudson saw in 1609 as he sailed along Mannahatta, which in the Lenape dialect most likely meant island of many hills."
  10. Full Text of Robert Juet's Journal: From the collections of the New York Historical Society, Second Series, 1841 log book Archived 2009-05-18 at the Wayback Machine, Newsday. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
  11. Lenape Language / Pronunciation Archived 2007-02-27 at the Wayback Machine.
  12. Anthony, Rev A.S and Binton D.G. (editors) Lenape-English Dictionary, 1888, (Historical Society of Penn)
  13. Weehawken, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, accessed June 13, 2007. "A township in Hudson County, N.J., seven miles northeast of Jersy [sic] City. The name was originally an Algonquin Indian term and later changed by folk-usage to a pseudo-Dutch form. Its exact meaning is unclear, but variously translated ... at the end (of the Palisades)..."
  14. Grundy, J. Owen (1976). "A Dutch Legacy". The History of Jersey City (1609–1976). Jersey City, New Jersey: Walter E. Knight, Progress Printing Co. p. 5.
  15. Joan F. Doherty, Hudson County The Left Bank, ISBN 0-89781-172-0 (Windsor Publications, Inc., 1986)
  16. NJCU: Jersey City A to Z/Paulus Hook
  17. Steinhauer, Jennifer."F.Y.I",The New York Times, May 15, 1994.
  18. Dougherty, Steve. "MY MANHATTAN; Away From the Uproar, Before a Strong Wind", The New York Times, May 31, 2002. Accessed January 17, 2008. "'Because it's the river you sail to go north,' Captain Freitas explained. 'To sail east, to Long Island Sound, you would take the East River.'"
  19. Roberts, Bruce and Jones, Ray, Lighthouses of New York, Globe Pequot Press, Guilford CT, 2008
  20. Hudson County New Jersey Street Map. Hagstrom Map Company, Inc. 2008. ISBN 978-0-88097-763-0.
  21. "NJCU JC A to Z: Black Tom". Archived from the original on 2010-12-05. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
  22. Sherman, Lauren; Gaulkin, Ellen Robb (February 2009). Weehawken (paper). Images of America (1st ed.). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-6268-1.
  23. "Hamilton Park". New Jersey City University: Jersey City Past and Present. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  24. JC Past and Present Archived 2009-01-10 at the Wayback Machine
  25. Moreno, Barry (2001) "Ellis Island Chronology Timeline (1674–2001)". National Park Service, Ellis Island Library. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
  26. History of Peter Family and Brewery Archived 2011-06-04 at the Wayback Machine
  27. NJCU JC A to Z:Prior's Mill
  28. "Arent Schulyer family". Archived from the original on 2010-12-02. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
  29. "Jane Tuers (Jannetje van Reypen Tuers)". Archived from the original on 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
  30. NJCU: Associates of Jersey
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