This is a List of Mormon place names, meaning towns and other places named, in modern times, after places and people in the Book of Mormon, after Mormon leaders during the settlement of Utah, or after other elements of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' history. See List of Book of Mormon places for a reference list of locations mentioned in the Book of Mormon, and List of Book of Mormon people for persons mentioned therein. The intention is to list all places named (usually by Mormons) for specifically Mormon places and people, where those names are not otherwise generally known as Biblical (meaning from the Old and New Testaments) to non-Mormons.[Note 1]
According to John W. Van Cott in his 1990 work Utah Place Names, the Mormons named more places in Utah than any other group or individual in the state.[1] Salt Lake City Tribune author Davidson noted, in 2018, that "Utah cities and towns were named for at least five church presidents, 10 apostles, 11 stake presidents, nine bishops, two biblical figures and three Book of Mormon prophets, among other things."[1] Similar general works for other regions, such as Idaho Place Names, identify numerous other Mormon place names.
Place names
The intention is to list all modern usages of place names that are clearly Mormon, to exclusion of other Christian place names. Those starred are from the Book of Mormon, or modern revelation.
Adam-ondi-Ahman*
Ammon*
- Ammon, Idaho, originally South Iona, the area was made a ward in the church in 1889 with Arthur M. Rawson as bishop, who renamed the town in honor of Ammon, a figure in the LDS book of scripture, the Book of Mormon.
Ballard
Bountiful
Brigham
Cannonville
Cardston
Clawson
Colonia LeBaron
Colonia Mormones
Cumorah*
Cutler's Park
Deseret*
Deseret (Book of Mormon) is the word for "honeybees" in land of the Jaredites, in the Book of Mormon. "Brigham Young wanted pioneers to be as industrious as honeybees and used the name in many places and ways. When Latter-day Saints first sought statehood, they applied using the name 'State of Deseret.'"[1]
Draper
Enoch*
- Enoch, Utah after the Order of Enoch.[11]
- Enoch, Texas, founded by LDS and named after the Order of Enoch. Samuel O. Bennion's organization of the Enoch Branch in 1911.[12][13] The first Latter-day Saint settlers had arrived in 1906.[13] In 1908 a Sunday School was organized at Enoch. In 1910 a building was built for the Sunday School.[14] In 1930 it was only one of eight communities in Texas where the church owned a chapel.[15]
Ephraim*
- Ephraim, Utah - the special significance here is that the Tribe of Ephraim is said to restore the gospel to the earth and many modern Mormons are said to belong to it.
Far West
Far West, Missouri, in Caldwell County, Missouri, was a Mormon settlement, which grew as Mormons were expelled from the Adam-ondi-Ahman, Missouri area. Settlement there, too, was challenged, and many Mormons moved on to Nauvoo, Illinois.
Farr West
Fayette
Fielding
Francis
Grantsville
Georgetown
Hamblin
Harmony
Hawkins
Heber City
Henrieville
Hinckley
Hooper
Hyde Park
Hyrum
Iona
- Iona, Idaho "Iona: According to the town’s own history book, Iona was named by LDS Church President John Taylor. He visited early settlers in the area, then known as Sand Creek, and apparently suggested the name “Iona”, claiming it was the name of a small town in Israel that meant “beautiful”."[17] It is also the name of an island in Scotland.
Iosepa
Ivins
Jacob Lake
Joseph
Kaysville
- Kaysville, Utah, honors William Kay, the first LDS bishop in its area. Early settlers, including Kay, wanted to name it "Freedom". "But Brigham Young asked, 'When did Bishop Kay’s ward get its freedom?' Young pushed the name Kaysville instead."[1] also [3]
Kimball
Kingston
- Kingston, Utah, in Piute County, is named for Thomas Rice King, who was a Latter-day Saint bishop who moved from Fillmore to Piute County with his five sons and their families to establish a United Order.[19]
Kirtland
Kolob*
Lamoni*
Layton
Leavitt
Lehi*
- Several places are named after Lehi from the Book of Mormon, as opposed to Lehi (Bible) a place in the Old Testament. Book of Mormon Lehi's include two prophets: Lehi (Book of Mormon prophet), 7th–6th cen. BC or Lehi, son of Helaman, late 1st cen. BC; and two other persons: Lehi, Nephite military commander, or Lehi, son of Zoram.
