How the World’s Most Spectacular Waterfalls Get Their Names
The stories behind the names of the earth’s most stunning misty curtains.
1. Salto Angel
Angel Falls, with a total height of 3,212 feet is the world’s highest waterfall as well as the highest single drop. The Penom tribe in Venezuela called it Parakupa-vena or Kerepakupai merú meaning “waterfall of the deepest place”. Ernesto de Santa Cruz discovered the falls in 1910 but it was named after Pilot James “Jimmy” Angel being the first westerner to view it and made it known to the world as a result of the discoverer’s October 1937 plane landing on Auyan-tepui in search for McCracken’s lost river of gold.
2. Catarata de Gocta
This two drop waterfall has been known for centuries by the Chachapoyas in Peru but its existence was only made public after an expedition in 2005 by German Stefan Ziemendorff with a group of Peruvian explorers. The total height was measured at 2,531 feet making it one of the world’s tallest waterfalls.
Gocta Waterfalls was named after an ancient Chachapoyan village situated deep into one of the many blind valleys the locals inhabited between 800 and 1400 AD. Report has it that the stunningly beautiful waterfall remained unknown to outsiders because the natives feared the curse of a beautiful blond maiden who lived in its waters if the fall’s location is revealed.
3. Salto de Iguacu
This magnificent display of waterfalls in the border between Argentina and Brazil stretches for 2.7 kilometers and plunges 269 feet through its 275 falls into the Iguacu River. Iguazu Fall’s name comes from the Guarani or Tupi word meaning “great water.” Legend has it that a god planned to marry a beautiful native girl, who fled with her mortal lover in a canoe. In rage, the god sliced the river creating the waterfalls, condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.
4. Kaieteur Falls
Its unique combination of great height and volume earned it the distinction of having the “largest single drop” (not to be confused with Angel’s “tallest drop”) waterfall. It’s about five times the height of Niagara and about twice higher than Victoria Falls.
Kaieteur is named after Central Guyana Patamona tribal chief named “Kai,” who sacrificed himself by canoeing over the falls to please the great spirit Makonaima to save his people from a savage tribe who were raiding their land. The word “Teur” means “falls” in their dialect. Direct descendants of Chief Kai and members of the Patamona tribe still live in the villages of Chepanau, located on the border of Kaieteur National Park, a three hour ride upriver from the falls by speed boat.
5. Sutherland Falls
Sutherland Falls, which comprises of three spectacular leaps totaling 1,904 feet, is the highest waterfall in New Zealand. Part of its impressive beauty is due to the leaping action of the water from the two main ledges on the mountain wall. It was named after its discoverer Donald Sutherland who found the falls in search of a new route to Lake Wakatipu.
6. Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls lies on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The indigenous name Mosi-oa-Tunya meaning “the smoke that thunders” is officially used in Zambia while Zimbabwe uses the name Victoria Falls. With a width of 1.7 kilometers and a height of 108 meters it’s reported to be the largest sheet of falling water in the world. Catholic missionaries who lived in this part of Africa in the 16th century were believed to have known about the falls existence, but it was first made known to the outside world by David Livingstone in 1855 and named it after Queen Victoria of England.
7. Yosemite Falls
With a total height of 2,390 feet, this is the highest waterfall in North America and the seventh in the world. The falls is a major attraction in Yosemite National Park in California, USA. Yosemite literally means “those who kill” (Yos, “to kill,” the modifier e, “one who,” and the plural suffix –meti). The Yosemite tribes were composed of renegades from multiple tribes and were referred to as killers by the surrounding tribes who feared them.
8. Niagara Falls
The most powerful waterfalls in North America lie on the border between the Canadian Province of Ontario and the US State of New York. They are known for their beauty and as valuable source for hydroelectric power. There are many versions as to how the waterfalls got their names. One theory says that the name Niagara originates from the Native American word “Ongniaahra” meaning “thundering water” or “thunders of water.” Another version mentioned that it is derived from the name given to the natives living in the area who are described as being called “Niagagarega.”
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33 Responses to “How the World’s Most Spectacular Waterfalls Get Their Names”
On February 18, 2009 at 1:54 am
amazing article, niagra ive heard of but havnt heard of many others.
On February 18, 2009 at 2:35 am
hi kristie
u hav done a lot of research on it…
http://www.authspot.com/Poetry/Tsunami.537167
On February 18, 2009 at 3:10 am
I didn’t know any of this before. Very interesting read. I surely learn a lot from this article.
On February 18, 2009 at 3:22 am
amazing, as always JK you’re really good at this. Hat’s off!!!
On February 18, 2009 at 4:17 am
Great pics. Amazing trivia. Well-researched. Thumbs up!
On February 18, 2009 at 5:52 am
Great idea for an article.
http://www.trifter.com/Practical-Travel/Adventure-Travel/Waterfalls.512211
On February 18, 2009 at 8:54 am
Cool!!! I loved the pics, too!
On February 18, 2009 at 9:18 am
Pretty amazing pics and dialogue..great stuff.
On February 18, 2009 at 9:18 am
Really well researched and very interesting article – stunning photos.
On February 18, 2009 at 9:55 am
Beautiful picture of the waterfalls. Nice article.
On February 18, 2009 at 11:02 am
good pictures, love victoria falls more….good work
On February 18, 2009 at 12:21 pm
These are so very beautiful. The information on them was also very interesting to read. Please check out my piece on Tranquil Water, which shows some of these with different views. I love waterfalls.
Great Job.
On February 18, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Great article with spectacular pictires. I have been to Niagara Falls many times and never tire of it . It is alaways a breathless experience.
On February 18, 2009 at 1:24 pm
For information rgarding this topi …suggested reading at this link:
http://thehive.modbee.com/?q=node/259
Here is an intro to whats there…
We Paiutes have seen this definition in other official governmental publications regarding the name of the Yosemite Indians. We have also seen this definition all over the net because different websites have republished this lie. Taking this definition right off the official Yosemite National Park webiste as the gospel. It is an insult to our people that a federal governmental agency would use this definition for the Yosemite Indians.
On February 18, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Some of those pictures are absolutely stunning. Cool facts too. I’ve been to Niagara Falls and I didn’t even know some of those facts.
On February 18, 2009 at 4:14 pm
very informative,thanks much
On February 18, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Nice and informative with awesome pictures.
On February 18, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Thanks for that info jrhoan specially for the link.
Thanks y’all for the wonderful comments.
On February 19, 2009 at 5:03 am
Waterfalls are so amazing to me. Thanks for sharing the information.
On February 19, 2009 at 7:06 am
Great Article.
On February 19, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Beautiful article with great images! I love waterfalls!
On February 19, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Lots of great information and spectacular pictures!!
On February 20, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Great article!
On February 20, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Very well put together in every way, well written, some of the falls I had not known about, so am now well informed, thanks.
On February 20, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Very nice, makes me want to travel!
On February 22, 2009 at 3:06 am
Spectacular falls, I wish I could visit all.
On February 24, 2009 at 8:50 am
While some argue over the name of thse spectacular waterfalls-Mother Nature just continues to spring forth-with no boasting. Thanks for sharing!
On February 26, 2009 at 3:01 pm
They are beautiful and amazing, wonders of nature.
On February 27, 2009 at 12:34 am
Nagyon szépek!Jó lenne egyszer mindegyiket megnézni!
On February 27, 2009 at 5:03 am
Some breath-taking pictures
On February 27, 2009 at 2:47 pm
They are amazing.
On February 28, 2009 at 6:02 pm
great pictures and great information to match
On March 1, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Good detail on the names of these great falls.
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