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What is the place-name etymology of Buffalo, New York?

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Downvoted (no research done) and voted to close (general reference) as answer is on Wikipedia and etymonline.com, both found via Google search. – Hugo Jan 25 '12 at 11:05

closed as general reference by Hugo, Will Hunting, aedia λ, MετάEd, simchona♦ Jan 26 '12 at 1:14

This question is too basic; it can be definitively and permanently answered by a single link to a standard internet reference source designed specifically to find that type of information. See the FAQ for guidance on how to improve it.

1 Answer

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The city is named after Buffalo Creek. How Buffalo Creek got its name is unknown. There are many conflicting stories. See, for example, http://www.buffaloah.com/h/bflo/origin.html

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Thank you,Jay.I was hoping you wouldn't say it was a slam dunk from "beau fleuve",which I once believed with certainty.Mark Twain once quipped that it was called "Buffalo" because there weren't any buffalo to be seen. – Bill S. Jan 25 '12 at 3:46
I didn't think buffalo were native to N America? – mgb Jan 25 '12 at 4:03
@mgb American Bison are also known as buffalo. – slim Jan 25 '12 at 9:01

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