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(#1) Alabama
- US State
Alabama got its nickname during the Civil War: newer Confederate uniforms in the state had bits of yellow cloth on parts of their jackets. As soldiers wearing the new uniforms rode by another troop, a soldier mockingly called out "Yellowhammer, yellowhammer, flicker, flicker," referring to birds abundant in Alabama, also known as flickers, whose feathers are a brilliant yellow.
The distinctive color led to all soldiers from Alabama being referred to as Yellowhammers, a term soldiers proudly accepted.
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(#2) Alaska
- US State
Alaska is known as The Last Frontier because of its vast, untouched (at one time) wilderness, as well as its distance from the rest of the continental United States.
As the 49th state admitted to the US, Alaska was also one of the last efforts of official expansion, lending more favor to the nickname.
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(#3) Arizona
- US State
Although there was some controversy over the nickname for Arizona, in 2011, the state officially adopted The Grand Canyon State moniker to embrace being the home to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World - the Grand Canyon.
Originally known as the Baby State because it was the last state admitted into the US for many years before Alaska and Hawaii were admitted, Arizona had no nickname from 1959 to 2011, despite "Grand Canyon State" appearing on its license plates.
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(#4) Arkansas
- US State
Like most states, Arkansas has been known by many nicknames throughout its history. Most unofficial or past nicknames were used to change the perception of the state as "backward," but none were able to quite accomplish that.
Instead of attempting to alter people's views, legislators decided to focus on the natural beauty of the state, citing "unsurpassed scenery, clear lakes, free-flowing streams, magnificent rivers, meandering bayous, delta bottomlands, forested mountains, and abundant fish and wildlife" when proposing The Natural State as the new state nickname.
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(#5) California
- US State
California's nickname is pretty straightforward. California was a major hub during the Gold Rush in the 1800s and has since been able to continuously mine gold. The state is also known for its golden sunsets and sunshine.
The golden poppy blooms throughout the state, and one of the most iconic structures in the country, the Golden Gate Bridge, is in San Francisco. It's no wonder the state selected the nickname in 1968.
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(#6) Colorado
- US State
Colorado's nickname came about because of the year the state was admitted into the United States.
Colorado became the 38th state in 1876, exactly 100 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, so the Centennial moniker commemorates the 100th anniversary of the United States of America.
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(#7) Connecticut
- US State
Historian John Fiske is the main reason behind Connecticut's nickname. He claimed the first-ever constitution in North America was Connecticut's Fundamental Orders in 1639 (according to the old Julian calendar).
Although other historians dispute this claim, Simeon E. Baldwin, a former chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, sided with Fiske, stating, "Never had a company of men deliberately met to frame a social compact for immediate use, constituting a new and independent commonwealth, with definite officers, executive and legislative, and prescribed rules and modes of government, until the first planters of Connecticut came together for their great work on January 14, 1638-39."
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(#8) Delaware
- US State
Delaware was the first state to ratify the US Constitution.
After a petition from an elementary school in the state, the nickname was made official in 2002.
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(#10) Georgia
- US State
Georgia has been well known for its peaches long before the area was even known as Georgia.
But the nickname became official after a post-Civil War boom in peach production as farmers looked away from harvesting cotton.
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(#11) Hawaii
- US State
Aloha means hello, goodbye, and other phrases when combined with additional words.
Because the word is unique to and so connected with the Hawaiian Islands, it makes sense the state would adopt "Aloha" as its nickname.
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(#12) Idaho
- US State
"Idaho," originally thought to come from a Native American word for "gem of the mountains," was actually a made-up name.
The nickname might have come from that misstatement, but many gems and metals are mined throughout the state.
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(#13) Illinois
- US State
Although Illinois is often referred to as "The Prairie State," its official nickname reflects the state's connections to Abraham Lincoln.
The 16th US president was born in Kentucky, but his political prowess really took off when he lived in Illinois.
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(#14) Indiana
- US State
Much speculation surrounds the origin of the nickname "hoosier." Some people say it was a last name of a prominent contractor who hired Indiana workers; others say it was just a misheard question, "Who's yere?"
Regardless of the origins, the people of Indiana have truly taken on the identity of whatever a hoosier is, and the pride they exude led to the state nickname.
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(#15) Iowa
- US State
It's assumed the nickname came from promoters out of Burlington in the years following the Black Hawk War.
The Burlington newspaper also changed its name from The Iowa Patriot to The Hawk-Eye and Iowa Patriot to reference the hawkeyes as a way of honoring Chief Black Hawk.
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(#16) Kansas
- US State
Although some early Kansas residents called sunflowers a "noxious weed," others were more appreciative, and the sunflower was adopted as the state's official flower. An artist proposed putting the flower on the state flag, making it a prominent symbol.
The sunflower has since become a valuable resource, cementing the nickname.
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(#17) Kentucky
- US State
Bluegrass - which is green but takes on a blueish, purple tint from a distance - is commonly found in Kentucky.
