What Does Pensacola Mean?

The name Pensacola is of Native American origin. It is likely that the name is a derivation of Pansfalaya which is an Indian tribe. The Native American tribe Choctaw called them the "long-haired people. Thus Pensacola means 'long haired' people.

There are many places across the American state of Florida with the name Pensacola. In addition the first USS Pensacola was an American navy vessel that was used by the US during the American Civil War. The third USS Pensacola was the lead ship in her class of heavy cruisers.

There is also a genus of spiders called Pensacola. Pensacola is also the name of two songs, one by Joan Osborne in her 1995 album Relish and another by Soul Coughing in their 1998 album El Oso. There was also a naval battle called the Battle of Pensacola which took place in 1781.