List of States in America, Names Origins and Meaning

 #1     Alabama  AL  (Yellowhammer State)  •Admitted: Dec. 14, 1819  •Residents: Alabamans
Name origin: Choctaw; “plant-cutters”

 #2     Alaska  AK  (Last Frontier)  •Admitted: Jan. 03, 1959  •Residents: Alaskans
Name origin: Aleut; “mainland”

 #3     Arizona  AZ  (Grand Canyon State)  •Admitted: Feb. 14, 1912  •Residents: Arizonans
Name origin: Aztec, or Pima; “silver-bearing,” or “small spring”

 #4     Arkansas  AR  (Natural State)  •Admitted: June 15, 1836  •Residents: Arkansans
Name origin: Quapaw; Soiux “south wind”

 #5     California  CA  (Golden State)  •Admitted: Sep. 09, 1850  •Residents: Californians
Name origin: Spanish; where Queen Califia ruled

 #6     Colorado  CO  (Centennial State)  •Admitted: Aug. 01, 1876  •Residents: Coloradans
Name origin: Spanish; “red color”

 #7     Connecticut  CT  (Constitution State)  •Admitted: Jan. 09, 1788  •Residents: Nutmeggers or Connecticuters
Name origin: Mohican / Algonquin; “at the long tidal river”

 #8     Delaware  DE  (First State)  •Admitted: Dec. 07, 1787  •Residents: Delawareans
Name origin: French via English; “of the war”

 #9     Florida  FL  (Sunshine State)  •Admitted: Mar. 03, 1845  •Residents: Floridians
Name origin: Spanish; “flowers”

 #10     Georgia  GA  (Peach State)  •Admitted: Jan. 02, 1788  •Residents: Georgians
Name origin: Latin; “George”

 #11     Hawaii  HI  (Aloha State)  •Admitted: Aug. 21, 1959  •Residents: Hawaiians (natives) Islanders (non-natives)
Name origin: Hawaiian; “small or new homeland”

 #12     Idaho  ID  (Gem State)  •Admitted: July 03, 1890  •Residents: Idahoans
Name origin: English; invented word

 #13     Illinois  IL  (Prairie State)  •Admitted: Dec. 03, 1818  •Residents: Illinoisan or Illinoians
Name origin: Algonquian; “warriors” or “superior men”

 #14     Indiana  IN  (Hoosier State)  •Admitted: Dec. 11, 1816  •Residents: Hoosiers or Indianians or Indianans
Name origin: English; “Land of the Indians.”

 #15     Iowa  IA  (Hawkeye State)  •Admitted: Dec. 28, 1846  •Residents: Iowans or Hawkeyes
Name origin: Dakota; “sleepy ones”

 #16     Kansas  KS  (Sunflower State)  •Admitted: Jan. 29, 1861  •Residents: Kansans or Jayhawkers
Name origin: Kaw; “south wind”

 #17     Kentucky  KY  (Bluegrass State)  •Admitted: June 01, 1792  •Residents: Kentuckians
Name origin: Iroquoian; “prairie” or “field”

 #18     Louisiana  LA  (Pelican State)  •Admitted: Apr. 30, 1812  •Residents: Louisianians or Louisianans
Name origin: French; in honor of King “Louis”

 #19     Maine  ME  (Pine Tree State)  •Admitted: Mar. 15, 1820  •Residents: Mainers or Main Staters
Name origin: English or French; “the main land”

 #20     Maryland  MD  (Old Line State)  •Admitted: Apr. 28, 1788  •Residents: Marylanders
Name origin: English; in honor of Queen “Mary”

 #21     Massachusetts  MA  (Bay State)  •Admitted: Feb. 06, 1788  •Residents: Bay Staters or Massachusettsans
Name origin: Algonquian; “great hill place” or “by the little mount

 #22     Michigan  MI  (Great Lakes State)  •Admitted: Jan. 26, 1837  •Residents: Michiganians or Michiganders
Name origin: Ottawa or Chippewa; “large body of water”

 #23     Minnesota  MN  (North Star State)  •Admitted: May 11, 1858  •Residents: Minnesotans
Name origin: Dakota; “cloudy water”

 #24     Mississippi  MS  (Magnolia State)  •Admitted: Dec. 10, 1817  •Residents: Mississippians
Name origin: Ojibwe; “great river”

 #25     Missouri  MO  (Show Me State)  •Admitted: Aug. 10, 1821  •Residents: Missourians
Name origin: Algonquian; “dugout canoe”

