Where do the names of the U.S. states come from?

The names of the fifty U.S. states originate from a diverse mix of indigenous languages, European languages, and personal names. Twenty-four states derive their names from Native American languages, while twenty come from European roots including Latin, English, Spanish, and French. Additionally, eleven states are named directly after individual people, predominantly European monarchs.

What we know

• Twenty-four U.S. state names derive from indigenous languages of the Americas, and one derives from Hawaiian. [2]
• Twenty state names come from European languages, consisting of seven from Latin, five from English, five from Spanish, and three from French, while several Germanic words entered English via Anglo-Norman French. [2, 5]
• Eleven of the fifty states are named after an individual person, with six honoring European monarchs. [2]
• The source languages for five state names remain disputed or unclear: Arizona, Idaho, Maine, Oregon, and Rhode Island. [2]

Still open

• The precise source language or language family for Arizona, Idaho, Maine, Oregon, and Rhode Island remains disputed or unclear.

Where to go next

• how it workedHow did indigenous names become state names?
• a case in pointWhich states are named after European royalty?
• the bigger pictureWhat are the etymologies of the U.S. territories?
• compared withHow do Germanic and Latinate words compare in English?
• whoWho is Adam Aleksic and what is Algospeak?
• an unexpected connectionHow does digital slang connect to state name origins?Both topics explore etymology and the historical origins of words, linking modern internet neologisms to the deep history of geographic names.

Sources

• [1]list of U.S. state name etymologies (Wikidata Q1316354) · CC0 1.0
• [2]List of state and territory name etymologies of the United States · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Adam Aleksic · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Origin · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]List of Germanic and Latinate equivalents in English · CC BY-SA 4.0