{"id":31505,"date":"2014-04-03T03:40:40","date_gmt":"2014-04-03T10:40:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/?p=31505"},"modified":"2014-04-04T14:55:08","modified_gmt":"2014-04-04T21:55:08","slug":"origins-names-50-u-s-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/index.php\/2014\/04\/origins-names-50-u-s-states\/","title":{"rendered":"The Origins of the Names of the 50 U.S. States"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"united-states\"<\/a>Today I found out<\/a> the origins of all 50 U.S. state names.<\/p>\n

Alabama<\/b><\/p>\n

This southern state was named for the Native American tribe that lived there when the European settlers showed up. In their own language, they were called the Albaamaha<\/i>. It\u2019s likely that this name means something along the lines of \u201cplant gatherers,\u201d though this isn’t known for sure. While there isn\u2019t much evidence about what the name means in their own language, their neighbours, the Choctaws, had two words that are similar: alba<\/i> means plant, and amo <\/i>means to cut or gather. In addition, it is known that the Albaamaha<\/i> practiced agriculture. It\u2019s thought that the Choctaws might have used those words to describe the Albaamaha,<\/i> who then started calling themselves the resulting word. When European settlers arrived, they anglicized it to make it easier to pronounce and named the resulting state after the native residents.<\/p>\n

Alaska<\/b><\/p>\n

This state name was also inspired by its native people. The Aleuts called the Alaskan Peninsula alaxsxaq<\/i>, which means \u201cthe object toward which the action of the sea is directed.\u201d Once again, this name was anglicized for easier pronunciation (the original word sounds something like \u201ca lock shock\u201d).<\/p>\n

Arizona<\/b><\/p>\n

Arizona might have come from the Spanish mispronunciation of the native alionag<\/i>, which meant \u201chaving a little spring.\u201d The Spanish pronounced it arizonac<\/i>. It\u2019s believed that if this doesn\u2019t refer to actual water, it references veins of silver discovered in Arizona in the 1730s. Another theory is that it comes from the Basque aritz onak<\/i>, which means \u201cgood oak.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arkansas<\/b><\/p>\n

This name actually comes from the word the Illinois people assigned to the natives living in the area: akansa.<\/i> It meant \u201cpeople of the south wind.\u201d When the French started exploring the area, they pronounced the word with an r and then added an s to make the word plural.<\/p>\n

California<\/b><\/p>\n

There are three theories for the origin of the name of California: first, that it came from the Native American words kali forn<\/i>, or \u201chigh hill;\u201d second, the Catalan words calor forn,<\/i> or \u201chot oven;\u201d and third, it is named for a fictional place mentioned in the 1500s novel Las Sergas de Esplandian<\/i> by Garci Ordonez de Montalvo. The fictional California was an island in the West Indies ruled by women and covered in gold.<\/p>\n

Colorado<\/b><\/p>\n

Most people with a basic knowledge of Spanish know that rojo<\/i> means \u201cred.\u201d Well, turns out so does colorado<\/i>, which is an alternate word for red usually used in instances like \u201cto turn red\u201d or \u201cgo as red as\u201d something. Spanish explorers in the area noticed red silt in the river they named the Rio Colorado, which is how the name came about.<\/p>\n

Connecticut<\/b><\/p>\n

The native people of Connecticut were called the Mohegans, who spoke Algonquin. They had originally named the Connecticut River quinnitukqut<\/i>, which means \u201clong river place.\u201d The word was anglicized to the Connecticut that we know today.<\/p>\n

Delaware<\/b><\/p>\n

The first colonial governor of Virginia was Sir Thomas West who held the title Baron De La Warr. He travelled up what would soon be known as the Delaware River in the early 1600s. De La Warr likely comes from the French de la werre<\/i>, which means \u201cof the war\u201d or \u201cof the warrior.\u201d<\/p>\n

Florida<\/b><\/p>\n

Florida has the distinction of being the oldest European place name in the United States. It was named by Ponce de Leon for the Spanish phrase pascua florida<\/i>, which means \u201cfeast of flowers,\u201d often used around Easter. He landed near St. Augustine in 1513 just a few days after Easter, and the area had a lot of interesting plant life.<\/p>\n

