How Each U.S. State Got Its Name

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

There will be events planned leading up to the milestone—and what better way to look back at the country's history than to learn about how each state got its name.

While many have Native American origins, every 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 “to collect or gather.” “Vegetation gatherers" likely refers to the Native Americans in Alabama who cleared the land for farming.

Alaska

The Aleuts are the indigenous people of Western Alaska. The origin of the name "Alaska" is the Aleut word alaxsxaq, which means “the mainland.”

Arizona

There are mixed theories about how Arizona got its name. The name could be inspired by the O’odham phrase al shon, which means “place of little spring.” Others believe it’s named after the Basque word for “good oak tree.”

Arkansas

The state was named after the Quapaw Tribe, who were known as Arkansas—which means "south wind."

California

Some people believe Spanish conquistadors named the state of California after Califia, a queen from a 16th-century Spanish romance novel. Others say it’s named after the Latin phrase calida fornix, meaning “hot furnace.” Still others claim its name is derived from the Native American phrase kali forno, which means “high hill” or “native land.”

Colorado

Colorado’s name was inspired by the red sandstone soil in the state and literally means "colored red" or "color rojo" in Spanish.

Connecticut

The name Connecticut comes from the Mohegan word quinnehtukqut, which means "upon the long tidal river." 

Delaware

Explorer Samuel Argall named the Delaware River and Bay for Virginia Gov. Thomas West, who carried the title Lord De La Warr. The state was later named after those bodies of water.

Florida

Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, who was the first European to reach Florida, named the state after the Spanish word florido, which means "flowery."

Georgia

Georgia was named after 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 Polynesian man named Hawaii Loa, who reportedly discovered the islands. Others believe that "Hawai'i" comes from the Hawaiian word owhyhee, which means “homeland.” Still others claim the name comes from a combination of the words hawa and ii, which means a “small homeland.”

Idaho

Mining advocate George Willing proposed the name Idaho, claiming it came from a Native American expression meaning “gem of the mountains.” However, this origin story was later proven false, as the word does not have a 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 irenweewa, which means “speaking in an ordinary way.” Others say it comes from the name Illiniwek, which is what the Illini Tribe was called. Illiniwek means "best people."

Indiana

The name Indiana means "Land of Indians.” The state was named after the Native American people who originally occupied it.

Iowa

Iowa was named for the Native American Iowa or Ioway Tribe. The Sioux word iowa means “beautiful.”

Kansas

Kansas got its name from the Quapaw Tribe known as Kansa, which means "people of the south wind."

Kentucky

The name Kentucky has a Native American origin and is believed to come from the Wyandot word ken-tah-ten, which means "land of tomorrow.”

Louisiana

Explorer René-Robert Cavelier named Louisiana after 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 differentiate it from the islands that surrounded it. Others claim that Maine was named after a French province.

Maryland

Maryland was named after Queen Henrietta Maria, who was the wife of England's King Charles I. 

Massachusetts

The name Massachusetts comes from the Massachusett Tribe of indigenous people. It means “on or about the great hill.”

Michigan

While most agree that Michigan is named after its lakes, there are a few theories about how the name came to be. Some believe it’s named for the Ojibwa word misshikama, which means “large lake.” Others think that it’s based on the Chippewa word meicigama, which means "great water."

Minnesota

The name Minnesota comes from the Dakota Sioux word Mnisota, the tribe's name for the Minnesota River, which means "cloudy water" or "sky-tinted water."

Mississippi

The state was named after the Ojibwa word misi-ziibi, which means "big river."

Missouri

Missouri is named after the Sioux Tribe in the state, who were called ouemessourita, which means "those who have dugout canoes.”

Montana

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

Nebraska

The state is named after one of two Sioux names for the Platte River—the Omaha word ni braska or the Otoe word ni brathge, which both mean "flat water."

Nevada

The state is named after the Spanish word nevada, which means "covered in snow,” for the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

New Hampshire

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

New Jersey

Sir George Carteret was one of the people who was given 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 city of Carteret is named after him.

New Mexico

The state was named Nuevo México by Spanish explorers who believed the area contained wealthy Indian cultures similar to those of the Aztec Valley of Mexico.

New York

New York was named after the Duke of York and Albany, who was the brother of King Charles II of England. In addition, 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 colony of Carolina was later split into North and South Carolina.

North Dakota

President James Buchanan signed the bill creating the Dakota Territory, which originally included the area covered today by both Dakotas, as well as Montana and Wyoming. The name was 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 about which word it is derived from. Some believe it is named after the Iroquois word for "good river." Others think it was inspired by the Wyandot word for “large” or “great.” Still others claim it was named after the Seneca word ohi-yo, which means “good river."

Oklahoma

The state’s name comes from the Choctaw words okla humma. Okla means “people,” and humma means “red.” So, Oklahoma means “red people.”

Oregon

The origin of Oregon’s name is the source of much debate. Some believe it comes from the French word ouragan, which means “hurricane." That’s because French explorers reportedly referred to the Columbia River as Le Fleuve aux Ouragans, or "Hurricane River,” due to its strong winds. Others claim it’s named after the Wisconsin River, which the French called Ouaricon-sint. 

Pennsylvania

The state was named after William Penn, who received the land grant from England’s King Charles II. The suffix "sylvania" is derived from sylva, the Latin word for "forest" or "woods." Pennsylvania literally means “Penn’s woods.”

Rhode Island

There are two leading theories on how Rhode Island got its name. Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano once compared Rhode Island to the Island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean. And Dutch explorer Adriaen Block called it roodt eylandt, which means "red island,” due to its 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 colony of Carolina was later split into North and South Carolina.

South Dakota

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

Tennessee

Tennessee was named after the Cherokee village called Ta’nasi.

Texas

Texas was named after the Caddo Tribe word teyshas or taysha, which means “allies” or “friends.”

Utah

The state is reportedly named after the Apache word yuttahih, which means "people of the mountains.” But others believe it’s named after the Spanish term yuta, which is what Spanish settlers called the Ute Tribe who resided in the Great Basin.

Vermont

French explorer Samuel de Champlain named the state Verd Mont, which means "green mountain” in French, after the green mountains of Vermont.

Virginia

Virginia was named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was known as “the Virgin Queen,” after she granted Sir Walter Raleigh a charter in 1584 to establish a colony.

Washington

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

West Virginia

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

Wisconsin

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

Wyoming

Some think Wyoming’s name comes from the Delaware Tribe word maughwauwa-ma, which means "at the big plains.” Others believe it comes from the Delaware word chwewamink, meaning “at the big river flat.”