List of U.S. state name etymologies

Map showing the source languages of state names

This is a list of the origins of the names of U.S. states.

The fifty U.S. states have taken their names from a wide variety of languages. The names of 25 states derive from indigenous languages of the Americas: eight come from Algonquian languages, seven from Siouan languages (one of those by way of Illinois, an Algonquian language), three from Iroquoian languages, one from a Uto-Aztecan language, five from other Native American languages, and one comes from Hawaiian. The other names derive from European languages: seven come from Latin (mostly from Latinate forms of English personal names), six come from English, five come from Spanish (and one more from an Indigenous language by way of Spanish), and three come from French (one of those by way of English).

Of the fifty states, eleven were named in honor of an individual. There are multiple possible etymologies for six states (Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Oregon, and Rhode Island); in the table below, those states have one row for each potential source language or meaning.

Contents

State names

State name Language of origin Word of origin Meaning and Notes
Alabama Choctaw albah amo "Thicket-clearers"[1] or "plant-cutters", from albah, "(medicinal) plants", and amo, "to clear". The modern Choctaw name for the tribe is Albaamu.[2]
Alaska Aleut alaxsxaq "Mainland" (literally "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed").[3]
Arizona Basque aritz onak "Good oaks".[4][5]
O'odham ali ṣona-g "Having a little spring".[6]
Arkansas Kaw, via Illinois akaansa Borrowed from an Illinois rendering of the tribal name kką:ze (see Kansas, below), which the Miami and Illinois used to refer to the Quapaw.[7][8][9][10]
California Spanish, Unknown Probably named for the fictional Island of California in the 16th century novel Las sergas de Esplandián by García Ordóñez de Montalvo.[11]
See also: Origin of the name California
Colorado Spanish "Red" or "reddish",[12] originally referring to the Colorado River.[13]
Connecticut Eastern Algonquian quinnitukqut From some Eastern Algonquian language of southern New England (perhaps Mahican), meaning "at the long tidal river", after the Connecticut River.[14][15] The name reflects Proto-Eastern-Algonquian *kwən-, "long"; *-əhtəkw, "tidal river"; and *-ənk, the locative suffix[16] (c.f. Ojibwe ginootigweyaad, "be a long river").[17]
Delaware French via English de la Warr After the Delaware River, which was named for Lord de la Warr (originally de la Guerre, "of the war"), who travelled it in 1610.[18]
Florida Spanish (pascua) florida "Flowery (Easter)"[19] (to distinguish it from Christmastide which was also called Pascua), in honor of its discovery by the Spanish during the Easter season.[20]
Georgia Latin The feminine Latin form of "George", named after King George II of England.[21][22]
Hawaii Hawaiian Hawaiʻi From Hawaiki, legendary homeland of the Polynesians.[23]
Named for Hawaiʻiloa, legendary discoverer of the Hawaiian islands.[24]
Idaho English Probably an invented word. Originally claimed to have been derived from a word in a Native American language that meant "Gem of the Mountains."[25]
See also: Idaho#Origin of name
Plains Apache ídaahę́ Possibly from the Plains Apache word for "enemy" (ídaahę́), which was used to refer to the Comanches.[26]
Illinois Algonquian ilenweewa The state is named for the French adaptation of an Algonquian language (perhaps Miami) word apparently meaning "s/he speaks normally" (c.f. Miami ilenweewa,[27] Old Ottawa <ilinoüek>,[28] Proto-Algonquian *elen-, "ordinary" and -we·, "to speak"),[29] referring to the Illiniwek (Illinois).[28]
Indiana Latin "Land of the Indians".[30]
Iowa Dakota ayúxba/ayuxwe By way of French Aiouez, and named after the Iowa tribe. The name seems to have no further known etymology,[31][32] though some give it the meaning "sleepy ones".[33]
Kansas Kaw kką:ze Named after the Kansas River,[34][35] which in turn was named after the Kaw or Kansas tribe.[8] The name seems to be connected to the idea of "wind".[36]
Kentucky Iroquoian Originally referring to the Kentucky River. While some sources say the etymology is uncertain,[37][38] most agree on a meaning of "(on) the meadow" or "(on) the prairie"[39][40] (c.f. Seneca gëdá’geh (phonemic /kẽtaʔkeh/), "at the field").[41]
Louisiana French Louisiane After King Louis XIV of France.[42]
Maine English The more probable etymology is that the state's name refers to the mainland, as opposed to the coastal islands.[43]
