What "Ohio" Really Means
The word "Ohio," which comes directly from the Iroquoian language, does not mean beautiful, as is widely believed, but means great. True, the French called the Ohio "Le Belle Riviere" or "Beautiful River," but they borrowed no such name from the Indians; it was their own name for the stream. In Wyandot and Seneca it is O-HE-ZHU; In Mohawk and Cayuga it is O-HE-YO, and in Oneida, it is O-HE - all of which means great, not beautiful
