The Caddo Indians are usually considered to have been the most advanced of the Texas Indian cultures. Caddo was the name given to three confederacies, or leagues, of some 25 groups that lived in East Texas. From one of those confederacies, the Hasinai, comes the origin of the word Texas. The Hasinai called each other "Tayshas," meaning friends or allies. Later, the Spanish referred to the Caddoes as "Tayshas." The Spanish came to pronounce the word as "Tejas." The word "Tejas" was adapted to English, or anglicized, as "Texas."

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