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List of States in America, Names Origins and Meaning

including nickname, capital, state flag, state bird, elevation.

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Touch State Abbreviation to show image of state and flag. The Origin and Meaning of state names represent the prevailing consensus. Click on any underlined name or place for more information. Population is according to the 2023 estimated census and Gross Domestic Produce is from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  (See the map for renaming the states based upon contemporary naming practices.)


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

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

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

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

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

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

 #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”

 

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Sorted by What Residents are Called... or Demonym

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 #30    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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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Sorted by What Residents are Called... or Demonym

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

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

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

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

* Officially RI is State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

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List of demonyms

RankState  demonyms
     1.  AL Alabamans
     2.  AK Alaskans
     3.  AZ Arizonans
     4.  AR Arkansans
     5.  MA Bay Staters or Massachusettsans
     6.  CA Californians
     7.  CO Coloradans
     8.  DE Delawareans
     9.  FL Floridians
   10.  GA Georgians
   11.  HI Hawaiians (natives) Islanders (non-natives)
   12.  IN Hoosiers or Indianians or Indianans
   13.  ID Idahoans
   14.  IL Illinoisan or Illinoians
   15.  IA Iowans or Hawkeyes
   16.  KS Kansans or Jayhawkers
   17.  KY Kentuckians
   18.  LA Louisianians or Louisianans
   19.  ME Mainers or Main Staters
   20.  MD Marylanders
   21.  MI Michiganians or Michiganders
   22.  MN Minnesotans
   23.  MS Mississippians
   24.  MO Missourians
   25.  MT Montanan
   26.  NE Nebraskans; sometimes Cornhuskers
   27.  NV Nevadans
   28.  NH New Hampshirites; Granite Staters
   29.  NJ New Jerseyites; New Jerseyans
   30.  NM New Mexicans
   31.  NY New Yorkers
   32.  NC North Carolinians
   33.  ND North Dakotans
   34.  CT Nutmeggers or Connecticuters
   35.  OH Ohioans; or Buckeyes
   36.  OK Oklahomans
   37.  OR Oregonians
   38.  PA Pennsylvanians
   39.  RI Rhode Islanders
   40.  SC South Carolinians
   41.  SD South Dakotans
   42.  TN Tennesseans
   43.  TX Texans
   44.  UT Utahns or Utahans
   45.  VT Vermonters
   46.  VA Virginians
   47.  WA Washingtonians
   48.  DC Washingtonians
   49.  WV West Virginians
   50.  WI Wisconsinites
   51.  WY Wyomingites
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