Origins and Etymologies of U.S. State Names

State Your Name

Knowing your state bird, flower or bug might be a good ice breaker while waiting in line at the DMV, but how many people actually know the origin of their state's name? The etymologies of some U.S. state names are more obvious than others, derived from the Spanish or French tongue. Though, more than half of the U.S. state names come from Native American tribal languages, with several still a mystery to scholars and historians.

One such disputed origin is the state of Alabama, which comes from the Choctaw language. It first showed up on the page from Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in the 16th century, referring to the area and its people. Alabama was long thought to actually mean "Here We Rest"; a nice fit for southern style. Though, the Choctaw meaning is widely accepted as a word derived from "Alba", which means plants or weeds and "amo", meaning to cut, trim or gather. Alabama's origin is now known as 'clearers of the thicket' or 'herb gathers.'

The Eskimo Aleut language had a more definitive meaning for the state, or as they knew it, territory of Alaska. There are only some 300 people who can still speak the Aleut language, but they'd tell you the literal translation of Alaska is, "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed". It has more commonly been referred to as the translation for "mainland." The actual Aleut word is "alaxsxaq", and it is the Russian pronunciation that survived into the English language once the U.S. purchased the territory from the Russian Empire.