Origin of name 'Macoupin' is highly debated

By Tom Emery

There is only one Macoupin County in the world, and it is generally agreed that the county takes its name from the creek that bisects it. Where the name “Macoupin” itself came from, though, is highly debated.

Most believe that “Macoupin” originates from some type of plant, though exactly what type of plant is the question. In his 1911 county history, former state senator C.A. Walker reports that “Macoupin is of (American) Indian origin and is abbreviated from ‘Macoupina,” which signifies in their tongue ‘white potato’ for that is the name they gave to the wild artichoke which grew...