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(#28) Nevada
- 1864-10-31
Named for the Spanish nevado, meaning snowy or snowcapped by way of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the name of which simply means "snowy mountains."
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(#5) California
- 1850-09-09
California is the only state in the union named for a fictional place: the island paradise of California in Las Sergas de Esplanidian, a popular novel written in 1500 by Garcia Ordonez de Montalvo.
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(#2) Alaska
- 1959-01-03
The native Aleut word for Alaska, alaxsxaq, literally means the "object toward which the action of the sea is directed." Anthropologists note that this is essentially a "sea-centric" way to say "mainland."
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(#38) Pennsylvania
- 1787-12-12
Literally "Penn's Woods" in honor of Admiral William Penn, per a suggestion by King Charles II.
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(#7) Connecticut
- 1788-01-09
This one sounds a lot like the word it comes from, the Mohican "quinnehtukqut," meaning "beside" or "at" the "long tidal river."
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(#41) South Dakota
- 1889-11-02
Named for the Native American tribe, the Dakota, the name of which means "friendly" or "allies." See also North Dakota.
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About This Tool
Do you know the history of the origin of the names of American cities? The United States is a federal country composed of 50 states. Because of its many ethnic groups and diverse languages, the names of the 50 states are varied, and each state has colorful or profound nicknames, which is very interesting. The names of American states reflect the humanistic spirit of the country from the colonial era to the founding of an independent nation.
The names of the states have obvious regional, humanistic, natural, and contemporary characteristics, and they also carry rich historical and cultural connotations. If you are interested in the history of every US state's name, welcome to check the random tool, it shows simple descriptions about a total of 50 states here.
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