The name "Topeka" is made up of three words from the Kaw, Omaha, and Iowa Native American tribes. The first, "to", means "potato". The second, "pe" (short for "pekae") is an adjective meaning "good". The third, "okae", means "to dig". Thus, the name "Topeka" means "a good place to dig potatoes". The name was chosen because "[i]t was a novel name of Indian origin, euphonious [pleasing] of sound and simple".