Holyoke

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A city located in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, in the western part of the state along the Connecticut River
2. A municipality in western Massachusetts situated on the Connecticut River in Hampshire County
3. A city in Massachusetts positioned in the Connecticut River Valley in the western region of the state

Etymology: Holyoke is a place name rather than a common word, so its history is that of a town. It is a Massachusetts city on the Connecticut River, and its name comes from Elizur Holyoke, a colonial figure who was among the early settlers and landholders of the area. The name is a surname that was carried over to a settlement, a pattern common in New England, where many towns were named after prominent men or English places. The surname itself is English, with the same form found in Old English-derived family names. Its exact etymology as a surname is uncertain, and the most that can be said with confidence is that it belongs to the English tradition of names built from older words for places and features, and that it became a family name before being applied to the town.