List of U.S. state nicknames

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The following is a table of U.S. state nicknames, including officially adopted nicknames and other traditional nicknames for individual states of the United States. Current official state nicknames are highlighted in bold.

Contents

[edit] State nicknames

State Nickname(s)
 Alabama
(No official Nickname)[1]
 Alaska
  • Great Land (previously used on license plates)
  • Last Frontier (previously used on license plates)
 Arizona
 Arkansas
  • Land of Opportunity (former official nickname; previously used on license plates)
  • Natural State (currently used on license plates)
  • Wonder State
  • Razorback State
 California
  • El Dorado State
  • Golden State[5] (previously used on license plates)
  • Golden West
  • Grape State
  • Land of Milk and Honey
  • The Bear State (or Republic)
 Colorado
  • Buffalo Plains State[6] (in disuse)
  • Centennial State[7]
  • Colorful Colorado[7] (previously used on license plates)
  • Columbine State[8]
  • Highest State[6]
  • Lead State[6] (in disuse)
  • Mother of Rivers[9]
  • Rocky Mountain Empire[10]
  • Rocky Mountain State[11] (in disuse)
  • Silver State[6] (in disuse; see Nevada)
 Connecticut
 Delaware
 District of Columbia
  • A Capital City (previously used on license plates)
  • The Federal City
  • The District
 Florida
 Georgia
  • Peach State[14] (previously used on license plates)
  • Cracker State — Along with Florida, Georgia had been called "The Cracker State" in earlier times, perhaps a derogatory term that referred to immigrants, called "crackers," from the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina.[14] See also Atlanta Crackers: Origin of the name
  • Empire State of the South — Refers to economic leadership[14]
  • Yankee-land of the South: Similarly to the above nickname, "Yankee-land of the South" speaks to industrial and economic development in the south. This nickname may be used in a derogatory sense.[14]
  • Goober State — Refers to peanuts, the official state crop.[14]
 Hawaii
 Idaho
 Illinois[18]
  • Land of Lincoln (currently used on license plates)
  • Prairie State
  • The Corn State[citation needed]
  • Inland Empire State
  • The Sucker State (for a type of fish)
  • Garden of the West
 Indiana
 Iowa
  • Tall Corn State
  • Hawkeye State[20]
  • Land of the Rolling Prairie
  • Cyclone State
 Kansas
 Kentucky
 Louisiana
  • Bayou State (previously used on license plates)
  • Child of the Mississippi
  • Creole State
  • Pelican State
  • Sportsman's Paradise (currently used on license plates)
  • Sugar State
 Maine
 Maryland
 Massachusetts
 Michigan
 Minnesota
  • Gopher State
  • Land of 10,000 Lakes (currently used on license plates)
  • Land of Lakes
  • Land of Sky-Blue Waters
  • North Star State
 Mississippi
 Missouri
 Montana
 Nebraska
  • Beef State (previously used on license plates)
  • Cornhusker State (previously used on license plates)
  • Tree Planter's State
 Nevada
 New Hampshire
 New Jersey
 New Mexico
  • Cactus State[23]
  • The Colorful State
  • Land of Enchantment[23] (currently used on license plates)
  • Land of Sunshine (predates "Land of Enchantment"; this earlier nickname highlighted the large percentage of sunshine received statewide)[23]
  • New Andalusia[23]
  • The Outer Space State
  • The Spanish State[citation needed]
 New York
 North Carolina
 North Dakota
 Ohio
 Oklahoma
 Oregon
 Pennsylvania
 Rhode Island
 South Carolina
 South Dakota
 Tennessee
 Texas
 Utah
 Vermont
 Virginia
  • Mother of Presidents
  • The Old Dominion[13]
 Washington
 West Virginia
 Wisconsin
 Wyoming
  • Cowboy State
  • Equality State
  • Park State

