List of States in America, Names Origins and Meaning

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

Sort by population, governor, elevation, area, and more

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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Sorted by State Population

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#1 California CA •Population: 38,965,193. •Density: total=238 pop/sq.mi., land=250 pop/sq.mi., water=5,037 pop/sq.mi.

#2 Texas TX •Population: 30,503,301. •Density: total=114 pop/sq.mi., land=117 pop/sq.mi., water=4,496 pop/sq.mi.

#3 Florida FL •Population: 22,610,726. •Density: total=344 pop/sq.mi., land=419 pop/sq.mi., water=1,912 pop/sq.mi.

#4 New York NY •Population: 19,571,216. •Density: total=359 pop/sq.mi., land=415 pop/sq.mi., water=2,666 pop/sq.mi.

#5 Pennsylvania PA •Population: 12,961,683. •Density: total=281 pop/sq.mi., land=289 pop/sq.mi., water=10,461 pop/sq.mi.

#6 Illinois IL •Population: 12,549,689. •Density: total=217 pop/sq.mi., land=226 pop/sq.mi., water=5,384 pop/sq.mi.

#7 Ohio OH •Population: 11,785,935. •Density: total=263 pop/sq.mi., land=288 pop/sq.mi., water=3,040 pop/sq.mi.

#8 Georgia GA •Population: 11,029,227. •Density: total=186 pop/sq.mi., land=190 pop/sq.mi., water=7,261 pop/sq.mi.

#9 North Carolina NC •Population: 10,835,491. •Density: total=201 pop/sq.mi., land=222 pop/sq.mi., water=2,121 pop/sq.mi.

#10 Michigan MI •Population: 10,037,261. •Density: total=104 pop/sq.mi., land=177 pop/sq.mi., water=251 pop/sq.mi.

#11 New Jersey NJ •Population: 9,290,841. •Density: total=1,065 pop/sq.mi., land=1,253 pop/sq.mi., water=7,125 pop/sq.mi.

#12 Virginia VA •Population: 8,715,698. •Density: total=204 pop/sq.mi., land=220 pop/sq.mi., water=2,741 pop/sq.mi.

#13 Washington WA •Population: 7,812,880. •Density: total=110 pop/sq.mi., land=117 pop/sq.mi., water=1,643 pop/sq.mi.

#14 Arizona AZ •Population: 7,431,344. •Density: total=65 pop/sq.mi., land=65 pop/sq.mi., water=20,416 pop/sq.mi.

#15 Tennessee TN •Population: 7,126,489. •Density: total=169 pop/sq.mi., land=173 pop/sq.mi., water=7,696 pop/sq.mi.

#16 Massachusetts MA •Population: 7,001,399. •Density: total=663 pop/sq.mi., land=893 pop/sq.mi., water=2,579 pop/sq.mi.

#17 Indiana IN •Population: 6,862,199. •Density: total=188 pop/sq.mi., land=191 pop/sq.mi., water=12,454 pop/sq.mi.

Sorted by State Population

#18 Missouri MO •Population: 6,196,156. •Density: total=89 pop/sq.mi., land=90 pop/sq.mi., water=7,575 pop/sq.mi.

#19 Maryland MD •Population: 6,180,253. •Density: total=498 pop/sq.mi., land=632 pop/sq.mi., water=2,347 pop/sq.mi.

#20 Wisconsin WI •Population: 5,910,955. •Density: total=90 pop/sq.mi., land=109 pop/sq.mi., water=528 pop/sq.mi.

#21 Colorado CO •Population: 5,877,610. •Density: total=56 pop/sq.mi., land=57 pop/sq.mi., water=15,632 pop/sq.mi.

#22 Minnesota MN •Population: 5,373,915. •Density: total=62 pop/sq.mi., land=68 pop/sq.mi., water=733 pop/sq.mi.

#23 South Carolina SC •Population: 5,373,556. •Density: total=168 pop/sq.mi., land=178 pop/sq.mi., water=2,812 pop/sq.mi.

#24 Alabama AL •Population: 5,108,468. •Density: total=97 pop/sq.mi., land=101 pop/sq.mi., water=3,050 pop/sq.mi.

#25 Louisiana LA •Population: 4,573,749. •Density: total=88 pop/sq.mi., land=105 pop/sq.mi., water=553 pop/sq.mi.

#26 Kentucky KY •Population: 4,526,154. •Density: total=112 pop/sq.mi., land=114 pop/sq.mi., water=6,646 pop/sq.mi.

#27 Oregon OR •Population: 4,233,358. •Density: total=43 pop/sq.mi., land=44 pop/sq.mi., water=1,776 pop/sq.mi.

#28 Oklahoma OK •Population: 4,053,824. •Density: total=58 pop/sq.mi., land=59 pop/sq.mi., water=3,293 pop/sq.mi.

#29 Connecticut CT •Population: 3,617,176. •Density: total=653 pop/sq.mi., land=747 pop/sq.mi., water=5,182 pop/sq.mi.

#30 Utah UT •Population: 3,417,734. •Density: total=40 pop/sq.mi., land=42 pop/sq.mi., water=1,241 pop/sq.mi.

