I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the place names in Massachusetts. Why does Attleboro end with boro while North Attleborough opts for the ugh? Just how do you pronounce Eastham? What on Earth is a Rehoboth? I don’t know. So I’ve dug myself a new rabbit hole to explore: how every town and city (and Census Designated Place) in the Commonwealth got their name.
I’ve decided to divide them up by county. That way the Bridgewater and West Bridgewater are together in one entry rather than separated by the wide expanse of the alphabet.
I’m going in alphabetical order by county, so we’ll start with the census designated places (CDPs) in Barnstable County.
This map, from uscountymaps.com was the best I could find of the whole county. It seems to have missed Provincetown. Still, it gives you a general idea of Cape Cod.
On to the places!
Barnstable – the county seat
Pronunciation: Bahn-stah-bull
Population in 2020: 48,916
Incorporated: 1639
Original name: Mattakeese “old lands by the border of water.”
Barnstable is the only city in the county and the only municipality therein that has a town manager and council rather than town meeting. It’s also a city that calls itself a town.
Southeastern Massachusetts was originally inhabited by the Mashpee Wampanoag people and the Nauset people. From the town of Barnstable’s website:
“Peaceful dealings with the indigenous people began as early as the first land purchases. West Barnstable was obtained from the Native American Serunk and Barnstable from Nepoyetum in the first ten years; the Hyannis and Hyannis Port area from Yanno and Cotuit from Paupmumuck in the first twenty-five years. The price seemed to be right. For the whole Town, the cost was four coats, two small breeches, three axes, three brass kettles, a broad hoe, a day’s plowing, one dwelling house and 20 pounds in English money.”
The English settlers who made these deals named their new town after Barnstaple, a town in North Devon, England. The West Parish church in Barnstable, MA has this to say:
“By October 11, 1639, Lothropp and his followers joined previous settlers and friendly Wampanoag Native Americans to found the Town of Barnstable, named for the English town of Barnstaple, which shared similar topography.”
It’s very strange that a group of people with no apparent connection to Barnstaple would name their new home after that place. But that’s the official story and now the two cities are twinning.
Barnstaple itself is an interesting name, since it apparently derives from Bearde-stapol, which means a standing stone or monolith and may be associated with punishment and execution.
Barnstable is made up of 7 villages::
Barnstable Village – self explanatory
Centerville – originally called Chequaquet (“pleasant harbor”), the village was renamed Centerville due to its central location in the town
Cotuit – a Wampanoag name meaning “place of the council.” It was known as “Cotuit Port” until 1872.
Craigville – named for J. Austin Craig, a village leader, Biblical scholar and preacher
Hyannis – the largest village, named for Wampanoag sachem Iyannough.
Marstons Mills – Originally known as Mistic or “stream or still waters” Benjamin Marston ran the grist mill and fulling mill.
Osterville – originally called Cotacheset, the village became known for oystering and was renamed Oysterville. Local legend says a misprinted map gave the village its present name.
West Barnstable – formed when the Congregational church in Barnstable split into two parishes.
Bourne
Pronunciation: Born
Population in 2020: 20452
Incorporated: 1884
Original name: Shaume “the neck”
Bourne was founded in 1640 as a part of Sandwich. It was known as West Sandwich until separating from Sandwich. Bourne was incorporated in 1884 and named for Sandwich-born whale oil tycoon Jonathan Bourne. Bourne was the last town on the Cape to incorporate.
In Old English, a bourne is a stream.
CDPs
Bourne
Buzzards Bay – The Wampanoag called the bay Poughkeeste, meaning “where the little waters enter the big waters.” Bartholomew Gosnold called it “Gosnold’s Hope” and gave it to your friend and mine, Queen Elizabeth I. And the buzzards? Probably Osprey! (Source) .
Monument Beach Monument seems to be a corruption of Manamet, a Wampanoag village
Pocasset “at the small cove”
Sagamore meaning “Sachem,” a Wampanoag leader. Not a particular leader, just a leader in general.
Brewster
Pronunciation: Broo-ster, Broo-stah
Population in 2020: 10,318
Incorporated: 1803
Original name: Satucket Lands (Satucket means “the place between rivers.”)