[edit] See also

[edit] References

General
Notes
  1. ^ "Emblems Index". State of Alabama. http://www.archives.alabama.gov/kids_emblems/. Retrieved on 2008-01-26. 
  2. ^ a b c d "Alabama Emblems, Symbols and Honors". Alabama Department of Archives & History. 2006-04-20. http://www.archives.state.al.us/emblems/emblems.html. Retrieved on 2007-03-18. "Alabama does not have an official nickname." 
  3. ^ "Heart of Dixie". Alabama Emblems, Symbols and Honors. Alabama Department of Archives & History. 2004-06-29. http://www.archives.state.al.us/emblems/Heart_of_Dixie.html. Retrieved on 2007-03-18. 
  4. ^ "Nicknames: America's 50 States (First of Four Parts)". Voice of America (VOA Special English program). 2008-01-06. http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2008-01/2007-12-31-voa3.cfm. Retrieved on 2009-01-04. 
  5. ^ "State Symbols". California State Library (State of California). http://www.library.ca.gov/history/symbols.html#Heading13. Retrieved on 2008-01-26. 
  6. ^ a b c d "Colorado" (HTML). NetState.com. NState, LLC.. http://www.netstate.com/states/intro/co_intro.htm. Retrieved on 2007-02-21. 
  7. ^ a b "Colorado State Name and Nicknames" (HTML). Colorado State Symbols & Emblems. State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/history/symbemb.htm#Name. Retrieved on 2007-02-21. 
  8. ^ "Colorado State Flower" (HTML). Colorado State Symbols & Emblems. State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/history/symbemb.htm#Flower. Retrieved on 2007-02-21. 
  9. ^ "Colorado Water History" (asp). Colorado Historical Society. http://www.coloradohistory.org/RIPsigns/show_markertext.asp?id=797. Retrieved on 2007-11-29. 
  10. ^ "Denver" (HTML). wikipedia.org. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver,_Colorado. Retrieved on 2007-05-05. 
  11. ^ "Colorado" (HTML). USAtourist.com. USATourist. http://www.usatourist.com/english/places/colorado/index.html. Retrieved on 2007-02-21. 
  12. ^ a b c d STATE OF CONNECTICUT, Sites º Seals º Symbols; Connecticut State Register & Manual; retrieved on January 4, 2007
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Barry Popik, Smoky City, barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005
  14. ^ a b c d e "Quick Facts: State Symbols" (HTML). The New Georgia Encyclopedia. University of Georgia Press. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/QuickFacts.jsp?hl=y&id=State_Symbols&action=openTo#idState_Symbols. Retrieved on 2008-03-03. 
  15. ^ http://www.guidebookamerica.com/news/hawaii_rainbow/index.htm
  16. ^ "Nicknames: America's 50 States (Second of Four Parts)". Voice of America (VOA Special English program). 2008-01-12. http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2008-01/2008-01-13-voa3.cfm. Retrieved on 2009-01-04. 
  17. ^ "SuperPages: Idaho History" (HTML). http://www.superpages.com/states/ID/history.html. Retrieved on 2008-03-21. 
  18. ^ "Illinois" (HTML). Illinois State Symbols & Emblems. http://www.netstate.com/states/intro/il_intro.htm. Retrieved on 2007-04-29. 
  19. ^ The official sobriquet of the State of Indiana has given rise to the humorous constructions Hoosierana (the land of Hoosiers; see uses in Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame and by sports journalist Frank DeFord) and Hoosierstan (the place of Hoosiers).
  20. ^ "Iowa Department of Economic Development Travel Iowa web site - State Symbols". Iowa Department of Economic Development. http://www.traveliowa.com/iowafacts/symbols.html. Retrieved on August 7 2007. 
  21. ^ "Nicknames: America's 50 States (Third of Four Parts)". Voice of America (VOA Special English program). 2008-01-19. http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2008-01/2008-01-16-voa2.cfm. Retrieved on 2009-01-04. 
  22. ^ a b c "State of New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development" (HTML). State Facts. http://www.visitnh.gov/about-new-hampshire/state-facts.aspx. Retrieved on 2007-07-09. 
  23. ^ a b c d New Mexico Symbols, State Names, SHG Resources website, accessed July 7, 2008
  24. ^ "Official State Symbols of North Carolina". State of North Carolina. http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/NC/SYMBOLS/SYMBOLS.HTM#nickname. Retrieved on 2008-01-26. 
  25. ^ "Official State Symbols of North Carolina". State of North Carolina. http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/NC/SYMBOLS/SYMBOLS.HTM#nickname. Retrieved on 2008-01-26. 
  26. ^ "Why We are Called Tar Heels". UNC Libraries. http://www.lib.unc.edu/ncc/tarheel.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-26. 
  27. ^ Jenkins, Jim. "A motto: no contest if you please". The News and Observer. http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/jenkins/2007/story/574749.html. Retrieved on 2008-12-27. 
  28. ^ "It's official: Ohio IS the birthplace of aviation". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 2003-06-14. http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/06/14/loc_ohioflight14.html. Retrieved on 2007-04-06. 
  29. ^ "Nicknames: America's 50 States (Fourth of Four Parts)". Voice of America (VOA Special English program). 2008-01-26. http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2008-01/2008-01-16-voa3.cfm. Retrieved on 2009-01-04. 
  30. ^ "Oregon's license plate from 1960 to circa 1966". Plate Shack. http://www.plateshack.com/oregon/oregon3.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-12. 
  31. ^ "Iodine". South Carolina Encyclopedia. 2007-04-14. http://www.scencyclopedia.com/iodine.htm. Retrieved on 2007-04-06. 
  32. ^ a b c d e South Dakota Symbols, State Names, SHG Resources website, accessed July 7, 2008
  33. ^ a b c d e Tennessee Symbols and Honors, in Tennessee Blue Book
  34. ^ a b "Texas:Facts, Map, and State Symbols". EnchantedLearing.com. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/texas/. Retrieved on 2008-03-09. 
  35. ^ "NetState: Utah" (HTML). http://www.netstate.com/states/intro/ut_intro.htm. Retrieved on 2008-03-24. 
  36. ^ "Symbols of Washington State". Washington State Legislature. http://www1.leg.wa.gov/Legislature/StateSymbols/. Retrieved on 2007-03-11. 

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