How The Toyota Tacoma Got Its Name

Have you ever wondered where Toyota got the "Tacoma" name for its midsize truck? First launched in 1995 as the successor to the confusingly named N80, N90, N100, and N110 series Toyota Pickup (Hilux in other markets), the Tacoma wasted no time finding homes in American households. It immediately became known for being a dependable, reliable, and everyday-usable pickup truck, with some owners calling it "the best investment in a vehicle ever" and "they sure don't make 'em like this anymore," according to consumer sentiments from Kelley Blue Book.

Since the first-generation Tacoma started when Toyota branched out from the Hilux lineage, the Japanese automaker wanted a proper name for its truck, and to deviate from the letters and numbers nomenclature of its forbearers. As it turns out, there's genuine substance behind the origins of the names of Toyota vehicles. For instance, "Land Cruiser" implies a go-anywhere vibe, and "Corolla" refers to the "outer envelope or crowning portion of a flower," said Toyota.

Like how "Tundra" expresses strength and ruggedness, Toyota claims "Tacoma" implies strength and power. The automaker adds that "Tacoma" is from "the Salish Indian word for the mountain that provided water to their tribe (later changed to Mount Rainer)." However, Toyota chose the name "Tacoma" for marketing purposes. "Too many numbers confuse potential truck buyers," said then-Toyota Vice President Bryan Bergsteinsson during the first-gen Tacoma's debut at the 1995 Portland Auto Show.

"We selected Tacoma because research showed that it suggested the rugged outdoors, adventure, and strength," Bergsteinsson added. Moreover, the first-generation Tacoma was unveiled to the public by Bergsteinsson and Harold Moss, the former Mayor of Tacoma in Washington. Tacoma, the third-largest city in Washington State, is renowned for its scenic parks and vast outdoor spaces, which match the Toyota Tacoma's family-friendly and outdoorsy vibe.

So, there you have it. The Toyota Tacoma has since undergone four generation changes, with the latest being introduced in 2023. Toyota has manufactured the Tacoma in San Antonio, Texas, since late 2021, but it has since relocated production to the Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California plant in Tijuana, Mexico (since 2004) and in a separate assembly facility in Guanajuato, Mexico (since 2019).