Citizens' fondness of the grass has become a sense of pride, leading legislators to make it the official nickname in the 1960s.
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(#18) Louisiana
- US State
Long before Louisiana named the pelican its official bird in 1966, the state was known for its large population of the long-beaked creature.
The pelican's prominence led to an obvious nickname.
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(#19) Maine
- US State
Vast forests filled with pine trees cover the state, lending credence to its nickname.
The white pine has long been used for sailing masts in Maine as well.
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(#20) Maryland
- US State
The "old line" references the Maryland Line during the American Revolution that helped George Washington's army.
The nickname is meant to honor the bravery and discipline of the soldiers who held the line.
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(#21) Massachusetts
- US State
Massachusetts has five bays: Massachusetts Bay, Quincy Bay, Narragansett Bay, Buzzards Bay, and Cape Cod Bay.
The people of Massachusetts are thus called "Bay Staters."
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(#22) Michigan
- US State
Also called the Wolverine State and Winter Wonderland, Michigan borders four of the five Great Lakes and is the only state to do so. The prevalence of bodies of water throughout the state defines its geography.
Supposedly, anywhere you go in Michigan, a lake or stream will be no farther than 6 miles away.
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(#23) Minnesota
- US State
Minnesota's nickname comes from its state motto, "L’Etoile du Nord," which translates into English as "The North Star."
The only state motto in French, the phrase likely honors French settlers who lived in the region before Minnesota became a part of the US. Minnesota is also the northernmost state in the continental United States.
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(#24) Mississippi
- US State
Magnolias represent the state flower and tree.
The prominence of magnolias throughout the state make it an obvious emblem for the state as a whole.
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(#25) Missouri
- US State
The unofficial but widely known nickname for Missouri has unknown origins. Some believe the term "show-me" was coined during a speech by a US congressman who said, "I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me." Another legend attributes the phrase to a joke said by miners.
No matter where it came from, it's taken on a new meaning and, in general, describes the commonsense attitude of people from Missouri.
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(#26) Montana
- US State
Montana's motto is "Oro y Plata," Spanish for "Gold and Silver."
These minerals and more are among the "treasures" found throughout the state.
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(#27) Nebraska
- US State
When the US government offered the sparse lands of Nebraska for free, settlers flocked there. The area was mostly open grasslands, with few trees, which inspired Nebraska's first official nickname, The Tree Planters State.
Legislators adopted the current state nickname in 1945 to commemorate settlers who had to husk corn by hand and to honor the University of Nebraska's mascot.
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(#28) Nevada
- US State
Nevada has competing nicknames: The Silver State and The Battle Born State.
Although both are favorable, the flag displays the nickname that commemorates the fact that the state was admitted into the Union during the Civil War - and was thus "battle born."
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(#29) New Hampshire
- US State
Granite can be found throughout the state and is the official state rock.
That makes the rock a perfect base for New Hampshire's nickname.
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(#30) New Jersey
- US State
Why is New Jersey, not known for its gardens, called "The Garden State"? According to New Jersey Monthly, Abraham Browning, a local lawyer, politician, and farm owner, used the term in 1876 when describing the state as a barrel filled with agricultural goods open at both ends for neighboring states to take. Others say Benjamin Franklin used the same phrase to describe New Jersey.
Whoever said it, the name stuck, and the term was added to license plates in 1954. At the time, Gov. Robert Meyner, who vetoed the license plate bill (the legislature passed it anyway), said, “I do not believe that the average citizen of New Jersey regards his state as more peculiarly identifiable with gardening or farming than any of its other industries or occupations... Indeed many of our people regard the state as preeminently a residential community.”
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(#31) New Mexico
- US State
Although New Mexico has many different nicknames, including The Cactus State and Land of Opportunity. The only official nickname, however, is The Land of Enchantment, adopted in 1990.
Meant to increase tourism, the phrase was inspired by the title of Lilian Whiting's book The Land of Enchantment: From Pike's Peak to the Pacific, published in the early 20th century.
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(#32) New York
- US State
New York's nickname is credited to George Washington, who called New York "the Seat of the Empire" in a letter in the 1780s.
It's also thought to reference the state's wealth, assistance in westward expansion, and rich immigration pride.
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(#33) North Carolina
- US State
In the early days, North Carolina was a major distributor of tar used to seal boats from leaks and shipworms, which might be the origins of the state's nickname.
Others speculate the term refers to North Carolina's resilience in fighting without aid from other states during the Civil War, or a phrase used to mock members of the working class.
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(#34) North Dakota
- US State
The International Peace Garden, located along North Dakota's border with Canada, was created during the Great Depression to foster international friendship.
After "Peace Garden State" was printed on the state's license plates, the term was adopted as North Dakota's official nickname in 1957.
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(#35) Ohio
- US State
The buckeye, Ohio's state tree, grows throughout the state and might have inspired the nickname (the tree's seed nut supposedly looks like a deer's eye). According to one legend, the election of William Henry Harrison as president solidified the nickname.
