Every State Nickname Explained

Each of the 50 states in the United States of America has been called by a nickname at some point in its storied history. These nicknames are often as unique as the states themselves. They appear emblazoned on state license plates, in tourism campaigns, and in the names of popular sports teams — but where these nicknames came from is not always so obvious.

Some, like New York's "Empire State," were bestowed on the state by an important historical figure, such as a president or general. Others, like California's "Golden State," reference a foundational moment in the history of that particular state. While several others, like Missouri's "Show-Me State," have origins shrouded in mystery — leading to the birth of some fascinating theories.

Here, we take a look at the main nickname(s) for each of the 50 U.S. states and explore the story — sometimes historical, sometimes foundational, sometimes mysterious — behind the famed moniker.

Alaska is now known as The Last Frontier because of its natural beauty and swaths of wilderness yet to be properly explored (per The Atlantic.)

When Alaska was first purchased by the United States in 1867, however, Americans called it by less flattering monikers, including "Seward's Folly," "Seward's Icebox," and a "Polar Bear Garden." As described by History, the then-Secretary of State William Seward supported American expansion. At the time, this was an unpopular move both in Congress and in the press, which used the above nicknames in their headlines to mock the purchase.

Before the Civil War, Arkansas was widely known as The Bear State because of its large bear population. Another early nickname for Arkansas, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, was the Rackensack State.

It was also sometimes called The Toothpick State, a reference to the "Arkansas toothpick," a term used for the Bowie knife, named after Jim Bowie, who legend says used the "big knife" in a 1927 duel (per the Encyclopedia of Arkansas). Later nicknames were designed to change the country's view of Arkansas. These included The Wonder State and Land of Opportunity.

In 1995, the official nickname of Arkansas was changed to The Natural State.

Colorado is often called The Centennial State. "Centennial" means the hundredth anniversary, and Colorado earned this nickname by becoming a state 100 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Per the Library of Congress, Colorado became the 38th state in the United States of America on August 1, 1876. The Colorado territory turned out to be rich in gold, and thousands flocked to the territory to try to make their fortunes. Colorado actually had to try to become a state twice because its initial attempt was vetoed by President Andrew Johnson, but in 1876, it was officially declared a state.

Delaware's official nickname is The First State because in 1787 it became the first colony to ratify the United States Constitution, making itself a state. As described by Delaware.gov, Delaware has also been called "the state that started a nation" for the same reason.

Delaware gained several other nicknames during the Revolutionary War. It's sometimes referred to as The Diamond State because Thomas Jefferson once referred to the state as a strategic jewel. It has also been called The Blue Hen State, because Revolutionary War soldiers from Delaware are believed to have brought Blue Hen roosters with them and staged cockfights for entertainment.

Georgia is known as The Peach State. However, as noted by Smithsonian Magazine, in modern times, Georgia is responsible for less than 5% of all peaches grown in the United States. Georgia's connection to peaches is intentional, though. Per NPR, Georgia was trying to change its image after the end of slavery by promoting itself as an exporter of peaches, not cotton. While peach festivals were part of an image of a friendlier, more progressive South, Black Georgians were not often given meaningful roles in peach festivals, and Black workers were still the primary laborers harvesting peaches.

Originally, it was claimed that "Idaho" was derived from a Native American word meaning "Gem of the Mountain" (via the Idaho Geological Survey). This led to Idaho's nickname The Gem State, but in reality, the moniker was a part of Idaho's bid for official statehood, trying to make the territory seem more appealing.

Per History, making Idaho a state was politically contentious. Republicans opposed Idaho becoming a state, as many of its potential voters were members of the LDS church and almost entirely Democrats. When legislation was passed making it illegal for members of the LDS church to vote, on the grounds that they were polygamous, The Gem State was officially admitted to the union.

For almost 200 years, the state of Indiana has been known as The Hoosier State, and the origin of this nickname, according to the Indiana Historical Bureau, is still debated. One possibility is that a successful businessperson from the state of Indiana, whose last name was Hoosier, hired out laborers referred to as "Hoosier's men," a name that over time may have become associated with all people from Indiana.

Some others believe that Indiana accents caused people to mishear the question "Who's there?" as in "hoosier." Similarly, the term "hushing" refers to beating someone in a fight, and it's possible that the people of Indiana used to be so successful at fighting, they were once called "hushers," which may have eventually evolved into "hoosiers."

