List of U.S. state and territory nicknames

Last updated

Map of the United States showing the state nicknames as hogs. Lithograph by Mackwitz, St. Louis, 1884. Nicknames of the states, 1884.jpg
Map of the United States showing the state nicknames as hogs. Lithograph by Mackwitz, St. Louis, 1884.

The following is a table of U.S. state, federal district and territory nicknames, including officially adopted nicknames and other traditional nicknames for the 50 U.S. states, the U.S. federal district, as well as five U.S. territories.

Contents

State, federal district, and territory nicknames

Official state, federal district, and territory nicknames are highlighted in bold. A state nickname is not to be confused with an official state motto.

State,
federal district,
or territory
Nickname(s)
Flag of Alabama.svg  Alabama [1] [lower-alpha 1]
Flag of Alaska.svg  Alaska
Flag of American Samoa.svg  American Samoa
  • Motu o Fiafiaga (a Samoan phrase; in English, it is "Islands of Paradise") [9] (used on American Samoa license plates) [10]
  • Football Island[s] [11]
Flag of Arizona.svg  Arizona
Flag of Arkansas.svg  Arkansas
Flag of California.svg  California
Flag of Colorado.svg  Colorado
Flag of Connecticut.svg  Connecticut
Flag of Delaware.svg  Delaware
  • Chemical Capital of the World [30] (due to one time being the corporate headquarters for several international chemical companies.)
  • Corporate Capital (due to the state's business-friendly incorporation laws) [30]
  • Diamond State (Thomas Jefferson is supposed to have referred to Delaware as being like a diamond small in size but great in value) [31]
  • Blue Hen State or Blue Hen Chicken State [32]
  • The First State [30] [33] (Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution; used on license plates)
  • Peach State [30] (no longer used; see Georgia)
  • Small Wonder [30]
Flag of Washington, D.C.svg  District of Columbia [lower-alpha 1]
  • Nation's Capital [34]
  • DMV (nickname for the broader metropolitan area of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia) [34]
  • Inside the Beltway [35]
  • Chocolate City [36]
Flag of Florida.svg  Florida
Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg  Georgia
  • Peach State [40] (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. [41] See also Atlanta Crackers: Origin of the name
  • Empire State of the South — Georgia is the largest Southern state in land area east of the Mississippi and was the leading industrial state of the Old South. [42]
  • Goober State — Refers to peanuts, the official state crop. [43]
  • State of Adventure
Flag of Guam.svg  Guam
Flag of Hawaii.svg  Hawaii
Flag of Idaho.svg  Idaho
Flag of Illinois.svg  Illinois [55]
Flag of Indiana.svg  Indiana
  • Hoosier State (Used at various times on license plates) [57]
    (Hoosier is also the official demonym of a resident of Indiana)
  • Crossroads of America (Also used at various times on license plates and used on highway welcome signs)
Flag of Iowa.svg  Iowa
Flag of Kansas.svg  Kansas
Flag of Kentucky.svg  Kentucky
Flag of Louisiana.svg  Louisiana
Flag of Maine.svg  Maine
Flag of Maryland.svg  Maryland
Flag of Massachusetts.svg  Massachusetts
Flag of Michigan.svg  Michigan
Flag of Minnesota.svg  Minnesota
Flag of Mississippi.svg  Mississippi
Flag of Missouri.svg  Missouri
Flag of Montana.svg  Montana
Flag of Nebraska.svg  Nebraska
Flag of Nevada.svg  Nevada
Flag of New Hampshire.svg  New Hampshire
Flag of New Jersey.svg  New Jersey
Flag of New Mexico.svg  New Mexico
  • Land of Enchantment [82] (used on license plates)
  • Land of Sunshine (predates "Land of Enchantment"; this earlier nickname highlighted the large percentage of sunshine received statewide) [83]
Flag of New York.svg  New York
Flag of North Carolina.svg  North Carolina
Flag of North Dakota.svg  North Dakota
Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg  Northern Mariana Islands [lower-alpha 1]
Flag of Ohio.svg  Ohio
Flag of Oklahoma.svg  Oklahoma
Flag of Oregon.svg  Oregon
Flag of Pennsylvania.svg  Pennsylvania
Flag of Puerto Rico.svg  Puerto Rico
  • Isla del Encanto ("Island of Enchantment") (used on license plates)
  • Borinquen (name given by indigenous people, the Tainos) [96]
Flag of Rhode Island.svg  Rhode Island
Flag of South Carolina.svg  South Carolina
Flag of South Dakota.svg  South Dakota
Flag of Tennessee.svg  Tennessee
Flag of Texas.svg  Texas
Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg  U.S. Virgin Islands [lower-alpha 1]
Flag of Utah.svg  Utah
Flag of Vermont.svg  Vermont
Flag of Virginia.svg  Virginia
Flag of Washington.svg  Washington [lower-alpha 1]
Flag of West Virginia.svg  West Virginia
Flag of Wisconsin.svg  Wisconsin [111] [lower-alpha 1]
Flag of Wyoming.svg  Wyoming
  • Cowboy State
  • Equality State
  • Forever West (on highway welcome signs)

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 No official nickname.
  2. Though this phrase is used on license plates, it is unclear if it is the official nickname of the Northern Mariana Islands.

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  113. Urdang, Laurence (1988). Names and Nicknames of Places and Things. Penguin Group USA. p. 8. ISBN   9780452009073. "America's Dairyland" A nickname of Wisconsin
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