How did the City of Tampa get its name?

Tampa was named in the early 19th century by Major Francis Le Baron. Before the Spanish arrived, the area was inhabited by the Timucua and the Calusa Native American tribes. At that time, the Native American town of Uzita was present at the site of modern Tampa. The Calusa held most of the land around the Tampa Bay during the 17th and 18th centuries.

However, the tribe referred to the area as "Tanpa," meaning "stick in deep water" or "place of the firestick," referring to a type of torch made from pine branches that local tribes used to illuminate the shallow waters at night to attract and catch fish. It is believed that the Spanish adapted the name to "Tampa."