What are the official nicknames of the states of America and how they appeared

Do you know the nickname of your state? And where did it come from? Some of them are well known for their sports teams. Others have a more complex history and are descended from early settlers, reports USAToday .

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During their school years, many Americans learn the basic facts about the state they live in: its capital, its senators, its state animal, and its flag. Each state boasts a unique nickname based on its history and strengths.

Alabama

Alabama does not have an official state nickname, but residents use several informal names. Alabama has been known as “Cotton Stat” since the mid-1860s, but as agriculture diversified, some began to call the state “Heart of Dixie” (“Heart of Dixie”). This has been printed on license plates since 1955. Another state nickname is “Yellowhammer State” (“State of Bunting”), since the yellow bird bunting is the official bird of Alabama. Such a name also has a history of origin from Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. Some of which were teased for their cavalry yellow uniforms because they looked like bunting birds.

Alaska

The largest US state still has a lot of unexplored territory, so, naturally, the nickname of the state of Alaska is “The Last Frontier” (“The Last Frontier”).

Arizona

Most of the Grand Canyon is located in Arizona, which is why it is called “The Grand Canyon State” (“The Grand Canyon State”).

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The nickname of the state of Arkansas is “The Natural State”. It is named for "beautiful mountains, towering forests, picturesque rivers, and rich farmland," according to documents from the Secretary of State's office.

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California

California has been nicknamed "The Golden State" because of its long history with the gold rush and the presence of golden poppy flowers in the spring.

Colorado

Since Colorado was formed 100 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the state was nicknamed “Centennial State” (“Centennial State”).

Connecticut

Connecticut's official nickname is the "Constitution State" because of historical claims that the Executive Orders of 1638 and 1639 were the first constitutions ever written. Connecticut is also informally known as "Nutmeg State" because "its early inhabitants had a reputation for being so resourceful and astute that they could make and sell wooden nutmegs" instead of real ones to fool customers.

Delaware

As the first of the original 13 states to ratify the US Constitution, Delaware is predictably known as the "First State".

Florida

Florida's nickname is Sunshine State. This, along with the state motto "In God We Trust", appears on Florida's famous orange and green license plate. Despite the myth that Florida is the sunniest state, data from the National Weather Service actually indicates that Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas are ahead of Florida in the number of sunny days due to frequent afternoon thunderstorms in Florida. .

Georgia

Georgia is known as the "Peach State", but not because it is the largest producer of peaches. The famous Georgian fruit has its roots in slavery and the South's need for a rebrand after cotton was widely known to be associated with poverty and slavery. Peaches were considered "refined and European".

Hawaii

The official nickname of the state of Hawaii comes from the Hawaiian greeting - "Aloha State" ("State of Aloha").

Idaho

Idaho is known as the "Gem State" because of its abundance of gems and minerals. The name Idaho itself is believed to have been a Native American word for "pearl of the mountains," but it has since been discovered that the word was coined by white settlers.

Illinois

Illinois is nicknamed "Prairie State," the name given by early settlers when they saw the vast expanses of the prairie, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Indiana

The nickname of the state of Indiana is “Hoosier State” (“The state was tall”), because they are very fond of sports - basketball, auto racing, golf and, of course, American football.

Iowa

Iowa is called “Hawkeye State” (“Hawkeye State”). According to the University of Iowa, whose sports teams are known as the Hawkeyes, the name comes from a character in the novel The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper.

Kansas

Kansas is known as the "Sunflower State" ("Hawkeyes") because of the state's wild sunflowers, which are also the state's official flower. The state is also known as “Jayhawk State,” a name that may have come from the name Kansas soldiers used for troops along the frontier at the start of the Civil War, according to the Kansas Historical Society.

Kentucky

Kentucky's nickname is "Bluegrass State" because of the abundance of this herb in its pastures.

Louisiana

Pelican State (“Pelican State”) is the nickname of the state of Louisiana because of its symbol bird.

Maine

Maine is called the Pine Tree State because of its population of white pines, according to National Geographic. It is also known as "Vacationland" due to its booming tourism.

Maryland

Maryland has two state nicknames: "Old Line State" ("State of the old border") and "Free State" ("Free State"). The first was granted by George Washington because of the Maryland troops participating in the Revolutionary War, and the second nickname appeared in 1864 after the abolition of slavery in the state.

Massachusetts

With Massachusetts Bay, Cape Cod Bay, and Buzzards Bay along the coastline, Massachusetts is known as the "Bay State" or "Old Bay State."

Michigan

Michigan's official nickname is "Wolverine State" because of the importance of the wolverine pelt trade in the state.

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Minnesota

Minnesota is known as the "Gopher State", "Land of 10,000 Lakes" and "North Star State". The reference to the gopher comes from an 10 cartoon poking fun at a controversial railroad money bill. The second nickname comes from the number of lakes in the state - about 000 lakes. "North Star State" is a reference to its official motto, which translates from French as "Star of the North".

Mississippi

Named after the state flower, Mississippi is nicknamed "Magnolia State".