Harrison was born in Virginia but later moved to Ohio, where he became a US congressman and senator. When a newspaper wrote that he was "better fitted to sit in a log cabin and drink hard cider than rule in the White House," Harrison embraced the description, commissioning a picture of himself in a log cabin with a string of buckeyes attached to the wall. The buckeye thus came to be associated with Ohio.
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(#36) Oklahoma
- US State
In 1889, the US government opened a large expanse of land in Oklahoma to settlers.
To put it simply, those who arrived before the land was officially opened for settlement were called "sooners" to indicate that they came "sooner" than they were supposed to.
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(#37) Oregon
- US State
Oregon adopted the furry, dam-building beaver as its official animal in 1969 to honor the rodent's importance in the state's early history and economy as well as its role in the ecosystem. Unfortunately, the fur trade in the 1800s led to a huge decrease in beavers in the region.
The beaver is also Oregon State University's mascot.
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(#38) Pennsylvania
- US State
Pennsylvania is referred to as The Keystone State because of its importance during the foundational years of the country.
According to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, "'keystone' comes from architecture and refers to the central, wedge-shaped stone in an arch, which holds all the other stones in place. During the early days of our nation, Pennsylvania held a key position geographically, economically, and politically."
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(#39) Rhode Island
- US State
Although Rhode Island is the smallest state in the US, it has a combined shoreline distance of more than 400 miles, including coves, bays, and islands on the coast of both Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
The Ocean State was adopted as a nickname to promote tourism.
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(#40) South Carolina
- US State
South Carolina's nickname is rooted in its state tree, the Sabal palmetto, a palm tree also known as a cabbage palm.
History connected to this tree dates back to the American Revolution. Supposedly, a log fort built from palmettos in South Carolina withstood a large fight, increasing the pride people from the region felt for the tree.
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(#41) South Dakota
- US State
Mount Rushmore, Gutzon Borglum's mountainside sculptures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, was built over 14 years as a "shrine of democracy."
The national memorial is a defining structure for the country, but more particularly for South Dakota, leading to the state's proud nickname.
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(#42) Tennessee
- US State
The origins of Tennessee's nickname date back to the War of 1812. The state had been admitted to the Union about 15 years earlier, and its citizens were eager to protect their new nation by participating in the war efforts.
About 1,500 military volunteers flooded to the frontlines to do just that.
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(#43) Texas
- US State
Texas's nickname is most accurately depicted on its state flag: a single white star with a background of color blocks in red, white, and blue.
The flag and nickname represent the Lone Star State's pride at its independence from both Mexico and America during its time as the Republic of Texas followning the Texas Revolution.
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(#44) Utah
- US State
Utah's nickname has nothing to do with bees or honey. The state is well known for its desert landscapes, and when Utah was first settled, people understood that teamwork would be critical to help the region thrive.
A beehive was used to visualize that concept of cooperation and has since been emblazoned on loads of items - big and small - throughout the state.
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(#45) Vermont
- US State
The Green Mountain range was named by a French geographer as he mapped Vermont (the state's name is derived from the French for green mountain, vert mont).
Surprisingly, despite the nickname being used for centuries in reference to the state, it's not an official moniker. But it is a well-known and fondly used nickname.
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(#46) Virginia
- US State
As settlers made their way to what is now the United States, colonies were formed and the English king claimed these colonies as his dominions.
Virginia was the first and oldest dominion.
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(#47) Washington
- US State
Washington state's heavy rainfall has a lot to do with how green and lush the region is. The vast forests are also home to many national parks and wildlife reserves.
These natural characteristics encouraged legislators to claim The Evergreen State nickname officially in 1893.
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(#48) West Virginia
- US State
West Virginia is the only state completely within the Appalachian Mountain range, meaning mountains play a major role in this state's geography.
It's also the state with the highest mean elevation on the East Coast.
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(#49) Wisconsin
- US State
Surprisingly, badgers - while present - are not overabundant in Wisconsin. Instead, the nickname comes from the caves that miners built in the 1800s resembling the tunnels carved out by badgers.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison started using the badger as its mascot in the 1880s, and the Wisconsin legislature adopted the badger as its state animal in 1957. The nickname is unofficial.
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(#50) Wyoming
- US State
Wyoming's nickname dates back to the beginning of women's suffrage.
In fact, in 1869, Wyoming was the first state to approve the right for women to vote, the main reason behind the "Equality" nickname.
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About This Tool
Many people will certainly notice that the license plates of each state are different on the road, with text or patterns that highlight the characteristics of each state. For example, the license plate of New York State says Empire State, and the license plate of New Jersey says the garden state. These are the nicknames of each state, which can briefly represent the history and characteristics of this state.
Some nicknames of the American states are related to the local history and culture, and some are related to the unique animals or plants. Such as commemorating the emperor and queen and historical events. The random tool will help to know more about the origin of the states' nicknames.
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