Origin of State Names

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Alabama	From the Alabama or Alibamu people, though the river was named first. Alabama comes from the Choctaw for "vegetation pickers," in reference to local farming practices.
Alaska	A corruption of the Aleut word for "mainland", alaxsxaq (lit. "that which the sea breaks against").
Arizona	Likely from an O'odham phrase meaning "little spring," in reference to a particular mining area.
Arkansas	Likely from a French version of the Illinois name for the local Quapaw people.
California	From an adventure book, Las Sergas de Esplandián, by Garcia Ordóñez de Montalvo, c. 1500
Colorado	From the Spanish for "ruddy" or "red" (lit. "colored") in reference to color of the Colorado River.
Connecticut	From an Algonquian 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. The man who named it claimed it was from a Shoshone word, but later said it was made up.
Illinois	French version of an Algonquian word referring either to "men" in general, or a particular group known as the Illinois.
Indiana	Meaning "land of Indians" using a traditional Latin suffix.
Iowa	From the Iowa River which was named after the Ioway, or Báxoǰe.
Kansas	From a local word—used by the Dakota, Omaha, Kaw, and others—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 the Massachusett people, whose endonym means "people of the great hills"
Michigan	From an Ojibwe word, "mishigamaa" meaning "great or large lake"
Minnesota	From a Dakota word meaning "sky-tinted water"
Mississippi	From the French rendering of an Anishinaabe name for the river—"Misi-ziibi" meaning "Great River."
Missouri	Named after the local Missouri people. "Missouri" means "town of the large canoes."
Montana	From the Spanish montaña, meaning "mountain"
Nebraska	From an Oto word meaning "flat water."
Nevada	Spanish for "snowy" or "snow-capped," in reference to the peaks of the Sierra Nevada.
New Hampshire	From the English county of Hampshire
New Jersey	From the Channel Isle of Jersey
New Mexico	From Mexico, itself named for the Mexica people. Their endonym is believed to reference Mexitli, a Nahua deity.
New York	In honor of the Duke of York
North Carolina	In honor of Charles I of England
North Dakota	From the Dakota peoples.
Ohio	From a Seneca word meaning "great river"
Oklahoma	From the Choctaw words for "red people," reportedly named by a Choctaw leader following the Trail of Tears.
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 Dakota peoples.
Tennessee	The origin of the name is unknown, though it possibly comes from a Cherokee rendering of a Yuchi word.
Texas	From a Caddo word meaning "allies," used by the Spanish to describe the Caddo and the region they lived in.
Utah	From the Ute people, 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, possibly, a Miami word meaning "it lies red" in reference to the bed of the Wisconsin River.
Wyoming	Competing interpretations place it as from a Delaware word, a Munsee word, or an Algonquian word. THe most popular holds that it is from a Delaware word for "mountains and valleys alternating"; the same as the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania