Where does the name 'Boise' (Idaho) come from?

Question

To my ears it sounds a little bit french? Am I wrong? Otherwise could you tell me the history of that name?

Answer 1

Great answer by the 'Boisean' at the top ;)
Boise was given its name after French-Canadian trappers first explored the area after crossing the arid desert plains. Finding green trees at the site, primarily cottonwoods along the river, they named it boisé (meaning "wooded").

Answer 2

Boise Meaning

Answer 3

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I wish I knew why you were asking. Are you thinking of moving here? It's a fairly small (nearly 200,000) but growing city. It's relatively clean and safe. Pretty? This part of Idaho is rugged, high desert mountain pretty. There's an active club scene, lots of local music, good restaurants, and a surprising amount happening in the arts. My favorite part is that since the population boom began about 15 years ago, we have begun to draw big name acts. We actually had the Rolling Stones last month. I myself have seen Eric Clapton and B.B. King twice, and I've gotten to see and meet everyone from Garrison Keillor to Eli Weisel to Al Gore to all the member of Nickel Creek. (Others I've seen in concert the last few years include Lucinda Williams, Trace Adkins [twice, for my wife's sake], Lyle Lovette, Chris Isak, Teri Clark, Natalie Merchant, Bob Dylan, and Dolly Parton.) Pretty good for a place that's 400+ miles from anywhere else (Spokane, Salt Lake City, Portland, Seattle). And you tend to get better seats at cheaper prices here. Politically, we are one of the most conservative states in the country. Enough said about that. Potatoes? Nah. The biggest smell problem is in Nampa, a city 20 miles down the interstate. And the problem is sugar beets, not potatoes. (Few people know that Idaho is a major sugar producing source for the country.) And of course, if you like football, you'd better know the city is Fiesta Bowl crazy with the game against Oklahoma coming up on New Year's Day. As to actually living in downtown Boise itself, I can't really speak to that. For years downtown was dead, but it's up and coming now. The trendy people who can afford it like to live in the nice older home on the North Side. I hope you get a variety of responses that are a little more detailed than the first two. This is at least a start on giving you a more complex picture than you were getting.

Answer 4

You are right about the French. I think the French would have had an aigue accent on the e (é) which would mean that when the area was explored by the French there were lots of trees present as the translation is forested or timbered. The logging only needs about 100 years to clear all the trees out of a state if it is left unregulated.

Answer 5

named by French explorer after Boise River

Answer 6

According to wiki:

"Boise was given its name after French-Canadian trappers first explored the area after crossing the arid desert plains. Finding green trees at the site, primarily cottonwoods along the river, they named it boisé (meaning "wooded"). Boise has consequently been given the nickname City of Trees."

Answer 7

Les Boise is The trees in French...odd name of a city with few of them there naturally.

Answer 8

"Boise" is a LOT French - it means "trees" or "timber" in French :-) If you've ever been to the area, you know that timber is what they have a lot of there, and what employs lots of people in the area; I suspect that's the basis for the name.

Answer 9

cool, I live here in Boise.

I think it is French but I have no idea what it means, sorry.

To the guy who answered below, you must have never been to Boise because there are many trees here