Book excerpt: Ohio has never had so complete a place-name volume as this. With over 2,500 entries, this volume covers all the cities, towns, villages, hamlets, and communities of the state. Here you can learn when and how towns got their names. Although current names are the primary focus, earlier names are also provided and discussed when information is available. Many interesting stories attached to a place have also been included. This is an essential and fascinating reference book for scholars, teachers, students, and other individuals interested in the history of Ohio. Erie County The County takes its name from the Erie Indians. The word ""Erie"" is said to translate as ""cat."" Alternative explanations include ""the nation of the cats,"" and, in the Huron tongue, eriche or erige, thought to signify ""lake of the cats."" The reference to cats is believed to refer to a species of wildcat that frequented the region occupied by the Erie Indians.