What's In a Name?

There has long been speculation about the origins of the name Volusia. This section offers traditional versions by Tom Scofield, former historical planner for Volusia County. Following that is a more recent naming theory by Lani Friend, whose article originally appeared in the Florida Historical Quarterly.  
 

Traditional versions

by Tom Scofield, Volusia County Historical Planner

Volusia County is named after the community of Volusia, which today is a tiny, unincorporated community on the east bank of the St. Johns River where State Road 40 crosses. However, when Volusia County was carved from Orange County by the Florida Legislature in 1854, the community was a prosperous steamboat landing and the largest town in the county. Keep in mind that the entire population of Volusia County barely exceeded 600 people!

The community of Volusia began as a trading post sometime in the first or second decade of the 1800s. It was located where a Native American trail intersected with the St. Johns River. This location was later developed as an important supply depot for the military during the Second Seminole War from 1834 to 1835. When commercial steamships started to travel up and down the St. Johns, the community grew and was listed as one of four post offices in the county. With the introduction of regional railroad systems in the 1880s, the community of Volusia was bypassed, and thus, its era of prosperity ended.

The origins of of the word "Volusia" is of some debate. Despite serious effort by amateur and professional  historians, no one has ever discovered a historic document that has provided the definitive answer.

There are three traditional theories:

• The name derives from a word meaning "Land of the Euchee." When the Timucuan Indian cultures died out in the early 1700s, the land in the area was uninhabited until some of the Indian tribes to the north began to migrate into the area (much like the people that have become known as Seminoles). The Euchee Indians were a tribe originally from an area in South Carolina.
• The name was taken from the name of a British plantation that was located on the St. Johns River in the late 1700s. However, no one has explained where the plantation owner came up with the name.
• The name is derived from the last name of one of the employees at the trading post. He is described as being well-liked and of Belgian or French descent. The story goes that his name was something like "Veluche," which was pronounced "Va-loo-shay." The post became known as "Veluche's Place," hence the eventual creation of "Volusia."

Another naming theory

by Lani Friend

This article is reprinted by permission of the copyright holders, the Florida Historical Society and The Florida Historical Quarterly. The study's full citation is:

Lani Friend, “Volusia and Vibilia: Companion Plantations on the St. Johns River in Spanish and Territorial East Florida,” The Florida Historical Quarterly 97, No. 4 (2019): 379-406.