Totowa
/təˈtoʊwə/noun
A borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, and the name of a nearby area and river valley.
Did you know?The name is generally attributed to Lenape, but surviving explanations disagree—some connect it with a place between mountains, while others interpret it as referring to a depression or sinking place in the land.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-European contact
Lenape
Totowa
“A place-name recorded in a Lenape-speaking region; its precise original meaning is uncertain.”
17th Century
Dutch/English records
Totowa
“The name appears in colonial-era geographic usage for the area near the Passaic River.”
18th Century
English
Totowa
“Used as a local place-name in northeastern New Jersey.”
19th Century
English
Totowa
“Applied to the developing settlement and surrounding locality.”
1898
English
Totowa
“Totowa was incorporated as a borough in New Jersey.”
Modern English
English
Totowa
“A New Jersey municipality and regional place-name.”