- Lehi, Arizona, a Mormon agricultural community and neighborhood now part of Mesa, Arizona
- Lehi, Utah, "Named for a Book of Mormon prophet. It was chosen because its early pioneers had moved often, much like the scriptural prophet Lehi, who traveled from Jerusalem to the Americas."[1]
Lewiston
Lund
Lyman
Maeser
Manti*
Manti is the name of a city in the Book of Mormon and also of Manti, a soldier
- Manti, Utah, as a new community, was named by Brigham Young after the city mentioned in the Book of Mormon. "Honors a city mentioned in the Book of Mormon. Originally, Danish settlers there had named it Copenhagen."[1]
- Manti National Forest, in Utah and Colorado
- Manti, Iowa, was a Mormon settlement which failed, many of whose settlers moved to Shenandoah, Iowa, instead.
- Manti Crater on Mars, named for the community in Utah.
Martin's Cove
- Martin's Cove, in what is now Wyoming, is named for the Martin Handcart Company. In November 1856, about 500 Mormon emigrants in the Martin Handcart Company were halted for five days in the Cove by snow and cold while on their way to Salt Lake City.[22] The Martin Handcart company had begun its journey on July 28, 1856, which was dangerously late in the season and would ultimately lead to the disaster. Although the number who died in the Cove is unknown, more than 145 members of the Martin Company died before reaching Salt Lake City.[23]
Milo
- Milo, Idaho "Milo: First, there was a small settlement named Leorin, as well as a Leorin School. An LDS ward was organized there in 1900 and called the Milo Ward after Milo Andrus, an LDS pioneer who led a company across the plains to the Intermountain West. It’s probable that the Milo name then just became a common way for Mormons to refer to the area, so it stuck."[17]
Morgan
Mormon*
Mormon is a prophet who gave his name to the Book of Mormon, which in turn produced the nickname of Latter-day Saints.
- Mormon, California
- Mormon Bar, California
- Mormon Bridge, crossing the Missouri River between Nebraska and Iowa, officially named the Mormon Pioneer Bridge
- Mormon Flat, in Arizona northeast of Phoenix, and the associated Mormon Flat Dam
- Mormon Grove near Zodiac, Texas
- Mormon Gulch, now known as Tuttletown, California
- Mormon Island, California
- Mormon Island (Colorado River)
- Mormon Island State Recreation Area, Hall County, Nebraska
- Mormon Lake, Arizona, an intermittent lake named after pioneers. Gives its name to the settlement of Mormon Lake, Arizona.
- Mormon Mill, Burnet County, Texas
- Mormon Mountains, Nevada, including Mormon Peak (Nevada) and the East Mormon Mountains
- Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area, stretching through six counties of Utah (Garfield, Kane, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier, and Wayne counties)
- Mormon Reservoir (Idaho)
- Mormon Road, trail to California pioneered in 1847, through Utah, Arizona, Nevada and through the Mojave Desert of California to Los Angeles
- Mormon Row, in Jackson Hole valley, Wyoming
- Mormon Springs, Mississippi
- Mormon Station, now known as Genoa, Nevada
- Mormon Tavern, California
- Mormon volcanic field, south of Flagstaff, Arizona
- Mormon Well Spring, Nevada
Moroni*
Mount Pisgah
Nauvoo*
The original Nauvoo is in Illinois, named by Joseph Smith and was founded by church members. The name is derived from the traditional Hebrew language with an anglicized spelling. The word comes from Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains...” (; etymology: Hebrew: נָאווּ, Modern: Navu, Tiberian: Nâwû, “they are beautiful”)
Nephi*
Nephi is the name of two Book of Mormon prophets
Nibley
Orderville
Parley
Perry
Preston
- Preston, Idaho "Preston: The settlement was originally called Worm Creek, but renamed in honor of William B. Preston, a prominent LDS Church authority who was an early settler of Cache Valley."[17]
Ramah*
Randolph
Raymond
Rich
Rigby
- Rigby, Idaho "Rigby: Your town was named by LDS Church President John Taylor after William F. Rigby, a Driggs resident who had assisted in the settlement and early organization of the LDS Church in the area."[17]
St. George
St James
Schuler
Smithfield
Snowflake
Snowville
Talmage
Taylor
Thompson
Veyo
- Veyo, Utah, named for "Virtue", "Enterprise", "Youth", and "Order", values of its Mormon settlers.[3]
Voree
Webb
Wellsville
Widstoe
Wilford
Willard
Winter Quarters
Woodruff
Generally after Wilford Woodruff, president of the church.