From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This is a list of the origins of the names of U.S. states:
| State name | Origin | Derived from | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Choctaw lang. | albalmo | Cleared-up thicket |
| Alaska | Aleut | alaxsxaq | Great country |
| Arizona | Akimel O'odham (Pima) | arizuma | |
| Tohono O'odham (Papago) | aleh-zon, ari-sonac or ali-shonak | Small spring | |
| Arkansas | Sioux | akakaze | Those going downstream |
| California | Spanish | Origins disputed: May be from "kala phor nea", Greek for "new country". May be named for the fictional queen "Califia" in the 16th century novel The Sergas de Esplandian. 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 | Rio Colorado | Colored river, presumably referring to the Colorado River |
| Connecticut | Pequot | Quonehtacut | Long tidal river |
| Delaware | French via English | de la Warre | After Lord de la Warre, who in 1610 travelled on the Delaware River |
| Florida | Spanish | Pascua florida | Easter blossom, in honor of its Spanish discovery on Easter |
| Georgia | Latin or English | After King George II of England | |
| Hawaii | Polynesian | Hawai'i | meaning unknown |
| Idaho | Shoshone | ee-dah-how | The sun comes from the mountains |
| Illinois | Algonquian | iliniwek | They are men |
| Indiana | Latin or English | Indian land | |
| Iowa | Sioux | aiyuwe | Marrow |
| Kansas | Sioux | kansa | The wind-people, perhaps referring to the winds of the open prairie |
| 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 | |
| Missouri | Sioux | The great mud-river | |
| Montana | Spanish | montaña | Mountain |
| Nebraska | Oto | nebrathka | Flattened water |
| Nevada | Spanish | Blanket of snow | |
| New Hampshire | English | After Hampshire in England | |
| New Jersey | English | After the island of Jersey in the English Channel | |
| New Mexico | Spanish | Nuevo Mejico | After Mexico, and thus after the Aztec god Mexitli |
| New York | English | After York, England, to honor the then Duke of York (later King James II of England) | |
| North Carolina | Latin | After King Charles II of England | |
| North Dakota | Sioux | dakota | Allies |
| Ohio | Iroquois | Beautiful river | |
| Oklahoma | Choctaw | okla-homma | Red people |
| Oregon | Cree | ooligan (pronounced oorigan) | A fish similar to smelt |
| French | ouragan, or Ouaricon-sint | Storm, or Wisconsin River, respectively | |
| Spanish | orejon, or orégano | Big-ear, or wild sage, respectively | |
| Pennsylvania | Latin | Penn's woods, after William Penn | |
| Rhode Island | Dutch | roodt eylandt | Red island (perhaps referring to the clay deposits of Block Island) | Greek (ultimately) | Rhodhos; (rhodon?) | The island of Rhodes (perhaps referring to a visual resemblance with Block Island); (rose) |
| South Carolina | Latin | After King Charles II of England | |
| South Dakota | Sioux | dakota | Allies |
| Tennessee | Cherokee? | Possibly named after the Cherokee town Tanassee | |
| Texas | Caddo | texas or tejas | Allies |
| Utah | Ute | ||
| 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; see Virginia, above | |
| Wisconsin | Chippewa | wees-konsan | Water-gathering |
| Wyoming | Delaware | machewe-ami-ing | On the great prairies |