The area now known as Brewster came into English hands when Miles Standish and others from Duxbury traded with Massasoit Ousamequin for the land. Brewster was part of Harwich (see this map) and took time to grow into the ship captains’ town it is known as even today. It was incorporated in 1803 as Brewster, in tribute to Elder William Brewster, the first religious leader of the Pilgrims at Plimouth.
A Brewster is a woman brewer.
CDPs
Brewster
East Brewster
South Brewster
West Brewster
Chatham
Pronunciation: Chat-um
Population in 2020: 6,594 (perhaps as large as 10,000 during the summer tourist season)
Incorporated: 1712
Original name: Monomoit “lookout place“
Chatham was originally inhabited by members of the Nauset tribe known as the Monomoy. This group interacted with Samuel De Champlain in 1605. The area was known as Port Fortuné and Sutcliffe’s Inlets (possibly in honor of Matthew Sutcliffe) but neither name stuck. In 1712 the town was incorporated as Chatham, after Chatham, England. As with Barnstable, it’s difficult to find the reason for this. The main family in the area, the Nickersons, hailed from Norwich, England.
Chatham means “homestead or village by the wood.”
CDPS
Chatham
South Chatham
North Chatham
West Chatham
Dennis
Pronunciation: Den-iss
Population in 2020: 14,674
Incorporated: 1793
Original name: Nobscussett (possibly “the end of the rock” Sesuit (“cold water” or “big spring” and Quivet (unknown)
Dennis was a part of Yarmouth until incorporation in 1793. It is named for the first minister to serve the area, Rev. Josiah Dennis.
The name Dennis is derived from Dionysius, by way of several saints of that name.
Villages:
Dennis Port
East Dennis
South Dennis
Eastham
Pronunciation: East-um, not East Ham
Population in 2020: 32,517
Incorporated: 1651
Original name: Nauset (unknown meaning)
The area that would become Eastham was settled by English residents of Plymouth Plantation who were dissatisfied with their situation. They obtained the land from the Nauset and incorporated in 1651 as Eastham. There is two Easthams in England but the reason for naming the town thus seems lost to history.
Eastham means “eastern hamm” or town.
CDPs
North Eastham
Falmouth
Pronunciation: Fal-muth
Population in 2020: 32,517
Incorporated: 1686
Original name: Suckanesset (“land of the dark quahog“)
Falmouth was settled by a group of religious dissenters from Barnstable, led by Isaac Robinson. This group objected to the treatment of Quakers and were ultimately disenfranchised by Governor Thomas Prence. The name Yarmouth was presumably chosen because it was the home port of Bartholemew Gosnold, who was the first Englishman to set foot on Cape Cod.
Falmouth means “at the mouth of the river Fal.”
CDPs
East Falmouth
Falmouth Village
North Falmouth
Teaticket, originally Tataket, meaning “principle tidal stream”
West Falmouth
Woods Hole, the name of which name is disputed
Harwich
Pronunciation: Har-witch, Hah-witch
Population in 2020: 13,440, with a seasonal swell to roughly 37,000
Incorporated: 1694
Original name: Setucket (unknown)
Yarmouth begat Harwich and Harwich begat Brewster, like a set of nesting dolls. Harwich is named for Harwich, England. The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce puts it thusly:
“Originally known as Setucket, Harwich was named after an English seaport that Queen Elizabeth dubbed “Happy-go-lucky Harwich” during the late 16th century.”
Queen Elizabeth I said this? Gloriana, the Virgin Queen, uttered this phrase? The same phrase that wasn’t used until decades after her death? I think not! She may have called it a “pretty town” but I can’t find a great source for that, either.
At any rate, Harwich, England was the registered home port of the Mayflower, so at least there’s some sense there.
Harwich derives from Old English and means “army dwelling.”
Villages:
West Harwich
East Harwich
Harwich Port
Harwich Center
North Harwich
Northwest Harwich
South Harwich
Mashpee
Pronunciation: Mash-pee
Population in 2020: 15,060
Incorporated: 1870
Original name: Mass-nippe “great pond”
The story of Mashpee is largely the story of a missionary named Richard Bourne (Jonathan Bourne’s Great-Grandfather) who moved from Plymouth to Sandwich and then later obtained a grant for the land that constitutes the town of Mashpee today. As a missionary, his purpose was to Christianize the local indigenous population. He taught them to develop a justice system like the English and worked to create a reservation for the tribe. This is the only town in the county to keep its Wampanoag name.