 #26     Montana  MT  (Treasure State)  •Admitted: Nov. 08, 1889  •Residents: Montanan
Name origin: Spanish; “mountainous”

 #27     Nebraska  NE  (Cornhusker State)  •Admitted: Mar. 01, 1867  •Residents: Nebraskans; sometimes Cornhuskers
Name origin: Soiux; “flat waters”

 #28     Nevada  NV  (Silver State)  •Admitted: Oct. 31, 1864  •Residents: Nevadans
Name origin: Spanish; “snow covered”

 #29     New Hampshire  NH  (Granite State)  •Admitted: June 21, 1788  •Residents: New Hampshirites; Granite Staters
Name origin: English; New + name of an English county

 #30     New Jersey  NJ  (Garden State)  •Admitted: Dec. 18, 1787  •Residents: New Jerseyites; New Jerseyans
Name origin: English; New + name of an island

 #31     New Mexico  NM  (Land of Enchantment)  •Admitted: Jan. 06, 1912  •Residents: New Mexicans
Name origin: Aztec via Spanish; refers to the land north of the upper Rio Grande

 #32     New York  NY  (Empire State)  •Admitted: July 26, 1788  •Residents: New Yorkers
Name origin: English; New + name of an English duke

 #33     North Carolina  NC  (Old North State)  •Admitted: Nov. 21, 1789  •Residents: North Carolinians
Name origin: Latin; North + “Charles”

 #34     North Dakota  ND  (Peace Garden State)  •Admitted: Nov. 02, 1889  •Residents: North Dakotans
Name origin: Sioux; North + “ally”

 #35     Ohio  OH  (Buckeye State)  •Admitted: Mar. 01, 1803  •Residents: Ohioans; or Buckeyes
Name origin: Iroquois; “large creek”

 #36     Oklahoma  OK  (Sooner State)  •Admitted: Nov. 16, 1907  •Residents: Oklahomans
Name origin: Choctaw; “red people”

 #37     Oregon  OR  (Beaver State)  •Admitted: Feb. 14, 1859  •Residents: Oregonians
Name origin: Uncertain; “beautiful”

 #38     Pennsylvania  PA  (Keystone State)  •Admitted: Dec. 12, 1787  •Residents: Pennsylvanians
Name origin: Latin; “Penn’s woods”

 #39     Rhode Island  RI  (Ocean State)  •Admitted: May 29, 1790  •Residents: Rhode Islanders
Name origin: Dutch; “red island”

 #40     South Carolina  SC  (Palmetto State)  •Admitted: May 23, 1788  •Residents: South Carolinians
Name origin: Latin; South + “Charles”

 #41     South Dakota  SD  (Mount Rushmore State)  •Admitted: Nov. 02, 1889  •Residents: South Dakotans
Name origin: Sioux; South + “ally”

 #42     Tennessee  TN  (Volunteer State)  •Admitted: June 01, 1796  •Residents: Tennesseans
Name origin: Cherokee; possibly “river with a big bend”

 #43     Texas  TX  (Lone Star State)  •Admitted: Dec. 29, 1845  •Residents: Texans
Name origin: Caddo; “friend”

 #44     Utah  UT  (Beehive State)  •Admitted: Jan. 04, 1896  •Residents: Utahns or Utahans
Name origin: Western Apache; “high”

 #45     Vermont  VT  (Green Mountain State)  •Admitted: Mar. 04, 1791  •Residents: Vermonters
Name origin: French; “green mountain”

 #46     Virginia  VA  (Old Dominion State)  •Admitted: June 25, 1788  •Residents: Virginians
Name origin: Latin; “country of the Virgin”

 #47     Washington  WA  (Evergreen State)  •Admitted: Nov. 11, 1889  •Residents: Washingtonians
Name origin: English; English surname

 #48     West Virginia  WV  (Mountain State)  •Admitted: June 20, 1863  •Residents: West Virginians
Name origin: Latin; state west of Virginia

 #49     Wisconsin  WI  (Badger State)  •Admitted: May 29, 1848  •Residents: Wisconsinites
Name origin: Chippewa; possibly “grassy place”

 #50     Wyoming  WY  (Equality State)  •Admitted: July 10, 1890  •Residents: Wyomingites
Name origin: Algonquian; “wiche weamiing” or “on the great plain”

 #51     District of Columbia  DC  (Capital)  •Admitted: Nov. 17, 1800  •Residents: Washingtonians
Name origin: English; "Washington" named after the first president