These 9 U.S. Places Share Michigan’s Name—But Not Much Else

Michiganders take a lot of pride in our home state. From t-shirts to bumper stickers, we like to rep our state every chance we get. It turns out that the name 'Michigan' is so great that other states use it too.

What Does “Michigan” Actually Mean?

Michigan is named after Lake Michigan. That makes perfect sense when you think about the fact that Michigan comes from the Algonquin word mishigamaw, which translates to "big lake" or "great water". 

As it turns out, the state of Michigan isn't the only place in the U.S. to use that name.

These Other U.S. Places Are Also Named Michigan

Being a tried and true Michigander, my mind immediately goes to Michigan Center, Michigan. Michigan Center is a small town (with a population of less than 5,000) that lies just east of Jackson, Michigan.

READ ALSO: Lansing, Michigan Isn't The Only Lansing In The World

However, this Michigan town isn't the only 'Michigan'-named spot on the list. Nine other places in the U.S. include:

• Michigan Bluff (City) California
• Michigan City, Indiana
• Michigantown, Indiana
• Michigan Valley, Kansas
• Michigan City, Mississippi
• Michigan Corners, New York
• Michigan Mills, New York
• Michigan City, North Dakota
• Michigan Hill, Washington

Besides sharing an awesome name, there's not much that connects any of these cities. I figured, because Michigan means "great water", that perhaps these cities were named because they were also next to a large body of water. However, that doesn't seem to be the case.

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So what is this knowledge good for? Keeping in your back pocket for some random bar trivia night, that's what.