Lenape Place Names

Lenape place names are indigenous geographic terms from the Lenape language that survive in the modern landscape of Philadelphia and the surrounding region. Despite the displacement of the Lenape people from their ancestral homeland in the 18th century, dozens of place names derived from Unami, the Lenape dialect spoken in the Philadelphia area, remain in daily use. These names—found on maps, street signs, and in everyday conversation—represent one of the most tangible connections between contemporary Philadelphia and the indigenous peoples who inhabited the region for thousands of years before European colonization.

Major Place Names

Manayunk

Manayunk, the neighborhood along the Schuylkill River in Northwest Philadelphia, takes its name from the Lenape word ménëyunk, meaning "where we go to drink" or "place of drinking." This name referred to the Schuylkill River itself, which served as a vital water source for Lenape communities. The name reflects the river's importance as a gathering place and resource. When the area was developed as an industrial mill town in the 19th century, the indigenous name was retained, and it continues to identify one of Philadelphia's most distinctive neighborhoods. Today, Manayunk is known for its steep hills, Main Street shopping district, and proximity to the Schuylkill River Trail.

Wissahickon

The Wissahickon, both the creek and the valley through which it flows, derives from the Lenape word wísahickon, generally translated as "catfish creek" or "creek of catfish." The name describes the abundance of catfish that once populated the stream, which served as an important food source for indigenous communities. The Wissahickon Creek runs through a dramatic gorge in Northwest Philadelphia before joining the Schuylkill River near Manayunk. The valley surrounding the creek was preserved as a park in the late 19th century and remains one of the most significant natural areas within Philadelphia's boundaries, attracting hikers, bikers, and nature enthusiasts throughout the year.

Passyunk

Passyunk, the name attached to Passyunk Square and the famous Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia, likely derives from a Lenape word meaning "in the valley" or "the place in the lowland." The term described the geographic character of the area, which sits lower than surrounding terrain. Passyunk Avenue, one of Philadelphia's oldest roads, follows the path of an ancient Lenape trail that connected the Delaware River to the interior. The street's diagonal route across South Philadelphia's grid makes it one of the city's most distinctive thoroughfares, home to the famous cheesesteak rivals Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's Steaks as well as a vibrant dining corridor along East Passyunk Avenue.

Schuylkill

The Schuylkill River, Philadelphia's secondary waterway, presents a more complex etymological case. The name as spelled is Dutch, meaning "hidden river" or "hidden creek," applied by Dutch explorers who initially missed the river's mouth when sailing up the Delaware. However, some scholars believe the Dutch name may have incorporated or translated an existing Lenape term. The Lenape called the river Ganshowahanna or similar variants, meaning "falling water" or "roaring waters," likely referring to the falls that once existed near present-day Fairmount. Whether the current name preserves Lenape elements or not, the river itself was central to Lenape life in the region, providing fish, transportation routes, and access to the rich hunting grounds of the interior.

Other Surviving Names

Beyond these major examples, numerous other Lenape place names survive throughout the Philadelphia region. Tacony, a neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia, derives from a Lenape word meaning "forest" or "wilderness." Shackamaxon, the site of William Penn's legendary treaty with the Lenape (now Penn Treaty Park in Fishtown), comes from a Lenape term meaning "place of eels" or "eel fishing place." Pennypack, the creek and park in Northeast Philadelphia, derives from penapaëk, meaning "deep, dead water" or "still water pond," describing the character of the stream.

The names Moyamensing (a historic district in South Philadelphia), Cohocksink (a vanished creek in Northern Liberties), and Wingohocking (a creek in North Philadelphia, now largely buried underground) all preserve Lenape words, though their precise meanings are sometimes disputed among scholars. Even Conshohocken, just outside the city limits in Montgomery County, takes its name from a Lenape term meaning "pleasant valley" or "elegant ground." These names span the entire geography of the region, demonstrating how thoroughly the Lenape knew and named the landscape they inhabited.

Significance and Interpretation

The survival of Lenape place names in Philadelphia represents both a preservation of indigenous heritage and a complex legacy of colonization. On one hand, these names maintain a living connection to the region's pre-colonial past, ensuring that Lenape words remain part of everyday Philadelphia speech. On the other hand, the retention of indigenous place names often occurred even as the people who created them were being displaced from their lands. European colonists found these names useful for navigation and communication but rarely acknowledged the sophisticated geographic knowledge they represented.

Modern scholarship has worked to recover the original meanings and pronunciations of these place names, which were often distorted as they passed through Dutch, Swedish, and English transliteration. The Lenape Center and academic linguists have collaborated to reconstruct proper pronunciations and to educate the public about the cultural context of these terms. Understanding that "Wissahickon" means "catfish creek" transforms a simple geographic label into a window onto the ecological knowledge of the Lenape, who understood the landscape in terms of its natural resources and inhabitants.

Educational Initiatives

Efforts to educate Philadelphians about the Lenape origins of familiar place names have increased in recent years. Historical markers, museum exhibits, and educational programs now regularly explain the indigenous etymology of local names. The Philadelphia History Museum and Historical Society of Pennsylvania have featured exhibitions on Lenape history that include discussions of place names. Some schools have incorporated lessons on Lenape place names into local history curricula, helping students understand that the map of Philadelphia preserves traces of a much older way of understanding the landscape.

These educational efforts represent part of a broader movement toward recognizing and honoring indigenous heritage in Philadelphia. Land acknowledgments that name the Lenape as the original inhabitants of the region have become common at public events and institutions. While such gestures cannot undo the historical injustices suffered by the Lenape, they can help ensure that the indigenous history of the Philadelphia region is not forgotten. The place names themselves serve as permanent reminders, embedded in the landscape, of the people who lived here first.

See Also

• Lenape People
• Lenape Language
• Lenape Trails
• Manayunk
• Wissahickon Valley Park
• Passyunk Square
• Penn Treaty Park