Georgia<\/b><\/p>\n

If you guessed that this state got its name from a King George, you\u2019d be correct. It was named in honor of King George II, who granted a charter to make the area of Georgia a debtor\u2019s colony. Ultimately, the state didn\u2019t end up being a debtor\u2019s colony, but the name stuck.<\/p>\n

Hawaii<\/b><\/p>\n

European explorers of the island said that natives called the area Hawaiki,<\/i> which meant homeland. There\u2019s also a story that a Polynesian who discovered the islands was called Hawaii Loa, and the islands might be named after him. That said, Hawaii Loa is usually considered more \u201clegend\u201d than \u201cfact,\u201d so the first theory is a bit more believable.<\/p>\n

Idaho<\/b><\/p>\n

No, this name has nothing to do with potatoes\u2014but it does have a lot to do with Colorado. When the territory of Colorado was in its infancy and officials needed a name, George M. Willing suggested Idaho (pronounced ee-da-how back then), which he claimed was a Shoshone word for \u201cthe sun comes up from the mountains.\u201d There was a lot of debate and claims that Willing had actually made up the word. Willing himself ended up looking into the word\u2019s origins and discovered that the word didn\u2019t actually exist as far as he could find, so they settled on Colorado instead. The Idaho territory was named a year later while everyone else was busy with the Civil War, and there was no one concerned enough to challenge the name, so it stuck. It is most likely simply a made up word, though there are also claims that it comes from the Apache word idaahe<\/i>, which means \u201cenemy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Illinois<\/b><\/p>\n

In 1674, French explorers first met the people that they called the Illinois. Jacques Marquette handily wrote about the name in his journal: \u201cThey replied that they were Ilinois…when one speaks the word…it is as if one said, in their language, ‘the men’.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indiana<\/b><\/p>\n

This name simply means \u201cland of the Indians.\u201d Those in charge of naming the area apparently wanted to honor the people who originally lived there (while, of course, driving those people out).<\/p>\n

Iowa<\/b><\/p>\n

A Native American tribe called the Ioway once lived in Iowa, which is where the name comes from, but it isn\u2019t clear what the name means. Today, the tribe says that the word is a French misspelling of Ayuhwa<\/i>, which means \u201csleepy ones\u201d\u2014a name given to them by the Sioux. Europeans claim that it means \u201cbeautiful\u201d or \u201cbeautiful land.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kansas<\/b><\/p>\n

The Kansa people once lived along the Kansas River, and the state is named after them. Even before European settlers arrived on the scene, the Kansa people didn\u2019t know what their own name meant because the word was so old with the meaning long forgotten.<\/p>\n

Kentucky<\/b><\/p>\n

This name is derived from an Iroquois word. The only problem is, we don\u2019t know exactly which one or exactly what it means. There are quite a few theories, most of them claiming that Kentucky means \u201cprairie\u201d or \u201cmeadow\u201d or \u201criver.\u201d<\/p>\n

Louisiana<\/b><\/p>\n

As the area was under French control until the Louisiana Purchase, you would be right in guessing that it was named in honor of King Louis XIV of France. The name simply means \u201cLand of Louis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maine<\/b><\/p>\n

One of the most popular theories is that it is derived from the nautical term \u201cthe main\u201d or \u201cMain Land\u201d.\u00a0 Maine has an incredible number of islands off it\u2019s coast, so perhaps sailors referred to it as \u201cMaine\u201d, as in \u201cMain Land\u201d, to distinguish it from the surrounding islands.<\/p>\n

In 2001, the state legislature, not apparently too concerned as to if it was fact or not, adopted the resolution that stated that the state was named after the ancient French province of Maine, which was of Gaulish origin.\u00a0 Maine was discovered by the French; however, the first known record of it being called Maine wasn\u2019t until Aug. 10, 1622 when it was chartered to English Royal Navy veterans, Sir Ferdinando Gorges and Captain John Mason who \u201cintend to name The Province of Maine\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mason himself served in the Royal Navy in the Orkney Islands where the main island was called \u201cMainland\u201d.\u00a0 Gorges also may have had something to do with this as his family came from a village which neighbored \u201cBroadmayne\u201d and was at times known as Maine.\u00a0 There is also a small village in England that was once named Maine, though the connection to the state Maine is not known, if that is the origin.\u00a0 In whatever case, the name was finally officially set by King Charles of England in 1665 when he ordered that the \u201cprovince of Maine\u201d be forever known as such.<\/p>\n