#31 Iowa IA •Population: 3,207,004. •Density: total=57 pop/sq.mi., land=57 pop/sq.mi., water=7,978 pop/sq.mi.

#32 Nevada NV •Population: 3,194,176. •Density: total=29 pop/sq.mi., land=29 pop/sq.mi., water=4,346 pop/sq.mi.

#33 Arkansas AR •Population: 3,067,732. •Density: total=58 pop/sq.mi., land=59 pop/sq.mi., water=2,761 pop/sq.mi.

#34 Kansas KS •Population: 2,940,546. •Density: total=36 pop/sq.mi., land=36 pop/sq.mi., water=6,365 pop/sq.mi.

#35 Mississippi MS •Population: 2,939,690. •Density: total=61 pop/sq.mi., land=63 pop/sq.mi., water=1,930 pop/sq.mi.

Sorted by State Population

#36 New Mexico NM •Population: 2,114,371. •Density: total=17 pop/sq.mi., land=17 pop/sq.mi., water=9,036 pop/sq.mi.

#37 Nebraska NE •Population: 1,978,379. •Density: total=26 pop/sq.mi., land=26 pop/sq.mi., water=4,113 pop/sq.mi.

#38 Idaho ID •Population: 1,964,726. •Density: total=24 pop/sq.mi., land=24 pop/sq.mi., water=2,387 pop/sq.mi.

#39 West Virginia WV •Population: 1,770,071. •Density: total=73 pop/sq.mi., land=74 pop/sq.mi., water=11,645 pop/sq.mi.

#40 Hawaii HI •Population: 1,435,138. •Density: total=131 pop/sq.mi., land=223 pop/sq.mi., water=318 pop/sq.mi.

#41 New Hampshire NH •Population: 1,402,054. •Density: total=150 pop/sq.mi., land=156 pop/sq.mi., water=3,670 pop/sq.mi.

#42 Maine ME •Population: 1,395,722. •Density: total=39 pop/sq.mi., land=45 pop/sq.mi., water=309 pop/sq.mi.

#43 Montana MT •Population: 1,132,812. •Density: total=8 pop/sq.mi., land=8 pop/sq.mi., water=760 pop/sq.mi.

#44 Rhode Island RI •Population: 1,095,691. •Density: total=709 pop/sq.mi., land=1,049 pop/sq.mi., water=2,191 pop/sq.mi.

#45 Delaware DE •Population: 1,031,890. •Density: total=415 pop/sq.mi., land=528 pop/sq.mi., water=1,925 pop/sq.mi.

#46 South Dakota SD •Population: 919,318. •Density: total=12 pop/sq.mi., land=12 pop/sq.mi., water=746 pop/sq.mi.

#47 North Dakota ND •Population: 783,926. •Density: total=11 pop/sq.mi., land=11 pop/sq.mi., water=455 pop/sq.mi.

#48 Alaska AK •Population: 733,406. •Density: total=1 pop/sq.mi., land=1 pop/sq.mi., water=8 pop/sq.mi.

#49 District of Columbia DC •Population: 678,972. •Density: total=9,985 pop/sq.mi., land=11,131 pop/sq.mi., water=96,996 pop/sq.mi.

#50 Vermont VT •Population: 647,464. •Density: total=67 pop/sq.mi., land=70 pop/sq.mi., water=1,774 pop/sq.mi.

#51 Wyoming WY •Population: 584,057. •Density: total=6 pop/sq.mi., land=6 pop/sq.mi., water=819 pop/sq.mi.

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

List of populations
Rank	State	populations
1.	CA	38,965,193
2.	TX	30,503,301
3.	FL	22,610,726
4.	NY	19,571,216
5.	PA	12,961,683
6.	IL	12,549,689
7.	OH	11,785,935
8.	GA	11,029,227
9.	NC	10,835,491
10.	MI	10,037,261
11.	NJ	9,290,841
12.	VA	8,715,698
13.	WA	7,812,880
14.	AZ	7,431,344
15.	TN	7,126,489
16.	MA	7,001,399
17.	IN	6,862,199
18.	MO	6,196,156
19.	MD	6,180,253
20.	WI	5,910,955
21.	CO	5,877,610
22.	MN	5,373,915
23.	SC	5,373,556
24.	AL	5,108,468
25.	LA	4,573,749
26.	KY	4,526,154
27.	OR	4,233,358
28.	OK	4,053,824
29.	CT	3,617,176
30.	UT	3,417,734
31.	IA	3,207,004
32.	NV	3,194,176
33.	AR	3,067,732
34.	KS	2,940,546
35.	MS	2,939,690
36.	NM	2,114,371
37.	NE	1,978,379
38.	ID	1,964,726
39.	WV	1,770,071
40.	HI	1,435,138
41.	NH	1,402,054
42.	ME	1,395,722
43.	MT	1,132,812
44.	RI	1,095,691
45.	DE	1,031,890
46.	SD	919,318
47.	ND	783,926
48.	AK	733,406
49.	DC	678,972
50.	VT	647,464
51.	WY	584,057
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