Kansas has several nicknames, but the most popular is The Sunflower State. Sunflowers grow wild in Kansas and is the official flower of the state, per the Kansas Historical Society.

The state is sometimes, however, also known by a stranger nickname: The Jayhawker State. The original meaning of the word "jayhawker" is still debated by historians, but it's believed it used to refer to roving troops during the Civil War who raided and looted along the border, targeting both Northern and Southern states. It's possible that this title may have been applied to Kansas soldiers, and later, all people from Kansas.

Louisiana is called The Pelican State; the pelican is the state's official bird. Its state seal and flag also feature an enormous white pelican caring for three young pelicans in a nest (via Louisiana.gov).

According to Country Roads Magazine, William C.C. Claiborne made an eagle the official symbol of the Territory of Orleans, but when the territory became the 18th U.S. state, the Louisiana symbol changed to a pelican. Historians have theorized it has to do with Louisiana's Catholic roots. A pelican is sometimes used as a Christian symbol of self-sacrifice, referring to the belief that if its young were starving, a pelican would offer its own flesh to help them survive.

Maryland has two popular nicknames: The Old Line State and The Free State.

Maryland's regiments in the Continental Army were called The Maryland Line. As described in the Archives of Maryland Online, it's believed that the title Old Line State was given to Maryland by George Washington himself during the Revolutionary War, after many Maryland soldiers were killed at the Battle of Long Island.

According to Maryland Manual On-Line, Maryland was first referred to as The Free State in 1864, when the state's constitution abolished slavery. The event was celebrated with the firing of guns, ringing of bells, and waving of flags throughout Baltimore.

Michigan has been known as The Wolverine State for over 150 years, but surprisingly, until the year 2004, there had never been a wolverine seen in the state.

Per the University of Michigan (mascot: Wolverines), one theory is that the French settlers who arrived in the 1700s were thought of as having voracious appetites and were mocked as "wolverines." Another theory dates back to the Toledo War, which was fought between Michigan and Ohio in 1803. Some say the people of Ohio mocked the people of Michigan as greedy wolverines, while others believe that the people of Michigan named themselves wolverines because of their ferocity.

The state of Mississippi has several nicknames relating to the state's flora and fauna. The most popular of these is The Magnolia State, for the several species of magnolia trees that grow there. Per Mississippi Encyclopedia, the magnolia has become a symbol of the South in general, and Southern cultural experiences and beliefs are sometimes described as being from "behind the magnolia curtain." During the Civil War, when Mississippi was a part of the Confederacy, a magnolia flag flew over what was referred to as the Sovereign Republic of Mississippi.

Montana's official nickname is The Treasure State, a references to the state's many natural resources, particularly minerals, according to United States Now. The Library of Congress notes Montana is often referred to as Big Sky Country because the state's sky can appear larger than in more densely populated states with urban cities. 

Another nickname, Last Best Place, was coined by William Kittredge in a 1988 book about Montana's history, per The New York Times. Like Big Sky Country, Last Best Place evokes the benefits of living in a place with lots of unpopulated land.

Nevada is known as The Battle Born State because it officially became a state during the Civil War (per the Nevada Legislature). It's also sometimes called The Sagebrush State. Sagebrush is the state flower and is found all across the Nevada desert.

Per United States Now, however, Nevada's official nickname is The Silver State because of the prolific silver mines there. During the 19th-century gold rush, hopeful prospectors surged into the West looking for gold, and in Nevada, they found silver. So successful was silver mining in Nevada that when it officially became a state during the Civil War, it was a major source of funding support for the Union army.

New Jersey's nickname, The Garden State, dates back to 1926, and possibly even earlier, with some crediting Benjamin Franklin with first identifying the state in a similar way, per NJ.gov. When "The Garden State" was due to be added to New Jersey's license plates in 1954, there was some pushback. While New Jersey may at one time have been a food source for neighboring states, some in 1954 argued that the state had little connection to farming anymore, or gardening of any kind. Despite this opposition, New Jersey was officially labeled The Garden State, and remains so today.