French After the French province of Maine.[44]
Maryland English After Queen Henrietta Maria of England, wife of King Charles I.[45]
Massachusetts Algonquian Plural of "Massachusett" meaning "Near the great little-mountain", or "at the great hill", usually identified as Great Blue Hill on the border of Milton and Canton, Massachusetts[46] (c.f. the Narragansett name Massachusêuck[46]; Ojibwe misajiwens, "little big hill").[17]
Michigan Ottawa mishigami "Large water" or "large lake".[17][47]
Minnesota Dakota mnisota "Cloudy water", referring to the Minnesota River.[48][15]
Mississippi Ojibwe misi-ziibi "Great river", after the Mississippi River.[17][49]
Missouri Illinois mihsoori "Dugout canoe". The Missouri tribe was noteworthy among the Illinois for their dugout canoes, and so was referred to as the wimihsoorita, "one who has a wood boat [dugout canoe]".[50]
Montana Spanish montaña "Mountain".[51]
Nebraska Chiwere ñįbraske "Flattened water", after the Platte River, which used to be known as the Nebraska River.[52]
Nevada Spanish "Snow-covered",[53] after the Sierra Nevada ("snow-covered mountains").
New Hampshire English After the county of Hampshire in England.[54]
New Jersey English After the island of Jersey in the English Channel.[55]
New Mexico Nahuatl via Spanish Mēxihco via Nuevo México A calque of Spanish Nuevo México.[56] The name Mexico comes from Nahuatl Mēxihco (pronounced [meːˈʃiʔko])[57][58], whose meaning is unknown, though many possibilities have been proposed (such as that the name comes from the name of the God Mextli,[59] or that it means "navel of the moon").[60]
New York English After York, England, to honor the then Duke of York (later King James II of England).[61]
North Carolina Latin After King Charles I of England.[62]
North Dakota Sioux dakhóta "Ally" or "friend",[52] after the Dakota tribe.[63]
Ohio Seneca ohi:yo’ "Large creek",[39] originally the name of both the Ohio River and Allegheny River.[64] Often incorrectly given as "beautiful river",[65] due to a French mistranslation.[27]
Oklahoma Choctaw okla + homa Devised as a rough translation of "Indian Territory"; in Choctaw, okla means "people", "tribe", or "nation", and homa- means "red", thus: "Red people".[15][66]
Oregon Connecticut Pidgin Algonquian wauregan "Beautiful".[67][68] First named by Major Robert Rogers in a petition to King George III.[69]
French Ouaricon-sint A mistranscription of Ouisconsin, the name for the Wisconsin River.[70]
Chinook Jargon ulâkân From the Cree pronunciation of the Chinook Jargon word.[71] A species of smelt, Thaleichthys pacificus, with great significance to inhabitants of the Northwest Coast and an enormous oil content.[72][73] Chinook Jargon probably got the fish's name from Clatsop u-tlalxwə(n), "brook trout".[74]
Pennsylvania Latin "Penn's woods", after Admiral William Penn.[75]
Rhode Island Dutch roodt eylandt "Red island", referring to Aquidneck Island.[76]
Greek Ρόδος For a resemblance to the island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea.[76]
South Carolina Latin After King Charles I of England.[77]
South Dakota Sioux dakhóta "Ally" or "friend". See North Dakota, above.
Tennessee Cherokee tanasi Tanasi was the name of a Cherokee village;[78] the meaning is unknown.[79]
Texas Caddo táyshaʔ "Friend",[80] used by the Caddo to refer the larger Caddo nation (in opposition to enemy tribes). The name was borrowed into Spanish as texa, plural texas, and used to refer to the Caddo Nation.[81]
Utah Western Apache yúdah "High"[82] (not, as is commonly stated,[83] "people of the mountains").[84] J. P. Harrington suggested the name was from the Ute self-designation [nuʧi̥] (plural [nuːʧiu]),[85][86] but this has been rejected.[87]
Vermont French vert + mont "Green mountain"; vert in French means "green", and mont means "mountain".[88]
Virginia Latin "Country of the Virgin", after Elizabeth I of England, who was known as the "Virgin Queen" because she never married.[89]
Washington English After George Washington.[90]
West Virginia Latin The western, transmontane, counties of Virginia; separated from Virginia during Civil War; see Virginia, above.
Wisconsin Miami Originally spelled Mescousing by the French, and later corrupted to Ouisconsin.[91] Likely it derives from a Miami word for "it lies red"[92][91] (c.f. Ojibwe miskosin, "it lies red").[17] It may also come from the Ojibwe term miskwasiniing, "red-stone place".[17]
