"What is the 'meaning' of names like Coosa and Tallapoosa? Who named the Alabama and Tombigbee and Tennessee rivers? How are Cheaha and Conecuh and Talladega pronounced? How did Opelika and Tuscaloosa get their names? Questions like these, which are asked by laymen as well as by historians, geographers, and students of the English language, can be answered only by study of the origins and history of the Indian names that dot the map of Alabama.—from the Foreword

Originally published by Professor Read in 1937, this volume was revised, updated, and annotated in 1984 by James B. McMillan and remains the single best compedium on the topic.

William Alexander Read was a pioneer in the study of American Indian languages, particularly those spoken in the southeastern states. He made the study of Indian place names a particular specialty. James B. McMillan was added a foreword, appendix, and index to Read's orignial, incorporating material that has come to light since the first publication of this work in 1937.