where did the state of kentucky get its name
Kentucky In 1776, the counties of Virginia beyond the Appalachian Mountains became known as Kentucky County,[6] named for the Kentucky River.[citation needed] The precise etymology of the name is uncertain,[7] but likely based on an Iroquoian name meaning "(on) the meadow" or "(on) the prairie"[8][9] (cf. Mohawk kenhtà:ke, Seneca gëdá'geh (phonemic /kẽtaʔkeh/), "at the field").[10]