Maryland<\/b><\/p>\n

The Maryland charter was approved by King Charles I, whose wife was Queen Henrietta Maria. The colony was named in honor of her.<\/p>\n

Massachusetts<\/b><\/p>\n

The state of Massachusetts was once inhabited by the Masachusett people. Their name loosely translates to \u201cnear the high hill,\u201d a reference to the Blue Hills.<\/p>\n

Michigan<\/b><\/p>\n

It is often claimed that this name means \u201cmany lakes\u201d but that is not the case. It actually means \u201clarge lake\u201d and comes from the Ojibwa word misshikama.<\/i> Michigan was a word used by the French, who found it easier to say.<\/p>\n

Minnesota<\/b><\/p>\n

The Dakota tribe called the Minnesota River mnisota,<\/i> which meant \u201ccloudy water.\u201d When English speakers settled in the region, they anglicized the word to Minnesota.<\/p>\n

Mississippi<\/b><\/p>\n

This was probably the first lengthy word you learned to spell, so it\u2019s about time you learned what it means. It comes from the Ojibwa word messipi,<\/i> meaning \u201cbig river.\u201d It originally referred to the \u201cbig river\u201d before it was applied to the state.<\/p>\n

Missouri<\/b><\/p>\n

The Illinois people named the people who lived along what would later be known as the Missouri River the ouemessourita,<\/i> which means something along the lines of \u201cthe people who have wooden canoes.\u201d As with many of the other Native American place names, it was anglicized to make it easier for English speakers to say.<\/p>\n

Montana<\/b><\/p>\n

Montana comes from the Spanish word monta\u00f1a<\/i> which means \u201cmountain.\u201d The state was aptly named as it is quite mountainous.<\/p>\n

Nebraska<\/b><\/p>\n

Continuing the trend, Nebraska comes from the Otoe word \u00d1\u00ed Br\u00e1sge<\/i> which means \u201cflat water.\u201d The water in question is the Platte River. Once again, the word was anglicized to make it easier to pronounce.<\/p>\n

Nevada<\/b><\/p>\n

The state derives its name from the mountain range called the Sierra Nevada. In Spanish, nevada<\/i> means \u201csnowfall\u201d (derived from nieve,<\/i> \u201csnow\u201d). So, the name comes from the snow-covered mountains. Think about that as you sit in the sweltering heat of summers in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

New Hampshire<\/b><\/p>\n

Like most things \u201cnew,\u201d there first had to be an \u201cold.\u201d Hampshire is the name of a county in England. John Mason named the area New Hampshire after he received a land grant there; he had spent some time in Hampshire as a child.<\/p>\n

New Jersey<\/b><\/p>\n

The largest island of the British Channel Islands is called Jersey. One of New Jersey\u2019s founders, George Carteret, was born and raised on the island of Jersey and decided to name his new home after his old one.<\/p>\n

New Mexico<\/b><\/p>\n

If you paid attention in your American history class, you probably already know that New Mexico was once part of Mexico. Mexico likely gets its name from the god of war Mextli,<\/i> who is the patron of the Aztecs. Incidentally, Mexico is not actually named Mexico, but rather Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

New York<\/b><\/p>\n

The city of York, England, is extremely old, and was established well before the arrival of the Romans. The Romans Latinized the name of the city to \u201cEboraci\u201d or \u201cEboracum,\u201d which eventually became York. The state is named for the future James II of England, who was once the Duke of York.<\/p>\n

North Carolina and South Carolina<\/b><\/p>\n

These two states got their name from King Charles II. The Latin form of Charles is Carolus,<\/i> which was then feminized into Carolina.<\/i> The Carolina colony split into north and south in 1712 after the two regions started developing differently.<\/p>\n

North Dakota and South Dakota<\/b><\/p>\n

A Sioux tribe called the Dakota dominated the region when European settlers started to explore the area. It is believed that it means \u201cfriend\u201d or \u201cally\u201d in Sioux. The Dakota territory was split into two after controversy about where the capital should be located when they were looking at statehood.<\/p>\n

Ohio<\/b><\/p>\n

The only evidence we have for the name of the state that is round on both sides and \u201chi\u201d in the middle is a journal from a French traveller. He claimed that ohio<\/i> was a Native American term for \u201cbeautiful river.\u201d There is nothing else in the way of documented evidence to suggest this is true. Other translations suggested are \u201cthe great one\u201d or \u201clarge creek.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oklahoma<\/b><\/p>\n

