Creve Coeur, French for "broken heart", has its roots in farming, and has evolved into a thriving city. The origin of the city's name is a mystery with one tale suggesting that the name originated with an Indian princess names Memetonwish, who is said to have fallen in unrequited love with a French trapper. Heartbroken, the Indian princess threw herself from a ledge overlooking Creve Coeur Lake, which then reshaped itself in the form of a broken heart. Others believe that the name originated from a flood that caused great heartache. Regardless of how the name came about, Creve Coeur became a popular location for German settlers in the early 1800s, and although they continued to speak German in their everyday lives, they left the French name of Creve Coeur intact.