CDPs
Mashpee Neck “occupies the neck of land between the tidal Mashpee River to the west and Shoestring Bay to the east. ” (Source)
Monomoscoy Island (unknown)
New Seabury – The land for this tony resort area was purchased by the Seabury Corporation. But who were they? Seabury was established in the early 60s as a real estate venture by the Chace family of Berkshire Hathaway. Why it was called Seabury is lost to time, but perhaps it was named for Berkshire Hathaway’s then President, Seabury Stanton.
Popponesset – “place of the ground nuts.”
Popponesset Island
Seabrook – Named and developed by the Redbrook Corporation. Redbrook was named for the Red Brook and seems to be a subsidiary of A.D. Makepeace.
Seconsett Island (unknown)
Orleans
Pronunciation: Or-leens
Population in 2020: 6,307
Incorporated: 1797
Original name: See Easton, above
Orleans split off from Eastham in 1797 and chose the only French place name on Cape Cod. Orleans was chosen because the townspeople felt antipathy towards the British following the Revolution and didn’t want a British name. So they chose to honor Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans and recognize the assistance the French had given the colonies during the war.
The name Orleans is derived from the name of the Emperor Aurelian.
CDPs
Orleans
Provincetown
Pronunciation: Prah-vince-town
Population in 2020: 3,664, swelling to approx. 60,000 in summer
Incorporated: 1727
Original name: Meeshawn – this was the name of the indigenous settlement there.
What is now Provincetown was dubbed “Cape Cod” by Gosnold. It was then renamed the Province Lands after a new royal charter in 1691 combined Massachusetts Bay colony with Plymouth, Maine, New Brunswick and Novia Scotia into The Province of Massachusetts Bay. Upon incorporation, the residents wanted to name the new town Herringtown, but this met with resistance from the General Court, so Provincetown it was.
CDPs
None
Sandwich
Pronunciation: Sand-witch
Population in 2020: 20,259
Incorporated: 1639
Original name: Shawme, “the neck”
Saugus was the first English settlement on Cape Cod. Ten men from Saugus (in the Massachusetts Bay Colony) received a grant for the land from the Plymouth Colony. It is unknown where 3 of them originated from, so perhaps one of them was from Sandwich, England. My money’s on Richard Chadwell, a shipwright by trade, who may have worked in a seaside town like Sandwich back in England.
The place name Sandwich has existed since the 9th century and means “market town on sandy soil.”
Truro
Pronunciation: Trur-oh
Population in 2020: 2,454
Incorporated: 1709
Original name: Paymet (unknown), then Dangerfield
Why Dangerfield? The United States Lighthouse Society says that “In its early years, mariners knew Pamet as Dangerfield because of the frequent wrecks off its shores.” It was for this reason that the first lighthouse on Cape Cod was built in Truro.
Truro is named for the city in Cornwall, England because the New England location resembles the old English one, which is a port city. The name itself is debated but might be a reference to the 3 rivers in the city.
Truro is the smallest town on Cape Cod.
Wellfleet
Pronunciation: just as it looks
Population in 2020: 3,566
Incorporated: 1709
Original name: Pamet (unknown), then Billingsgate
The name Billingsgate was given to the area that would become Wellfleet because the oyster beds reminded settlers of the Billingsgate fish market in London. (Source)
“The name of Wellfleet is traced, perhaps conjecturally, to whale fleet,” or, perhaps, it is named for the Wallfleet oyster bed in England. (Source)
CDPs: None
Yarmouth
Pronunciation: Yar-muth
Population in 2020: 25,023
Incorporated: 1639
Original name: Mattacheese “old lands by the borders of water”
Since Yarmouth was settled by members of Plymouth Colony, who had sailed to Holland from Yarmouth before their Atlantic journey, this makes a lot of sense.
Yarmouth means “the gravelly or muddy river mouth or estuary.”
CDPs
South Yarmouth
West Yarmouth
Yarmouth Port
So, here’s a quick summation:
Of the 14 municipalities on Cape Cod 8 are named for places in England, 4 are named for people, 1 has a Wampanoag name and 1 (Wellfleet) is up in the air. And that’s it!
Next up, Berkshire County, all the way on the other side of the state!
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