#1 Hawaii HI (Aloha State) •Admitted: Aug. 21, 1959 •Residents: Hawaiians (natives) Islanders (non-natives) Name origin: Hawaiian; “small or new homeland” |
#2 Wisconsin WI (Badger State) •Admitted: May 29, 1848 •Residents: Wisconsinites Name origin: Chippewa; possibly “grassy place” |
#3 Massachusetts MA (Bay State) •Admitted: Feb. 06, 1788 •Residents: Bay Staters or Massachusettsans Name origin: Algonquian; “great hill place” or “by the little mount |
#4 Oregon OR (Beaver State) •Admitted: Feb. 14, 1859 •Residents: Oregonians Name origin: Uncertain; “beautiful” |
#5 Utah UT (Beehive State) •Admitted: Jan. 04, 1896 •Residents: Utahns or Utahans Name origin: Western Apache; “high” |
#6 Kentucky KY (Bluegrass State) •Admitted: June 01, 1792 •Residents: Kentuckians Name origin: Iroquoian; “prairie” or “field” |
#7 Ohio OH (Buckeye State) •Admitted: Mar. 01, 1803 •Residents: Ohioans; or Buckeyes Name origin: Iroquois; “large creek” |
#8 District of Columbia DC (Capital) •Admitted: Nov. 17, 1800 •Residents: Washingtonians Name origin: English; "Washington" named after the first president |
#9 Colorado CO (Centennial State) •Admitted: Aug. 01, 1876 •Residents: Coloradans Name origin: Spanish; “red color” |
#10 Connecticut CT (Constitution State) •Admitted: Jan. 09, 1788 •Residents: Nutmeggers or Connecticuters Name origin: Mohican / Algonquin; “at the long tidal river” |
#11 Nebraska NE (Cornhusker State) •Admitted: Mar. 01, 1867 •Residents: Nebraskans; sometimes Cornhuskers Name origin: Soiux; “flat waters” |
#12 New York NY (Empire State) •Admitted: July 26, 1788 •Residents: New Yorkers Name origin: English; New + name of an English duke |
#13 Wyoming WY (Equality State) •Admitted: July 10, 1890 •Residents: Wyomingites Name origin: Algonquian; “wiche weamiing” or “on the great plain” |
#14 Washington WA (Evergreen State) •Admitted: Nov. 11, 1889 •Residents: Washingtonians Name origin: English; English surname |
#15 Delaware DE (First State) •Admitted: Dec. 07, 1787 •Residents: Delawareans Name origin: French via English; “of the war” |
#16 New Jersey NJ (Garden State) •Admitted: Dec. 18, 1787 •Residents: New Jerseyites; New Jerseyans Name origin: English; New + name of an island |
#17 Idaho ID (Gem State) •Admitted: July 03, 1890 •Residents: Idahoans Name origin: English; invented word |
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Sorted by State Nickname |
#18 California CA (Golden State) •Admitted: Sep. 09, 1850 •Residents: Californians Name origin: Spanish; where Queen Califia ruled |
#19 Arizona AZ (Grand Canyon State) •Admitted: Feb. 14, 1912 •Residents: Arizonans Name origin: Aztec, or Pima; “silver-bearing,” or “small spring” |
#20 New Hampshire NH (Granite State) •Admitted: June 21, 1788 •Residents: New Hampshirites; Granite Staters Name origin: English; New + name of an English county |
#21 Michigan MI (Great Lakes State) •Admitted: Jan. 26, 1837 •Residents: Michiganians or Michiganders Name origin: Ottawa or Chippewa; “large body of water” |
#22 Vermont VT (Green Mountain State) •Admitted: Mar. 04, 1791 •Residents: Vermonters Name origin: French; “green mountain” |
#23 Iowa IA (Hawkeye State) •Admitted: Dec. 28, 1846 •Residents: Iowans or Hawkeyes Name origin: Dakota; “sleepy ones” |
#24 Indiana IN (Hoosier State) •Admitted: Dec. 11, 1816 •Residents: Hoosiers or Indianians or Indianans Name origin: English; “Land of the Indians.” |
