We all learned in our Louisiana history class in the 8th grade that Louisiana was named after King Louis XIV when the land was claimed for France in 1682. According to explorelouisiana.com, Bogalusa is one of several Louisiana towns who's name is rooted in Native American history. New OrleansPhoto by Chris Graythen/Getty Images Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images loading... According to Louisianatravel.com, the Big Easy, New Orleans was was founded in 1718 as Nouvelle-Orléans by the French explorer BienvilleBaton RougePhoto by Chris Graythen/Getty Images Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images loading... On their website, the Louisiana Office of Tourism points out that some Louisiana towns were named after local natural resources.