1. French Names in Arkansas Did you know that the name “Arkansas” is French? Well, not exactly, but it is the French interpretation of the name the Quapaw people called this region. Early French explorers wrote of “acansa”, or “Arkansa”, as the river where Quapaw lived. The plural form “Arkansas”, referring to the people who lived along this river, became the name given to the territory and eventually the state.

2. Thanks to early French explorers, trappers, and tradesmen, many geographical features of the state have French names. Though much of these frontiersmen's history is lost, some places have retained their French names, while others have become Anglicized versions of their original names. Here is an interactive map of Arkansas with many examples of these names. Click on some of the rivers and towns to hear them in French and English! French Names in Arkansas

3. Little Rock Pine Bluff Des Arc Russellville Maumelle Fayetteville Fort Smith Arkadelphia Ozark Dardanelle Gravette De Queen Camden Dumas Antoine Bayou Meto Fourche Ozan Smackover Montrose Chicot Boeuf Buie Tollette De Ann Bodcaw Frenchport Lamartine De Roche Galla Rock Cadron Petit Jean Arkansas Post Lawrenceville Auvergne Bellaire Lagrange PoteauPalarm Delaplaine Avant Mazarn Click on a river, county, or city to hear the French and English names!