What is the only Great Lake named for a French term meaning “upper lake”?

Lake Superior is the Great Lake whose name comes from the French term lac supérieur, meaning “upper lake.”

French explorers used the name because Lake Superior lies above the other Great Lakes in elevation. The name also reflects its position at the head of the Great Lakes waterway. Water flows from Lake Superior through the St. Marys River into Lake Huron, then continues eastward through the connected lakes toward the Atlantic.

Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. It is also the northernmost and generally the coldest of the Great Lakes. Its shoreline borders Ontario, Minnesota, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and Wisconsin.

The name should not be confused with a claim that the lake is highest in every possible sense. Lake Superior has the highest elevation among the Great Lakes, but its basin, depth, and shoreline have their own distinct rankings. The French name became established through maps and colonial usage.