Wyoming Munsee Delaware xwé:wamənk "At the big river flat"; the name was transplanted westward from the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania.[93]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Alabama: The State Name". Alabama Department of Archives and History. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  2. ↑ Bright (2004:29)
  3. ↑ Ransom, J. Ellis. 1940. Derivation of the Word ‘Alaska’. American Anthropologist n.s., 42: pp. 550-551
  4. ↑ Thompson, Clay (2007-02-25). "A sorry state of affairs when views change". Arizona Republic. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
  5. ↑ Jim Turner. "How Arizona did NOT Get its Name". Arizona Historical Society. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
  6. ↑ Bright (2004:47)
  7. ↑ Bright (2004:47)
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Rankin, Robert. 2005. "Quapaw". In Native Languages of the Southeastern United States, eds. Heather K. Hardy and Janine Scancarelli. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, pg. 492
  9. ↑ "Arkansas". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-26.
  10. ↑ To appear. "Arkansas" in the Oxford English Dictionary
  11. ↑ ""California"". Mavens' Word of the Day (2000-04-26). Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  12. ↑ "Colorado". Wordreference.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  13. ↑ "Colorado". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  14. ↑ "Connecticut". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Campbell, Lyle. 1997. American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pg. 11
  16. ↑ Afable, Patricia O. and Madison S. Beeler (1996). "Place Names", in "Languages", ed. Ives Goddard. Vol. 17 of Handbook of North American Indians, ed. William C. Sturtevant. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, pg. 193
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 "Freelang Ojibwe Dictionary". Freelang.net.
  18. ↑ "Delaware". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  19. ↑ "Florida". Wordreference.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
  20. ↑ "Florida". The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press (2004). Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
  21. ↑ "Georgia". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  22. ↑ "Georgia". Behindthename.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  23. ↑ Crowley, Terry. 1992. An Introduction to Historical Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pg. 289
  24. ↑ "Origins of Hawaii's Names". Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  25. ↑ Merle W. Wells. "Origins of the Name "Idaho"" (PDF). Digital Atlas of Idaho. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  26. ↑ Bright (2004:177)
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Comments by Michael McCafferty on "Readers' Feedback (page 4)"". The KryssTal. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Bright (2004:181)
  29. ↑ "Illinois". Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
  30. ↑ "Indiana". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  31. ↑ 2001. "Plains", ed. Raymond J. DeMallie. Vol. 13 of "Handbook of North American Indians", ed. William C. Sturtevant. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, pg. 445
  32. ↑ "Iowa". American Heritage Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-02-26.
  33. ↑ Bright (2004:185)
  34. ↑ "Kansas history page". Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  35. ↑ The Encyclopedia of Kansas (1994) ISBN 403-09921-8
  36. ↑ Connelley, William E. 1918. Indians. A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans, ch. 10, vol. 1
  37. ↑ "Kentucky". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  38. ↑ "Kentucky". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Mithun, Marianne. 1999. Languages of Native North America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pg. 312
  40. ↑ "Kentucky". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  41. ↑ Bright (2004:213)
  42. ↑ "Louisiana". Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Online 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  43. ↑ "Origin of Maine’s Name". Maine State Library. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  44. ↑ "Maine". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  45. ↑ "Maryland". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Salwen, Bert, 1978. Indians of Southern New England and Long Island: Early Period. In "Northeast", ed. Bruce G. Trigger. Vol. 15 of "Handbook of North American Indians", ed. William C. Sturtevant, pp. 160-176. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. Quoted in: Campbell, Lyle. 1997. American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pg. 401
