How did Plenty Coups get his name?
Often, young Indian boys got their adult names by special things that happened during their lives. As a child, Plenty Coups was called Buffalo Who Goes Ahead Of The Wind because he was the first boy brave enough to touch a wounded buffalo bull. As he grew up, he had many great deeds or accomplishments, or coups; so his name became Plenty Coups. Actually, there were a number of different naming processes that young Indian boys went through to achieve their adult names. Plenty Coups' name as a child, Buffalo Who Goes Ahead The Wind, was based upon an experience where all the young boys in the tribe were challenged to count coup or to touch a wounded buffalo bull with a stick. Plenty Coups was the first one who was brave enough to do this. He always tried to be the first and always tried to challenge himself to accomplish as much as he could.

Later on in his life, he likely had other names until eventually he acquired the name Alakchia Ahoosh, or as the white man translates this name today, Plenty Coups, where coups means an achievement. From: Chief Plenty Coups State Park Museum Tour Content