New York is famously called The Empire State. Per United States Now, the moniker not only is New York's official nickname and found on all NY license plates, it gave its name to the famous Empire State Building. As the New York Historical Society and NYC Media explain, it's believed this term originated with a letter from George Washington before he become the nation's first president. In 1784, Gen. Washington wrote to the New York Common Council, and referred to New York as "the seat of the empire," and the nickname stuck.

Per the State of North Dakota, North Dakota's nickname, The Peace Garden State, refers to the International Peace Garden that's located between North Dakota and Manitoba, Canada. The state also has a number of unofficial nicknames like The Flickertail State, a reference to a kind of ground squirrel found in North Dakota, and The Roughrider State, which refers to Teddy Roosevelt's Spanish-American War volunteer army. Several of Roosevelt's cavalrymen were from the state of North Dakota.

Oklahoma is known as The Sooner State, and the people of Oklahoma are called "sooners." According to History, in 1889, the U.S. government had pushed the indigenous peoples off of their land in Oklahoma to make room for white settlers. Officially, they were not allowed to start moving in and staking claims on the land until 12 p.m. on April 22, 1889, but some didn't bother to wait for the official start time. These people were referred to as "sooners," a nickname that soon spread to the entire state. By 1907 when Oklahoma became a state rather than a territory, the people of Oklahoma were proudly calling themselves "sooners."

Pennsylvania's nickname, The Keystone State, points to the pivotal role it played in the formation of the United States. As noted by History, it was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that the Continental Congress met, and where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written.

Keystone is an architectural term for the stone at the center of an archway. For the people of Pennsylvania, this central stone, which supports all the others in the structure, symbolizes the role Pennsylvania had in the formation of the country, per the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

South Carolina is sometimes referred to as the Palmetto State. As described by Britannica, palmetto trees are a kind of palm tree which grow in Southeastern states like South Carolina. As noted by the South Carolina State House, the tree, which is featured on the state seal and state flag, symbolizes a 1776 victory over the British by Colonel William Moultrie, a beloved Revolutionary War figure from South Carolina. During the June 28th battle Moultrie and his men were able to defend a fort made from the wood of Palmetto trees.

Tennessee is known as The Volunteer State, not because its citizens regularly donate their time to charities or their community, but because of the state's historical willingness to voluntarily enlist in the Army. This nickname originated during the War of 1812, when , a large number of men from Tennessee volunteered to fight. The Tennessee Historical Society notes this was repeated some 40 years later in the Mexican American War when President Polk requested ~3,000 men join the Army and 30,000 from Tennessee signed up.

Utah is often called The Beehive State, but not because the state has any particular connection to beekeeping. Rather, as the Utah State Capitol explains, the beehive is a symbol for hard work and community. Further, BYU notes the beehive symbol has a deeper religious meaning for the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because it was used by Brigham Young.

Utah remains The Beehive State, but in 2022, it gained a new moniker (for a day) when Gov. Spencer Cox officially declared Utah's nickname on April 12, 2022, would be "The Be Kind State," as part of an awareness campaign encouraging compassion.

While Virginia has been called the "Mother of Presidents" and the "Mother of States," its most commonly used nickname is probably Old Dominion. This term dates back to before the United States of America existed. Not only was Virginia one of the original 13 colonies, the Virginia Colony was the first and oldest of England's claimed territories in the Americas (via Encyclopedia Virginia).

Per History, Jamestown (settled in 1607) was the first settlement in the Virginia colony. These settlements were sometimes known as "overseas dominions" of the English monarch, making Virginia the Old Dominion.

West Virginia's most popular nickname, The Mountain State, refers to the fact that it's the only state that's entirely in the Appalachian Mountains, per National Geographic.

According to the West Virginia State Archives, the state almost had a different name altogether: Kanawha. This name referred to a Native American tribe and an enormous river and valley in the state. Ultimately, however, it was decided that the counties forming a new state didn't want to leave Virginia behind entirely, and the new state was dubbed West Virginia instead.

Wyoming's most popular nickname is The Equality State, a moniker that dates back to 1869, when Wyoming became the very first state to grant women the right to vote, per The Atlantic. Though there were few women living in the territory at the time they were granted the right to vote in December 1869, it's believed that those who did live in Wyoming exercised their right as soon as possible, voting in the 1870 election. According to the Wyoming Historical Society, passage of the Women's Suffrage Act of 1869 extended to women of color who were over 21 years of age and U.S. citizens.