The toponym or name of Miami comes from Laguna de Mayaimi, name with which Hernando Escalante de Fontaneda named Lake Okeechobee in 1575. The toponym would evolve to Maymi and finally the Spanish Villa of Tequesta would be named with this name that means Big Water or Fresh Water.
Another version states that the city gets its name from the Miami Indians, who resided around Lake Okeechobee
and along the river to which they gave their name, and who inhabited the area in the past and means fresh water.
The recommendation of the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language is that it be pronounced [‘mja.mi] and not [ma’ja .mi].