Also called American buckeye and fetid buckeye. This tree's common name buckeye came from its nuts' size, shape, shine, and even color (dark brown with a light tan patch) resemble a deer's eye. Apparently to both indigenous peoples, and newcomers.
Part of
🌰︎ buckeye / 🐎︎ 🌰︎ horse chestnut genus Aesculus
in
soapberry family Sapindaceae
in
cashew / 🌰︎ chestnut / 🍊︎ citrus / 🍁︎ maple order Sapindales.
Native to 🇺🇸 🇲🇽 North America's Midwest, Ohio Valley and 🗻︎ Appalachia.
🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48),
🗺 map (North America, Central America), 
🗺 today + with climate change (eastern 🇺🇸 USA).
Invasive > Oregon
🏛🌳︎ State tree of Ohio.
This tree is called the buckeye because its nuts' size, shape, shine, and even color (dark brown with a light tan patch) resemble a deer's eye. Apparently to both indigenous peoples, and newcomers.
[1]
"Buckeye" became the nickname for any resident of Ohio, or student or graduate of Ohio State University.
Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)
Aesculus hosts caterpillars of 13 species
of butterflies and moths, in some areas.