How each American state got its name

The countdown has begun to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.

There will be events planned leading up to the milestone – and what better way to look back on the country’s history than learning how each state got its name.

Although many are of Native American descent, each state has a unique story behind its name. From royalty and explorers to local legends, each state name reveals a piece of American history.

Alabama

Alabama is named after a Native American tribe known as The Alabama. Alabama’s name is a combination of two Choctaw Indian words: alba And amo.

Alba means ‘vegetation’, and amo means ‘gather or collect’. “Vegetation gatherers” likely refers to the Alabama Native Americans who cleared the land for agriculture.

Alaska

The Aleuts are the indigenous people of Western Alaska. The origin of the name “Alaska” is the Aleut word alaxsxaqmeaning ‘the mainland’.

Arizona

There are mixed theories about how Arizona got its name. The name may have been inspired by the O’odham phrase al shonmeaning ‘place of the little spring’. Others believe it was named after the Basque word for ‘good oak’.

Arkansas

The state was named after the Quapaw tribe, which was known as Arkansas– meaning ‘south wind’.

California

Some people believe that Spanish conquistadors named the state of California after Califia, a queen from a 16th-century Spanish novel. Others say it is named after the Latin expression calida fornixmeaning ‘hot oven’. Still others claim that the name is derived from the Native American expression kali fornomeaning ‘high hill’ or ‘native land’.

Colorado

The name Colorado is inspired by the state’s red sandstone soil and literally means “colored red” or “color rojo” in Spanish.

Connecticut

The name Connecticut comes from the Mohegan word quinnehtukqutmeaning ‘on the long tidal river’.

Delaware

Explorer Samuel Argall named the Delaware River and Bay for Virginia Gov. Thomas Westwho bore the title Lord De La Warr. The state was later named after those water bodies.

Florida

Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leonwho was the first European to reach Florida, named the state after the Spanish word Floridawhich means ‘flowery’.

Georgia

Georgia is named after him King George II of England, who granted the colony its charter.

Hawaii

How this state got its name is up for debate. Some people say the name comes from the said Polynesian man Hawaii Loawho is said to have discovered the islands. Others believe that “Hawai’i” comes from the Hawaiian word Owheemeaning ‘homeland’. Still others claim that the name comes from a combination of the words ha And iimeaning a ‘little homeland’.

Idaho

Supporter of mining George Willing proposed the name Idaho, claiming it came from a Native American phrase meaning “gem of the mountains.” However, this origin story was later proven to be false, as the word has no verified Native American meaning and was likely invented.

Illinois

There are a few theories about how Illinois got its name. Some say it comes from the word irenweewawhich means ‘to speak in an ordinary manner’. Others say it comes from the name Illiniwekthat’s what the Illini tribe was called. Illiniwek means ‘dear people’.

Indiana

The name Indiana means ‘Land of Indians’. The state is named after the Native American people who originally occupied it.

Iowa

Iowa is named for the Native American Iowa or Ioway tribe. The Sioux word Iowa means ‘beautiful’.

Kansas

Kansas gets its name from the Quapaw tribe known as Kansameaning ‘people of the south wind’.

Kentucky

The name Kentucky has Native American origins and is believed to come from the Wyandot word ken-tah-tienwhich means ‘land of tomorrow’.

Louisiana

Explorer René-Robert Cavelier named after Louisiana King Louis XIV of France, who was known as the Sun King.

Maine

Some say Royal Navy sailors Ferdinando Gorges And John Mason named the state Maine – short for “mainland” – to distinguish it from the islands surrounding it. Others claim that Maine was named after a French province.

Maryland

Maryland is named after it Queen Henrietta Mariawho was the wife of England King Charles I.

Massachusetts

The name Massachusetts comes from the Massachusett tribe of indigenous peoples. It means ‘on or around the big hill’.

Michigan

While most agree that Michigan was named after its lakes, there are a few theories as to how the name came about. Some believe it was named after the Ojibwa word mishikamameaning ‘great lake’. Others think it is based on the Chippewa word meidigamameaning ‘big water’.

Minnesota

The name Minnesota comes from the Dakota Sioux word Mnisotathe tribal name for the Minnesota River, meaning “murky water” or “heavenly hued water.”

Mississippi

The state is named after the Ojibwa word misi-ziibimeaning ‘great river’.