#25 Pennsylvania PA (Keystone State) •Admitted: Dec. 12, 1787 •Residents: Pennsylvanians Name origin: Latin; “Penn’s woods” |
#26 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 |
#27 Alaska AK (Last Frontier) •Admitted: Jan. 03, 1959 •Residents: Alaskans Name origin: Aleut; “mainland” |
#28 Texas TX (Lone Star State) •Admitted: Dec. 29, 1845 •Residents: Texans Name origin: Caddo; “friend” |
#29 Mississippi MS (Magnolia State) •Admitted: Dec. 10, 1817 •Residents: Mississippians Name origin: Ojibwe; “great river” |
#30 South Dakota SD (Mount Rushmore State) •Admitted: Nov. 02, 1889 •Residents: South Dakotans Name origin: Sioux; South + “ally” |
#31 West Virginia WV (Mountain State) •Admitted: June 20, 1863 •Residents: West Virginians Name origin: Latin; state west of Virginia |
#32 Arkansas AR (Natural State) •Admitted: June 15, 1836 •Residents: Arkansans Name origin: Quapaw; Soiux “south wind” |
#33 Minnesota MN (North Star State) •Admitted: May 11, 1858 •Residents: Minnesotans Name origin: Dakota; “cloudy water” |
#34 Rhode Island RI (Ocean State) •Admitted: May 29, 1790 •Residents: Rhode Islanders Name origin: Dutch; “red island” |
#35 Virginia VA (Old Dominion State) •Admitted: June 25, 1788 •Residents: Virginians Name origin: Latin; “country of the Virgin” |
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Sorted by State Nickname |
#36 Maryland MD (Old Line State) •Admitted: Apr. 28, 1788 •Residents: Marylanders Name origin: English; in honor of Queen “Mary” |
#37 North Carolina NC (Old North State) •Admitted: Nov. 21, 1789 •Residents: North Carolinians Name origin: Latin; North + “Charles” |
#38 South Carolina SC (Palmetto State) •Admitted: May 23, 1788 •Residents: South Carolinians Name origin: Latin; South + “Charles” |
#39 North Dakota ND (Peace Garden State) •Admitted: Nov. 02, 1889 •Residents: North Dakotans Name origin: Sioux; North + “ally” |
#40 Georgia GA (Peach State) •Admitted: Jan. 02, 1788 •Residents: Georgians Name origin: Latin; “George” |
#41 Louisiana LA (Pelican State) •Admitted: Apr. 30, 1812 •Residents: Louisianians or Louisianans Name origin: French; in honor of King “Louis” |
#42 Maine ME (Pine Tree State) •Admitted: Mar. 15, 1820 •Residents: Mainers or Main Staters Name origin: English or French; “the main land” |
#43 Illinois IL (Prairie State) •Admitted: Dec. 03, 1818 •Residents: Illinoisan or Illinoians Name origin: Algonquian; “warriors” or “superior men” |
#44 Missouri MO (Show Me State) •Admitted: Aug. 10, 1821 •Residents: Missourians Name origin: Algonquian; “dugout canoe” |
#45 Nevada NV (Silver State) •Admitted: Oct. 31, 1864 •Residents: Nevadans Name origin: Spanish; “snow covered” |
#46 Oklahoma OK (Sooner State) •Admitted: Nov. 16, 1907 •Residents: Oklahomans Name origin: Choctaw; “red people” |
#47 Kansas KS (Sunflower State) •Admitted: Jan. 29, 1861 •Residents: Kansans or Jayhawkers Name origin: Kaw; “south wind” |
#48 Florida FL (Sunshine State) •Admitted: Mar. 03, 1845 •Residents: Floridians Name origin: Spanish; “flowers” |
#49 Montana MT (Treasure State) •Admitted: Nov. 08, 1889 •Residents: Montanan Name origin: Spanish; “mountainous” |
#50 Tennessee TN (Volunteer State) •Admitted: June 01, 1796 •Residents: Tennesseans Name origin: Cherokee; possibly “river with a big bend” |
#51 Alabama AL (Yellowhammer State) •Admitted: Dec. 14, 1819 •Residents: Alabamans Name origin: Choctaw; “plant-cutters” |
* Officially RI is State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. |