The Choctaw phrase ukla huma<\/i> means \u201cred persons\u201d and was used by the Choctaw to describe Native Americans. When the US government decided to name Oklahoma, they took the suggestion of the chief of the Choctaw tribe at the time<\/p>\n

Oregon<\/b><\/p>\n

There are so many different theories about how Oregon got its name that no one knows exactly what to believe. Here is a small sampling of origin stories: Spanish explorers called the natives of Oregon orej<\/i>\u00f3n,<\/i> which means \u201cbig ears.\u201d The Columbia River, which runs through Oregon, was called le flueve aux ouragans<\/i> by the French, which means \u201cHurricane River.\u201d Or it came from the Shoshone words ogwa pe-on<\/i>, which mean \u201criver of the west.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pennsylvania<\/b><\/p>\n

Pennsylvania means \u201cPenn\u2019s Woodland.\u201d It was named after Admiral William Penn. After he died, King Charles granted the area to Penn\u2019s son, also William Penn, as a payment of debt to the family.<\/p>\n

Rhode Island<\/b><\/p>\n

The state of Rhode Island says that it got its name from a Dutch explorer who called it Roodt Eylandt (red island) because of the red clay on the shore. However, an Italian named Giovanni de Verrazzano made the first mention of what would become Rhode Island in a letter. There was an island off the coast of the mainland that reminded him of the island of Rhodes in the Meditterannean.<\/p>\n

Tennessee<\/b><\/p>\n

Tennessee came from\u2014you guessed it\u2014a Cherokee word that was anglicized. The village of Tanasi<\/i> on the Little Tennessee River is believed to be the origin of the name, though the meaning of the word has since been lost.<\/p>\n

Texas<\/b><\/p>\n

Before the Spanish arrived in Texas, it was home to several different tribes of Native Americans who used the word teysha<\/i> to greet each other. Teysha,<\/i> the origin of the word Texas, meant \u201cfriend\u201d or \u201cally\u201d and was used to greet someone. The Spanish morphed it into tejas<\/i> (tay-has).<\/p>\n

Utah<\/b><\/p>\n

In the language of the native tribes of Utah, ute<\/i> means \u201cland of the sun.\u201d The name could also be taken from the Apache words yudah<\/i> or yiuta,<\/i> meaning \u201cthey who are higher up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vermont<\/b><\/p>\n

Vermont is named in memory of the Green Mountain Boys, an unauthorized militia group. The Green Mountain Boys defended land grants given to people by New Hampshire from New York officials who didn\u2019t think New Hampshire had the right to grant land that was west of the Green Mountains. The name comes from the French vert<\/i> and mont,<\/i> which translates to \u201cgreen mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Virginia and West Virginia<\/b><\/p>\n

Virginia was named for Queen Elizabeth, who was known as the Virgin Queen. The truth about her supposed virginity aside, Sir Walter Raleigh seems to think it was an appropriate name for the colony. West Virginia split off during the Civil War, as the people in those counties didn\u2019t own any slaves (or owned very few) and didn\u2019t agree with the pro-slavery Virginia.<\/p>\n

Washington<\/b><\/p>\n

This state was, of course, named after George Washington, the first president of the United States. The suffix \u2013ton on Washington\u2019s name means something along the lines of \u201cfrom the town\u201d while \u201cwashing\u201d might mean \u201cwater\u201d rather than \u201ccleaning.” So, George “Water from the Town”. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Wisconsin<\/b><\/p>\n

The native tribes of Wisconsin called the Wisconsin River Meskousing.<\/i> Not exactly close to the name we know today. Jacques Marquette recorded the name as Ouisconsin<\/i>, and that was then anglicized to Wisconsin. The word meant something along the lines of \u201cred\u201d for the red sandstone in the river\u2019s delta.<\/p>\n

Wyoming<\/b><\/p>\n

This state followed the trend of anglicizing Native American words. In this case, it was the Lenape word mecheweiami-ing<\/i>, which means \u201con the big plains.\u201d Another theory is that it comes from the word chwewamink<\/i>, which meant \u201cat the big river flat.\u201d<\/p>\n

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