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Names of Michigan's Great Lakes Islands by Categories and Location

This categorized list of identified Michigan islands has been provided by Mr. Richard A. Santer, PhD. An Emeritus Professor of Geography, Santer has researched and identified islands of the Great Lakes for almost fifty years. His complete list of Michigan Great Lakes islands by county location can be found in the November/December 2003 issue, "Islands of the Great Lakes."

Name Categories
Fauna
Flora
Food
Rocks and Minerals
Shape and Size
French Name or Word
Native American 
Person or Family Names
Curious Names
Others of Interest
Duplication of Names
Summary

 

Symbols and Abbreviations
*           Islands over one (1) square mile in area
/           Name changed or two names
LE        Lake Erie
DR        Detroit River
SC        Lake St. Clair
LH        Lake Huron
SB        Saginaw Bay
TB         Thunder Bay
LCI        Les Cheneaux Islands
SD        South of Drummond Island Area
PB        Potagannissing Bay Area
N-SI      Neebish and Sugar Islands Area
LM        Lake Michigan
GTB      Grand Traverse Bay
GB        Green Bay
BBDN    Big Bay De Noc
LS         Lake Superior
IR          Isle Royale Archipelago
f            Female name
Fed       Federal
MINWR Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge

 

Fauna
Sturgeon - DR
Horse - DR
Swan - DR
Calf - DR
Fox - DR
Gull - SC
Gull - 1 SB
Gull - 2 SB
Bird - TB
Gull - TB
Bear - LCI
Crow - LCI
Gull - PB
Mare - PB
Mouse - N-SI
Bellow/Gull - GTB
Fox, N & S - LM
Beaver - LM
Gull (fed) - LM, MINWR
Gull - GB
Snake -BBDN
Gull - LS
Redfin - IR
Heron - IR
Bat - IR
Hawk - IR
Beaver - IR
 
Flora
Hickory - DR
Grassy - DR
Lone Tree - SB
Grass - TB
Birch - LCI
Maple - PB
Cedar - PB
Pine - N-SI
Wood - LS
Lone Tree - IR

Food
Sugar - DR
Strawberry -SC
Hog - SB
Duck - SB
Sugar - TB
Goat - LCI
Bass Reef - PB
Bacon - PB
Cherry - PB
Grape - PB
Crab - SD
Sugar - N-SI
Hen - N-SI
Chicken N-SI
Duck - N-SI
Hog - N-SI
Hog - LM
Trout - LM
Whiskey - LM
Grape - LM
Partridge - LS
Garlic - LS
Caribou, E & W-IR
Rabbit - IR
Raspberry - IR
 
French: Name or Word 
Belle - DR
Defoe - SB
Bois Blanc - LH
Mackinac - LH
Les Cheneaux Islands (36) - LH
Gravelly - LCI
LaSalle - LCI
Propeller - PB
Boulanger - PB
LaPointe - PB
Bellevue - SD
Gravelly - GB
Ile Aux Galets - LM
Naubinway - LM
Epoufette - LM
AuTrain - LS
Traverse - LS
Isle Royale
Menagerie - IR
Shiverette - IR
Belle - IR
Huron Islands - LS
 
Rocks and Minerals
Stony - DR
Mud - DR
Sand - SC
Heisterman/Stony - SB
Sulphur - TB
Lime - PB
Quarry - PB
Gravel - SD
Sand 1 - N-SI
Rock - N-SI
Gem - N-SI
Sand2 - N-SI
Rocky - GB
Gravel - LM
Granite - LS
Diamond - IR
Clay - IR
Amygdaloid - IR
Salt - IR

Native American
Indian - LE
Mineshas, N & S - SB
Maison - SB
Squaw - PB
Canoe - SD
Neebish - N-SI
Munuscong/Luff - N-SI
Manitou, N & S - LM
Squaw -LM
Waugoshance - LM
Manitou - LS
Minong - IR
Person or Family (non-French)
Dickinson - SC 
Harsens - SC
Russell - SC
Heisterman/Stony - SB
St. Martin - LH
Marquette - LCI
St. Ledger - LCI
Susan (f) - LCI
Coryell - LCI
Strongs - LCI
Dudley - LCI
Drummond - LH
Hart - PB
Edward - PB
Butterfield - PB
Sweets - PB
Cass - PB
Andrews - PB
Macomb - PB
Young - PB
Willoughby - PB
Sam - PB
Saltonstall - PB
Standerson - PB
Harris - PB
Spence - PB
Norris - PB
Wilson - PB
Rogg - PB
Howard - PB
Ashman - PB
James - PB
Jim - PB
Rutland - PB
Peck - PB
Arnold - SD
Fisher - SD
Meade - SD
Rains - N-SI
Luff/Munuscong - N-SI
Whitehead - N-SI
Marion (f) - GTB
Bellows/Gull - GTB
Pismire - LM, MINWR
Tims - LM
St. Martin - GB
St. Vitals - BBDN
St. Helena - LM
Williams - LS
Larus - LS
McIntyre - LS
Paul - IR
Wright - IR
Malone - IR
Ross - IR
Mott - IR
Davidson or David - IR
Tookers - IR
Tallman - IR
Shaw - IR
Smithwick - IR
Smith - IR
Gale - IR
Newman - IR
Edwards - IR
Merritt - IR
Pete - IR
Dean - IR
Captain Kidd - IR
Johnson - IR
Horner - IR
Kamloops - IR
Wilson - IR
Taylor - IR
Thompson - IR
Johns - IR
Grace (f) - IR
Booth - IR
Barnum - IR
Washington - IR
 
