How Huerfano County got its name from a lonely butte

If you have wondered how to say “Huerfano” and where the word comes from, the answer sits out on the land north of Walsenburg. Huerfano is Spanish for “orphan,” and the county takes its name from a single, cone-shaped butte that rises alone above the plain near the Huerfano River.

Early Spanish travelers passing through this country gave the butte its name, El Huerfano, because it stood by itself with no neighboring hills around it. A lone rock on an open landscape looked like an orphan, and the name stuck. Over time the same word spread to the river and then to the whole county when it was organized as one of Colorado Territory’s original counties.

Why this is worth knowing if you are putting down roots here: place names in this part of Colorado carry a long Spanish and Hispano history, and “Huerfano” is one of the oldest. Knowing the story behind the name is a small way to connect with the people who traveled and settled this valley long before the railroads and coal camps arrived.

For the documented history of the county’s name and its early features, a good starting point is the Colorado Encyclopedia and History Colorado.