Origin of State Names

Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff Updated by an Factmonster Editor on February 21, 2017

Alabama	May come from Choctaw meaning “thicket-clearers” or “vegetation-gatherers”
Alaska	Corruption of Aleut word meaning “great land” or “that which the sea breaks against”
Arizona	Uncertain. Perhaps from the O'odham Indian word for “little spring”
Arkansas	From the Quapaw Indians
California	From a book, Las Sergas de Esplandián, by Garcia Ordóñez de Montalvo, c. 1500
Colorado	From the Spanish, “ruddy” or “red”
Connecticut	From an Indian word (Quinnehtukqut) meaning “beside the long tidal river”
Delaware	From Delaware River and Bay; named in turn for Sir Thomas West, Baron De La Warr
Florida	From the Spanish Pascua Florida, meaning “feast of flowers” (Easter)
Georgia	In honor of George II of England
Hawaii	Uncertain. The islands may have been named by Hawaii Loa, their traditional discoverer. Or they may have been named after Hawaii or Hawaiki, the traditional home of the Polynesians.
Idaho	An invented name whose meaning is unknown.
Illinois	Algonquin for “tribe of superior men”
Indiana	Meaning “land of Indians”
Iowa	Probably from an Indian word meaning “this is the place” or “the Beautiful Land”
Kansas	From a Sioux word meaning “people of the south wind”
Kentucky	From an Iroquoian word “Ken-tah-ten” meaning “land of tomorrow”
Louisiana	In honor of Louis XIV of France
Maine	First used to distinguish the mainland from the offshore islands. It has been considered a compliment to Henrietta Maria, queen of Charles I of England. She was said to have owned the province of Mayne in France.
Maryland	In honor of Henrietta Maria (queen of Charles I of England)
Massachusetts	From Massachusett tribe of Native Americans, meaning “at or about the great hill”
Michigan	From Indian word “Michigana” meaning “great or large lake”
Minnesota	From a Dakota Indian word meaning “sky-tinted water”
Mississippi	From an Indian word meaning “Father of Waters”
Missouri	Named after the Missouri Indian tribe. “Missouri” means “town of the large canoes.”
Montana	From the Spanish word meaning “mountain.”
Nebraska	From an Oto Indian word meaning “flat water”
Nevada	Spanish: “snowcapped”
New Hampshire	From the English county of Hampshire
New Jersey	From the Channel Isle of Jersey
New Mexico	From Mexico, “place of Mexitli,” an Aztec god or leader
New York	In honor of the Duke of York
North Carolina	In honor of Charles I of England
North Dakota	From the Sioux tribe, meaning “allies”
Ohio	From an Iroquoian word meaning “great river”
Oklahoma	From two Choctaw Indian words meaning “red people”
Oregon	Unknown. However, it is generally accepted that the name, first used by Jonathan Carver in 1778, was taken from the writings of Maj. Robert Rogers, an English army officer.
Pennsylvania	In honor of Adm. Sir William Penn, father of William Penn. It means “Penn's Woodland.”
Rhode Island	From the Greek Island of Rhodes
South Carolina	In honor of Charles I of England
South Dakota	From the Sioux tribe, meaning “allies”
Tennessee	Of Cherokee origin; the exact meaning is unknown
Texas	From an Indian word meaning “friends”
Utah	From the Ute tribe, meaning “people of the mountains”
Vermont	From the French “vert mont,” meaning “green mountain”
Virginia	In honor of Elizabeth “Virgin Queen” of England
Washington	In honor of George Washington
West Virginia	In honor of Elizabeth, “Virgin Queen” of England
Wisconsin	French corruption of an Indian word whose meaning is disputed
Wyoming	From the Delaware Indian word, meaning “mountains and valleys alternating”; the same as the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania

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