  47. ↑ "Michigan in Brief: Information About the State of Michigan" (PDF). Michigan.gov. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  48. ↑ "Minnesota". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  49. ↑ "Mississippi". American Heritage Dictionary. Yourdictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  50. ↑ McCafferty, Michael. 2004. Correction: Etymology of Missouri. American Speech, 79.1:32
  51. ↑ "Montaña". Wordreference.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-24.
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 Koontz, John. "Etymology". Siouan Languages. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  53. ↑ "Nevada". Wordreference.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  54. ↑ "New Hampshire". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  55. ↑ "New Jersey". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  56. ↑ "New Mexico". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  57. ↑ Campbell, Lyle. 1997. American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pg. 378
  58. ↑ "Nahuatl Pronunciation Lesson 1". Nahuatl Tlahtolkalli (2005-07-07). Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  59. ↑ "Mextli". Encyclopedia Mythica. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  60. ↑ "The Aztecs". Solarnavigator.net. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  61. ↑ "New York". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  62. ↑ "North Carolina". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  63. ↑ "North Dakota". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  64. ↑ "Native Ohio". American Indian Studies. Ohio State University. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  65. ↑ Dow, Dustin (2007-01-22). "On the Banks of the Ohi:yo". NCAA Hoops Blog. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  66. ↑ Bruce, Benjamin (2003). "Halito Okla Homma! (Chahta Anumpa - Choctaw Language)". Hello Oklahoma!. Retrieved on 2007-01-24.
  67. ↑ "Oregon". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-01-22.
  68. ↑ Goddard, Ives, and Thomas Love, 2004. Oregon the Beautiful, Oregon Historical Quarterly, vol. 105, no. 2.
  69. ↑ "The History of Naming Oregon". Salem Oregon Community Guide. Retrieved on 2007-01-22.
  70. ↑ Hasting, Mark (2006-02-23). "Oregon Name Controversy". Oregon Facts: Interesting Names and Places in Oregon.
  71. ↑ "Indian Trade Routes Lead to Overlooked Origin of 'Oregon'". University of Oregon (2001-07-10).
  72. ↑ Ford, Charlsey (January/February 2005). "The Ooligan". Does God Exist?. Vol. 32, no. 1.
  73. ↑ "Eulachon". Oxford English Dictionary.
  74. ↑ Bright (2004:172)
  75. ↑ "Pennsylvania". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  76. ↑ 76.0 76.1 "Rhode Island". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  77. ↑ "South Carolina". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  78. ↑ "Tennessee". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  79. ↑ Mooney, James. 1900(1995). Myths of the Cherokee, pg. 534
  80. ↑ "Texas". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  81. ↑ Bright (2004:491)
  82. ↑ 1986. "Great Basin", ed. Warren L. d'Azevedo. Vol. 11 of Handbook of North American Indians. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. Cited in: Bright (2004:534)
  83. ↑ "Quick Facts about Utah's History and Land". Utah state website. Retrieved on 2007-02-26.
  84. ↑ "Original Tribal Names of Native North American People". Native-Languages.org. Retrieved on 2007-02-26.
  85. ↑ Opler, Marvin K. 1943. The Origins of Comanche and Ute. American Anthropologist, n.s., 45: pp. 155-158
  86. ↑ Harrington, John P. 1911. The Origin of the Names Ute and Paiute. American Anthropologist, n.s., 13: pp. 173-174
  87. ↑ 1986. Warren L. d'Azevedo, ed., "Great Basin". Vol. 11 of William C. Sturtevant, ed., Handbook of North American Indians. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. pp. 364-5
  88. ↑ "Vermont". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  89. ↑ "Virginia". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  90. ↑ "Washington". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  91. ↑ 91.0 91.1 "Wisconsin's Name: Where it Came from and What it Means". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  92. ↑ McCafferty, Michael. 2003. On Wisconsin: The Derivation and Referent of an Old Puzzle in American Placenames. Onoma 38: 39-56
  93. ↑ Bright (2004:576)

Bibliography

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