 The word Wetumpka is derived from the Muscogee language (Creek) phrase "we-wau" "tum-cau".The name "Wetumpka" is a historic Creek place word meaning "rumbling waters", believed to be a description of the sound of the nearby Coosa River at the rapids of the Devil's Staircase.The roar of the rapids reportedly could be heard for miles before the construction in the 20th century of Walter Bouldin Dam and Jordan Dam, when the river was captured as a reservoir behind the dam.