Origins of the 50 U.S. State Names

Every U.S. state name carries a unique history, derived from Native American languages, European royalty, or geographic descriptors. Here is a breakdown of the etymology for all 50 states:

Alabama – Wyoming

• Alabama: From Choctaw "Albaamo" – "gatherers of herbs" or "thicket clearers".
• Alaska: From Aleut "Alaxsxa" – "great land" or "mainland".
• Arizona: From O'odham "Arizvnak" – "small spring".
• Arkansas: From French pronunciation of Quapaw "Akansa" – "downriver people".
• California: From a fictional island in the 1510 Spanish novel "Las Sergas de Esplandián".
• Colorado: Spanish for "colored red" or "ruddy".
• Connecticut: From Algonquian "quinnehtukqut" – "long river place".
• Delaware: Honors Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr.
• Florida: Spanish "Pascua Florida" – "Feast of Flowers" (Easter).
• Georgia: Honors King George II of Great Britain.
• Hawaii: From Proto-Polynesian "Hawaiki" – "homeland".
• Idaho: Possibly from Shoshone "Ee-dah-how" ("gem of the mountains") or a fabricated name.
• Illinois: From Algonquian "Illiniwek" – "men" or "tribe of superior men".
• Indiana: "Land of the Indians".
• Iowa: From Dakota "Ayuhwa" – "sleepy ones".
• Kansas: From the Kansa tribe – "people of the south wind".
• Kentucky: From Iroquoian "ken-tah-ten" – "land of tomorrow".
• Louisiana: Honors King Louis XIV of France.
• Maine: Likely from French "main" (mainland) or the province of Maine in France.
• Maryland: Honors Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I.
• Massachusetts: From Algonquian "Massadchusetts" – "at the great hill".
• Michigan: From Ojibwa "mishigamaa" – "great water" or "large lake".
• Minnesota: From Dakota "mnisota" – "cloudy water" or "sky-tinted water".
• Mississippi: From Ojibwa "misi-ziibi" – "great river".
• Missouri: From Illinois "Nimissou" – "people of the big canoes".
• Montana: From Spanish "montaña" – "mountain".
• Nebraska: From Oto "Ní Btháska" – "flat water" (Platte River).
• Nevada: Spanish "nevado" – "snow-covered".
• New Hampshire: Named after the English county of Hampshire.
• New Jersey: Named after the Channel Island of Jersey.
• New Mexico: Spanish "Nuevo México" – named after the Aztec Valley of Mexico.
• New York: Honors the Duke of York (later James II).
• North Carolina: Honors King Charles I (Carolus) of England.
• North Dakota: From Dakota Sioux "Dakota" – "friend" or "ally".
• Ohio: From Iroquois "ohi-yo" – "great river".
• Oklahoma: From Choctaw "okla" (people) + "humma" (red) – "red people".
• Oregon: Origin uncertain; possibly from "oregano" (wild sage) or a map error.
• Pennsylvania: "Penn's Woods" – honors Admiral William Penn, father of founder William Penn.
• Rhode Island: Likely from Dutch "Roodt Eylandt" (Red Island) or Greek island Rhodes.
• South Carolina: Honors King Charles I.
• South Dakota: From Dakota Sioux "Dakota" – "friend/ally".
• Tennessee: From Cherokee "Tanasi" – name of a Cherokee village.
• Texas: From Caddo "tejas" – "friends" or "allies".
• Utah: From Ute tribe "yuttahih" – "people of the mountains".
• Vermont: French "vert mont" – "green mountain".
• Virginia: Honors "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I.
• Washington: Honors George Washington.
• West Virginia: Split from Virginia during Civil War (1863).
• Wisconsin: From French "Mesconsing" / Ojibwa "Ouisconsin" – "gathering of waters".
• Wyoming: From Delaware "Mchweome" – "big plains" or "large meadows".