There are several origin theories for the Susquehanna River’s name. Many believe it comes from the Len’api (Delaware tribe) term Sis’we’hak’hanna, which translates to “Oyster River.” Oyster beds were prevalent in the bay where the Len’api farmed.
Others believe the river gets its name from the West Branch, which Native Americans referred to as “Quenischachachgekhanne,” which meant “the long reach river. Scholars also point to the Len’api word “Siskuhanne,” which translates to “muddy river.”
Still others translate "Susquehanna" from the Susquehannock language, of the Iroquoian family, as "the stream that falls toward the south" or "long-crooked-river.” Local legends claim the name is derived from a phrase translated to “mile-wide, foot deep,” a reference to the Susquehanna’s unusual dimensions. However, the word is more likely translated to “muddy current” or “winding current” (“sisku” = mud; “have” = river/current).
Mammoth Tusks
The Chemung River etymology is more obvious. The Delaware dialect of the Algonquin Native American language translates Chemung to "place of the big horn” or “horn in the water.” This is a direct reference to the discovery of large mammoth tusks along what is now the Chemung River. The Len’api name, “Cononogue," translates to roughly same meaning (“chemu” = horn and the suffix “ng” = at/on).
FUN FACT
The Chemung gets its name from the discovery of large mammoth tusks along its waters.
