ToponymicaUS City Name Origins
Back to the atlas
Indigenous

Peoria

Illinois (IL)est. 1691pop. 112,936/pee-OR-ee-uh/

The meaning

“Comes from a dream / carries a pack on his back”

How it got the name

The Peoria were one of the tribes of the Illinois Confederation; their name is usually traced to a word about dreams or spiritual vision. The town became American shorthand for the ordinary heartland — 'will it play in Peoria?' — a phrase from vaudeville booking that outlived the circuit entirely.

Former names

  1. Fort Crevecoeur
  2. Fort Clark
  3. La Ville de Maillet
  4. Peoria