The original names for the raccoon and its
closest relatives in Subfamily Procyoninae come from the tribal
languages of Native Americans. All tribal names had descriptive
meanings chosen to distinguish each kind of animal from others in some
way. However, not all of those meanings have survived the centuries,
and many of the names themselves have vanished from memory. Among those
that eventually found written record are these:
Names describing agile forepaws
Abnaki: asban, one who lifts up things
Algonkin: ah-rah-koon-em, they rub, scrub, scratch
Atakapa: welkol, (wilkol, wulkol, wutko), they rub and
scratch
Aztec: mapachitl, they take everything in their hands
Biloxi-Sioux: atuki, they touch things
Chinook: q'oala's, they scratch
Chippewa: aasebun, aissibun, they pick up things
Choctaw: shauii, graspers
Cree: essebanes, they pick up things
Creek: wutki, they rub and scratch
Delaware: eespan, one who picks up things; wtakalinch,
one very clever with its fingers
Lenape: eespan, hespan, they handle things; nachenum,
they use hands as a tool
Menomini: aispan, they handle things
Mohican: sha-we, grasper
Natick: asban, they pick up things
Ofo-Sioux: at-cha, one who touches things
Ojibway: aispun, essepan, they pick up things
Seminole: wood-ko, one who rubs
Shawnee: shapata, ethepata, grasper
Takelma: swini, picks up things with hands
Tschimshean: que-o-koo, washes with hands
Yakima: k'alas they scratch
Names describing face
Dakota-Sioux: weekah tegalega, magic one with painted face
Mexico (tribe not given): macheelee, white bands on face
Nicaragua (tribe not given): macheelee, white bands on face
Wyot: cbel'igacocib, one with marked face
Names implying magic (both sexes)
Cheyenne: macho-on, one who makes magic
Dakota Sioux: wee-kah, (wee-chah, wee-kahsah, wici, wicha)
one with magic; wee-kah tegalega, magic one with painted face
(or wici)
Omaha, Osage, Otoe: mee-kah, (mee-chah, mee-kahsa) same
meaning as wee-chah and variants one with magic
Sioux: macca-n-e, one who makes real magic
Yankton Sioux: wayatcha, (same root word as wee-kah)
Names for females with magic
Mexico (used by Aztecs, but probably borrowed from another trib):
see-o-ahtlah-ma-kas-kay (cioatlamacasque), she who talks with
spirits; ee-yah-mah-tohn, she (little old one) who
knows things
Yakima: tsa-ga-gla-tal, she who watches (legendary); witch,
spirit
Names describing big tail (long tail, ringed tail)
Chinook: siah-opoots-itswoot, long-tailed bearlike one
Huron: ee-ree-ah-gee, those of big-tailed (long-tailed) kind
Iroquois: gah-gwah-gee, cah-hee-ah-gway, big (long) tailed ones
Sioux: shinte-gleska, ring-tailed ones
Seneca: kagh-quau-ga, big (long) tailed
Wyandot: ee-ree, big-tailed, long-tailed ones
Names comparing to dog
Arawak: ah-ohn, dog, of dog kind
Guyana: mayuato, doglike leaper
Huron-Iroquois: agaua, doglike one
Klamath: wacgina, tamed like dog
Narragansett: ausup, night doglike one
Taino: ah-ohn, ah-oon, of the dog kind
Tupi: agwara, doglike leaper
Names indicating eaters of crabs, crayfish
Choctaw: shauii, graspers (of crayfish)
Guyana: mauyato, doglike leaper on crabs and crayfish
Kiowa: seip-kuat, pulls out crayfish with hands
(seip-mantei, crayfish)
Tupi: aguara-po-pay, doglike leaper on crabs, crayfish (used
by other tribes in the Tupi trade-jargon area)
Names for pelt only or sewn pelt garment
Algonkin: match-koh (for pelt or pelt sewn into poncho-type
coat)
Algonkin-Roanoke: macquoc
Narragansett: mohewonck, pelt sewn into poncho-type coat
(wonck=coat)
Ojibway: matchigode, raccoon fur garment for women
Wocoon: auher
Alaska/Canada: tsick-re-buck, Indian version of
schupp/raccoon?
Iroquois: tschoe-ra-gak, Indian version of schupp, used
by traders asking first for schupp and then raccoon skins--neither
word known to Indians?
Names without literal meanings
Blackfeet: kaka-nostake
Brazil (tribe not given): guassini, guachini
Caddo: o'at
Canada (tribe not given): ottaguin, ochateguin
Iroquois: tcokda
Mikwok: patkas
Nez Perce: kai-kai-yuts
Nootka: klapissime
Pima: va-owok
Suislaw: pilquits
Taos: pah-suh-de-na, water?
Tillamook: dEwu'si, living raccoons; wEluhs, legendary
raccoon
Tuscorora: roosotto
Tutelo: kanulo-nixa-niso
Non-Indian names
American-English: coon, rattoon
Canadian French: chat, chat sauvage, cat, European wildcat
Danish: skjob, fisher, fur trade name
Dutch: schob, fisher, fur trade name
French: raton, raton laveur, little rat, little washer rat