How the 50 U.S. States Got Their Names

Origins of Every State Name in America

From indigenous languages to European royalty, the names of the 50 U.S. states tell a fascinating story of the continent's history. Here's a breakdown of each state's etymology.

Alabama – Alaska

• Alabama: Named after the Alabama Native American tribe; the name likely means "thicket clearers" or "gatherers."
• Alaska: Derived from the Aleut word Alakshak, meaning "great land" or "mainland."

Arizona – California

• Arizona: From the O'odham phrase alĭ ṣonak, meaning "small spring" or "place of few springs."
• Arkansas: French pronunciation of the Illiniwek word akansa, meaning "downriver people."
• California: Named by Spanish explorers after a fictional island in a 16th-century novel; possibly from Latin calida fornax ("hot furnace") or Greek kalos ("beautiful").

Colorado – Georgia

• Colorado: Spanish for "red-colored," referring to the reddish silt in the Colorado River.
• Connecticut: From Algonquian quinnitukqut, meaning "long tidal river."
• Delaware: Honors Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, Virginia's first colonial governor.
• Florida: Spanish Pascua Florida ("flowering Easter"), named by Ponce de León in 1513.
• Georgia: Named for King George II of Great Britain.

Hawaii – Maryland

• Hawaii: From Proto-Polynesian Hawaiki, the legendary homeland of the Polynesian people.
• Idaho: Possibly from a Shoshone phrase ee-dah-how ("gem of the mountains"), though origin is debated.
• Illinois: French rendering of the Algonquian illini ("warriors" or "men").
• Indiana: Means "land of the Indians."
• Iowa: Named for the Iowa tribe; meaning "sleepy ones."
• Kansas: From the Kansa tribe, "people of the south wind."
• Kentucky: Iroquoian ken-tah-ten, "land of tomorrow."
• Louisiana: Honors King Louis XIV of France.
• Maine: Likely named for the French province of Maine.
• Maryland: Honors Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I of England.

Massachusetts – New York

• Massachusetts: Algonquian massachusett, "at the great hill."
• Michigan: Ojibwe mishigamaa, "great water."
• Minnesota: Dakota mni sota, "cloudy water."
• Mississippi: Ojibwe missipi, "great river."
• Missouri: Named for the Missouri tribe, "people of the big canoes."
• Montana: Spanish montaña, "mountain."
• Nebraska: Otoe ñí brá ska, "flat water."
• Nevada: Spanish nevado, "snow-capped."
• New Hampshire: Named for the English county of Hampshire.
• New Jersey: Named for the Channel Island of Jersey.
• New Mexico: Named for the Valley of Mexico by Spanish explorers.
• New York: Honors the Duke of York (later James II).

North Carolina – Wyoming

• North Carolina: Honors Charles II; Carolus is Latin for Charles.
• North Dakota: Named for the Dakota Sioux tribe.
• Ohio: Iroquois ohi-yo, "great river."
• Oklahoma: Choctaw okla humma, "red people."
• Oregon: Origin uncertain; possibly from Spanish orejón or French ouragan.
• Pennsylvania: "Penn's woods," for William Penn + Latin sylvania.
• Rhode Island: Likely named for the Greek island of Rhodes, or Dutch Roodt Eylandt ("red island").
• South Carolina: Also honors Charles II.
• South Dakota: Named for the Dakota Sioux.
• Tennessee: From Cherokee tanasi, a village name meaning "river of the big bend."
• Texas: Caddo tejas, "friends" or "allies."
• Utah: From the Ute tribe, "people of the mountains."
• Vermont: French vert mont, "green mountain."
• Virginia: Honors Elizabeth I, the "Virgin Queen."
• Washington: Honors George Washington.
• West Virginia: Split from Virginia during the Civil War.
• Wisconsin: Ojibwe wisconsin, "where we gather together."
• Wyoming: From Delaware xwéwamənk, "large valley."