Okanogan
/ˌoʊ.kəˈnɑː.ɡən/noun
A name for a region, river, county, and Indigenous people associated with south-central British Columbia and north-central Washington.
Did you know?Okanogan is an English spelling variant of Okanagan, a name connected with the Syilx/Okanagan people; scholars caution that popular translations of the name are uncertain rather than established fact.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact period
Interior Salish
Uncertain; reconstructed forms vary
“The name originated in an Interior Salish linguistic and cultural context, but its earliest form and precise meaning are disputed.”
18th–19th Century
Indigenous usage
Okanagan-related forms
“The name referred to the people and homeland now commonly associated with the Okanagan Valley and surrounding regions.”
19th Century
English/French colonial records
Okanagan
“European and colonial writers recorded changing spellings of the Indigenous name.”
19th Century
English
Okanogan
“An English variant became established, especially in names connected with Washington Territory and the Okanogan River.”
1880s
English
Okanogan County
“Okanogan became part of an official Washington geographic name when Okanogan County was established.”
Modern English
English
Okanogan
“The spelling remains standard for Washington’s county and river, while Okanagan is generally preferred for the Canadian valley and people.”