Many nations traveled and lived along these banks, giving their own names to the river. “Missouri” is the official name given by the U.S. Geological Survey. It dates back to French explorer Jacques Marquette’s journal and 1673 map of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. His Algonquian-speaking guides called the people living at the mouth of the Missouri River “8emessourit,” meaning “people with canoes (made of logs).” Over time, the name was simplified to “Missouri” and became the river’s name as well. Eventually the connection between the name and the people Marquette referred to was lost. However, the name “Missouri” became so popular that it is now used in over 300 geographic names.