Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Chicago” come from?

Chicago is an English place name derived from French Checagou, of Native American origin with unknown meaning.

Ancestry of “Chicago”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1FrenchChécagou—
2Miamišikaakwa—
3Proto-Algonquianšeka·kwaskunk
4Proto-Algonquianšek-to urinate

Words derived from “Chicago”

  • Chicagoan
  • Chicagoese
  • Chicago
  • 芝加哥
  • シカゴ
  • شيكاغو
  • Si-ca-gô
  • Jikako
Every word from Proto-Algonquian šek- →