Waco
/ˈweɪ.koʊ/noun
A city in central Texas on the Brazos River.
Did you know?Waco is commonly traced to the Wichita word for the Wichita people, with early forms recorded by Spanish and Anglo-American settlers as they adapted an Indigenous place name into English.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Contact
Wichita
wa:koʔ
“A name associated with the Wichita people or a related local designation”
19th Century
Spanish
Waco
“Recorded place name for the settlement area in central Texas”
19th Century
English
Waco
“The developing town name adopted from earlier local usage”
Modern English
English
Waco
“The city in Texas and its commonly used proper name”