List of state and territory name etymologies of the United States
This is a list of the origins of the names of U.S. states:
| State name | Language of origin | Word of origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Choctaw | albalmo | Cleared-up thicket |
| Alaska | Aleut | alaxsxaq | Great country |
| Arizona | Akimel O'odham (Pima) | arizuma | |
| Arizona | Tohono O'odham (Papago) | aleh-zon, ari-sonac or ali-shonak | Small spring |
| Arkansas | Sioux | akakaze | Those going downstream |
| California | Spanish, Latin or Indian | Origins disputed: May be named for the fictional Island of California in the 16th century novel The Sergas de Esplandian by Garcia Ordoñez de Montalvo. May be from caliente fornalia, Spanish for hot furnace. May come from calida fornax, Latin for hot climate. May be from kali forno, Indian for high mountains. There is no agreement among scholars.
| |
| Colorado | Spanish | Río Colorado | Red in color, presumably referring to the Colorado River, or the red sandstone formations in the area. |
| Connecticut | Pequot | Quonehtacut | "Long tidal river", after the Connecticut River |
| Delaware | French via English | de la Warre | After the Delaware River, which was named after Lord de la Warre (originally de la Guerre), who travelled it in 1610 |
| Florida | Spanish | Pascua florida | Easter blossom, in honor of its Spanish discovery on Easter |
| Georgia | Latin or English | After King George II of England | |
| Hawai'i | Polynesian | Hawai'i | From Hawaiki, legendary homeland of the Polynesians. |
| Idaho | Shoshone | ee-dah-how | The sun comes from the mountains |
| Illinois | Algonquian | iliniwek | "They are men", after the Illiniwek confederation |
| Indiana | Latin or English | Indian land | |
| Iowa | Sioux | aiyuwe | "Marrow", after the Iowa tribe |
| Kansas | Sioux | kansa | "The wind-people", perhaps referring to the winds of the open prairie, after the Kaw or Kansas tribe |
| Kentucky | Huron? | kentake | Prairie? |
| Louisiana | French | After King Louis XIV of France | |
| Maine | French | After French province of Maine, to honor the Duke of Maine, son of Louis XIV | |
| Maryland | English | After Queen Henrietta Maria of England | |
| Massachusetts | Algonquian | Near the great mountains | |
| Michigan | Algonquian | michigamaw | The great sea |
| Minnesota | Sioux | Turbid water, referring presumably to the Mississippi or the Minnesota River | |
| Mississippi | Sioux | The father of the water, after the Mississippi River | |
| Missouri | Sioux | Town of the large canoes, or wooden canoe people, after the Missouri tribe | |
| Montana | Spanish | montaña | Mountain |
| Nebraska | Oto | nebrathka | Flattened water, after the Platte River, which used to be known as the Nebraska River |
| Nevada | Spanish | Snow-covered, after the Sierra Nevada ("snow-covered mountains") | |
| New Hampshire | English | After Hampshire in England | |
| New Jersey | English | After the island of Jersey in the English Channel | |
| New Mexico | Nahuatl via Spanish | Mexica via Nuevo México | After Mexico, and thus after the native Aztec name for themselves, Mexica, itself of uncertain origin. |
| New York | English | After York, England, to honor the then Duke of York (later King James II of England). Originally called New Amsterdam, as it was part of New Netherland colony. | |
| North Carolina | Latin | After King Charles II of England | |
| North Dakota | Sioux | dakota | "Allies" (western Sioux; lakota in eastern Sioux), after the Lakota tribe |
| Ohio | Iroquois | Beautiful river, after the Ohio River | |
| Oklahoma | Choctaw | okla-homma | Red people |
| Oregon | Cree | ooligan (pronounced oorigan) | A fish similar to smelt |
| Oregon | French | ouragan, or Ouaricon-sint | Storm, or Wisconsin River, respectively |
| Oregon | Spanish | orejon, or orégano | Big-ear, or wild sage, respectively |
| Pennsylvania | Latin | "Penn's woods", after William Penn | |
| Rhode Island | Dutch or Greek | roodt eylandt (Dutch) or Ρόδος (Greek) | Red island, perhaps referring to the clay deposits of Aquidneck Island; or for a resemblence to the island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea |
| South Carolina | Latin | After King Charles II of England | |
| South Dakota | Sioux | dakota | Allies (western Sioux; lakota in eastern Sioux), after the Lakota tribe |
| Tennessee | Cherokee? | Possibly named after the Cherokee town Tanassee | |
| Texas | Caddo | texas or tejas | Allies (originally pronounced te-has) |
| Utah | Ute | Named after Ute Indians | |
| Vermont | French | Vert mont | Green mountain |
| Virginia | Latin or English | The virgin country (or country of the virgin), after Elizabeth I of England | |
| Washington | English | After George Washington | |
| West Virginia | Latin or English | The western, transmontane, counties of Virginia; separated from Virginia during Civil War; see Virginia, above | |
| Wisconsin | Ojibwe | Miska(sin)sin (via French Ouisconsin) | "Red Stone (river)," after the Wisconsin River |
| Wyoming | Delaware | machewe-ami-ing | Of the great prairies |