Missouri

Missouri is called "Show Me State". According to the Secretary of State's office, a possible origin is a quote by Missouri Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver as he traveled through Philadelphia: “I come from a state that grows corn, cotton, cocklebur, and Democrats, and naked eloquence does not convince or satisfy me. I am from Missouri. You must show me."

Another theory comes from a mining town in Colorado as a term to make fun of miners who came from Missouri. The Colorados said, "This man is from Missouri, you have to show him."

Montana

The state of Montana is nicknamed “Treasure State” because of its valuable minerals, gems and precious metals. It is also known as "Big Sky Country" after the title of A. B. Guthrie Jr.'s novel "Big Sky", which was from Montana.

Nebraska

Nebraska's official nickname is "Cornhusker State", which comes from Nebraska's sports teams, the Cornhuskers, also a method of harvesting corn by hand. Until 1945 it was "The Tree Planters State" due to the fact that Arbor Day was established in the state in 1872.

Nevada

Nevada is known as the "Silver State". In 1859, a huge silver deposit was discovered in Nevada, which led to the creation of the state as people traveled there to get rich.

NH

Because of the extensive granite quarries in the state of New Hampshire, it is best known as the "Granite State" ("Granite State"). It is also known as “The Mother of Rivers”, “The White Mountain State” and “Switzerland of America” (“American Switzerland”) for its mountain scenery.

New Jersey

New Jersey's nickname is "Garden State". The natural conditions are ideal for horticulture, as well as vegetable and cattle breeding.

New Mexico

"The Land of Enchantment" has been New Mexico's official nickname since 1999, but its origins date back to 1906 and Lillian Whiting's New Mexico book of the same name.

New York

You might think that New York is known as the “Empire State” because of the famous Empire State Building, but the opposite is actually true.

New York's nickname is believed to have come from George Washington when he praised New York's resilience in the war. He called New York "the seat of the empire" in 1785, and the Empire State Building, completed in 1931, adopted the phrase as its name.

North Carolina

North Carolina is known as the "Old North State" due to its division into North and South Carolina in 1710 and as "The Tarheel State". The origin of the nickname indicates North Carolina's production of naval supplies such as tar, but may also have roots in combat jargon because "North Carolina soldiers stuck to their bloody work like they had tar on their heels."

North Dakota

North Dakota is nicknamed “Peace Garden State” because of the presence of the International Peace Garden between North Dakota and the Canadian province of Manitoba.

Ohio

Ohio is known as "Buckeye State" ("Horse Chestnut State") because of the Ohio state tree.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma's nickname is "Sooner State". In April 1889, the US government set a time for settlers to enter central Oklahoma and claim their land. "Sooners" were settlers who entered the land before the appointed time. The University of Oklahoma football team named itself the Sooners a year after Oklahoma became a state, and the nickname stuck.

Oregon

Oregon's nickname "Beaver State" comes from the American beaver, the state's symbol.

Pennsylvania

"Keystone State" is the nickname of Pennsylvania because of the state's important role in the founding of the United States.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island's official nickname is "Ocean State" because of its many beaches and seaside towns.

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South Carolina's nickname "Palmetto State" comes from the tree featured on its flag and seal.

North Dakota

Since the memorial is an important element of the state, South Dakota has received the official nickname "Mount Rushmore State" ("State of Mount Rushmore").

Tennessee

Volunteer State has been Tennessee's nickname since the 19th century, but it wasn't officially voted on until February 2020. Tennessee sent 1500 volunteer soldiers during the War of 1812 and the nickname stuck.

Texas

Texas is known as the "Lone Star State" because of the single star on the state's red, white and blue flag. The star, adopted before Texas rejoined the US, represents independence and opposition to the United States.

Utah

"Beehive State" was chosen as the nickname for Utah for several reasons. The beehive has been the state's official emblem since 1959 because it is an important Mormon symbol. The beehive symbol also indicates "industriousness and the virtues of frugality and perseverance," as the Encyclopedia of Utah History says.

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In April 2022, Governor Spencer Cox changed the state's nickname to "Be Kind State" for a day to draw attention to a campaign promoting good deeds.

Vermont

Vermont's nickname is "Green Mountain State". The name Vermont itself comes from the French words vert, meaning green, and mont, meaning mountain.

Virginia

The nickname of the state of Virginia is “Old Dominion” (“Old Dominion”), because this state was the oldest colony of England in America.

Washington

Washington is known as the "Evergreen State" because of its many evergreen forests.

West Virginia

West Virginia is nicknamed "Mountain State" because it is the only state that is entirely within the Appalachian Mountains.

Wisconsin

Like its symbol, Wisconsin's nickname is "Badger State". The nickname was given to Southwestern Wisconsin miners who lived in abandoned mine shafts because they were too busy digging to build houses.

Wyoming

Wyoming is known as "Big Wyoming", "Cowboy State" and "Equality State". Firstly because of its size and the fact that it is the least populated state, and secondly because of its predominant pastoralism. It is also called the "Equality State" because it was the first state to give women the right to vote.

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