Missouri

Missouri is named after the state’s Sioux tribe, which was named ouemessouritameaning “those who have canoes.”

Montana

Montana is named after the Spanish word for mountain, Montana.

Nebraska

The state is named after one of the two Sioux names for the Platte River: the Omaha word ni braska or the Otoe word ni brathgeboth of which mean ‘flat water’.

Nevada

The state is named after the Spanish word Nevadameaning ‘covered in snow’ for the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

New Hampshire

Then Capt. John Mason received a land grant for the area and named it after Hampshire, England, where he grew up.

New Jersey

Sir George Carteret was one of the people who received the land that would later become New Jersey. He named it after the island of Jersey in the English Channel, where he was born. The town of Carteret is named after him.

New Mexico

The state was mentioned New Mexico by Spanish explorers who believed the area contained rich Indian cultures similar to those of the Aztec Valley of Mexico.

New York

New York is named after the Duke of York and Albanywho was the brother of King Charles II of England. Moreover, the word ‘York’ is derived from the Latin word meaning ‘city’.

North Carolina

Carolina comes from the Latin word for Charles, Carolus. It was named by King Charles II after his father, King Charles I. The Carolina colony was later split into North and South Carolina.

North Dakota

President James Buchanan signed the bill establishing the Dakota Territory, which originally included the area covered today by the Dakotas as well as Montana and Wyoming. The name is taken from that of the Dakota or Sioux tribe for ‘friend’ or ‘ally’.

Ohio

Most agree that the name for Ohio has Native American origins, although there is some debate as to which word it is derived from. Some believe it was named after the Iroquois word for “good river.” Others think it was inspired by the Wyandot word for “great” or “great.” Still others claim it was named after the Seneca word ohi-yomeaning ‘good river’.

Oklahoma

The state’s name comes from the Choctaw words okay humma. Okay means ‘people’, and humma means ‘red’. So Oklahoma means ‘red people’.

Oregon

The origin of the name Oregon is the source of much debate. Some believe it comes from the French word ouraganmeaning ‘hurricane’. That’s because French explorers reportedly referred to the Columbia River as Le Fleuve aux Ouragansor ‘Hurricane River’, because of the strong winds. Others claim it was named after the Wisconsin River, which the French named Ouaricon Saint.

Pennsylvania

The state is named after him William Pennwho received the land grant from the English King Charles II. The suffix “sylvania” is derived from Sylvathe Latin word for ‘forest’ or ‘forest’. Pennsylvania literally means ‘Penn’s forest’.

Rhode Island

There are two leading theories as to how Rhode Island got its name. Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano once compared Rhode Island to the island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean Sea. And Dutch explorer Adriaan Blok called it redt eylandtwhich means ‘red island’, because of the red clay.

South Carolina

Carolina comes from the Latin word for Charles, Carolus. It was named by King Charles II of England after his father, King Charles I. The Carolina colony was later split into North and South Carolina.

South Dakota

South Dakota is also named after the Sioux word for “friend” or “ally.”

Tennessee

Tennessee is named after the so-called Cherokee village Ta’nasi.

Texas

Texas is named after the Caddo root word teyshas or tayshameaning ‘allies’ or ‘friends’.

Utah

The state is reportedly named after the Apache word Yuttahihwhich means ‘people of the mountains’. But others believe it was named after the Spanish term yutathat’s what Spanish colonists called the Ute tribe that lived in the Great Basin.

Vermont

French explorer Samuel de Champlain called the state Exp Montwhich means ‘green mountain’ in French, after the green mountains of Vermont.

Virginia

Virginia is named after it Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was known as ‘the Virgin Queen’, after she met Sir Walter Raleigh a 1584 charter to establish a colony.

Washington

The state was named in honor of the first president of the United States, George Washington.

West Virginia

Virginia is named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was known as “the Virgin Queen” after she granted Sir Walter Raleigh a charter to establish a colony in 1584. West Virginia later became a separate state from Virginia in 1863.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is named after the Miami Tribe name for the Wisconsin River, mekonking. It means “this stream meanders through something red,” which is likely a reference to the red sandstone in the Wisconsin Dells.

Wyoming

Some think the name Wyoming comes from the Delaware Tribe word maughwauwa-mameaning ‘on the great plains’. Others believe it comes from the Delaware word chwewaminkwhich means ‘by the great river plain’.