The Grand Tetons’ name has a somewhat sultry origin. The iconic peaks got their name from French-Canadian trappers who called the majestic mountains the “Trois Tetons,” which translates to the “Three Teats” or the “Three Breasts.” A Hudson’s Bay Company map called the mountains the “Three Paps.” Apparently, these trappers had something on their mind after months out in the wild!
The Native Americans that lived in the area called the Grand Tetons the “Three Brothers,” “The Hoaryheaded Fathers,” and “The Pinnacles,” in their own languages. One of the peaks in the grouping is still called “Mount Teewinot,” an apparent reference to a native name for the Tetons, “Tee Win-at.”
Cartographers placed the name “Three Tetons” publicly on the Bonneville Map of 1837, according to the National Park Service.
National Park News