Curious Names 
Guard - LE
Zug - DR
Shelter - SB
Scarecrow - TB
Boot - LCI
Number 8 - LCI
Government  LCI
Dollar - LCI
Saddlebag - LH
Burnt - PB
Twin - PB
Love - PB
Pipe - PB
Surveyors - PB
Fairbank - PB
Picnic - PB
Wreck - PB
Bald - PB
Fire - PB
Frypan - SD
Surgeon - SD
Garden - SD
Shelter - SD
Moon Is. - N-SI
Cook - N-SI
Garden - LM
Hat - LM
Shoe - LM, MINWR
Horseshoe - LM
Poverty - GB
Lost - LS
Lighthouse - LS
Stone House - IR
Hat - IR
Cemetery - IR
Mad - IR
Star - IR
Flag - IR
Boys - IR
Net - IR
Cork - IR
Burnt - IR
Bottle - IR

 

Shape and Size 

Grosse Ile - DR
Round - DR
Little Charity - SB
Channel - SB
Crooked - TB
Round - TB
Big St. Martin - LH
Round - LH
Long - LCI
Little LaSalle -LCI
Hill - LCI
Harbor -PB
Round -PB
Little Lime - PB
Pipe Twins -PB
Little Cass - PB
Little Trout - PB
Bow -PB
Arrow -PB
Cove - PB
Long - PB
Claw - PB
Big Trout - PB
Little Rogg - PB
Bay -PB
Long - SD
Steamboat - N-SI
High - LM
Little Summer - GB
Round - GB
Little Gull - GB
Round - BBDN
Little Hog - LM
Round - LS
Grand - LS
Little Siskiwit - IR
Castle - IR
Long 1 -IR
Channel - IR
Schooner - IR
Inner Hill - IR
Long 2 - IR
Battleship - IR
Steamboat - IR
Round - IR
Arch - IR
 
Others of interest 
Bar - DR 
Meso - DR
Elba - DR
Green - SC
Middle - SC
North - SC
Middle Ground - SB
North - SB
Charity - SB
Black River - LH
Thunder Bay - TB
Middle - TB
Haven - LCI
Lone - LCI
Echo - LCI
Rover - LCI
Albany - LH
Adelaide - PB
Twin Sister - PB
Espanore - SD
Pilot - N-SI
Advance - N-SI
Number 1 - N-SI
Number 2 - N-SI
Number 3 - N-SI
Summer - GB
Green - LM
Middle - LS
Siskiwit - IR
Outer - IR
Inner - IR
Middle - IR
Outer Hill - IR
North Government - IR
South Government - IR
Third - IR
Passage - IR
Green 1 - IR
Green 2 - IR
 
Duplication of Names 

24 duplicates involve 72 islands
Fauna
	8 Gull - SC, 2 SB, TB,
	   PB, LM, GB, LS 
	   (+Bellow/Gull - GTB)
Flora
	2 Lone Tree - SB, IR
Food
 	3 Sugar - DR, TB, N-SI
	3 Hog - SB, N- SI, LM
	2 Duck - SB, N-SI
	2 Grape - PB, LM
Rock/Minerals
	1 Stony - DR 
	   (+Heisterman/Stony -SB)
	3 Sand - SC, N-SI, N-SI
	2 Gravel - SD, LM
Shape/Size
	8 Round - DR, TB, LH, 
	   PB, GB, BBDN, LS, IR
	2 Channel - SB, IR
	5 Long - LCI, PB, SD, IR, IR
	2 Steamboat - N-SI
French
	2 Belle - DR, IR
	2 Gravelly - LCI, GB
Native
	2 Squaw - PB, LM
Person/Family
	2 Wilson - PB, IR
Curious
	2 Burnt - PB, IR
	2 Garden - SD, LM
	4 Moon Islands (a group)- N-SI
	2 Hat - LM, IR
Others of interest
	4 Green - SC, LM, IR, IR
	4 Middle - SC, TB, LS, IR
	2 North - SC, SB
 
 
 
 
Summary
Category		#Names	     Isle Royal Arch. 	    S. Drummond & Potogannissing Bay Area
Fauna		  28-1		  5			  2
Flora 		  10		  1			  2
Food 		  26		  4			  5
Rock/Mineral	  19-1		  4			  3
Shape/Size	  45		10			15
French 		  20		  4			  4
Native American 	  14-1		  1			  2
Person/Family	  79		29			26
Curious 		  42		11			14
Others of int	  39		11			  3
Total		320		80			77

-1 = also named for person/family
 
 
 

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