GENESIS OF 50 STATES of AMERICA

Alabama - thought to come from a combination of two native Indian Choctaw words; Alba and Amo. In Choctaw, "Alba" means vegetation, herbs, plants and "Amo" means gatherer or picker. Montgomery – Named after Richard Montgomery, a major general of the Continental Army killed in the 1775 Battle of Quebec.

Alaska - Derives from the native indian Aleut word Alaxsxaq (also spelled Alyeska), meaning "mainland" Juneau - Named after Joseph Juneau, who discovered gold there in 1880

 

Arizona - Originates from an earlier Spanish name, Arizonac, derived from the native O'odham name al? ?onak, meaning "small spring," Phoenix - Latin from Greek phoinix ‘Phoenician, reddish purple, or phoenix’. legend centres on the temple at Heliopolis in Egypt, where the phoenix is said to have burnt itself on the altar.

Arkansas - Initially applied to the Arkansas River and derives from a French term, Arcansas, the plural term for native Quapaws, a Dhegiha Siouan-speaking Native American people who settled in Arkansas around the 13th century. Little Rock - Derives its name from a small rock formation on the south bank of the Arkansas River called "le petit rocher"

California - Calafia and California most likely came from the Arabic word khalifa which means steward or leader. The same word in Spanish was califa, easily made into California to stand for "land of the caliph" ????. Sacramento - from the Spanish word sacramento, in honour of the Holy Sacrament

Colorado – From Spanish translation “to colour, dye, paint," from Latin colorare (see coloration). Denver - Ultimately derives from the olde English Dene-f?r ("crossing or passing of the Danes" in 700 AD).

 

Connecticut – Derived from the native Algonquian word "Quinnehtukqut" (beside the long tidal river). Hartford - Olde English origin which derives from 'Heorot-forda', “the crossing place of the deer”.

 

Delaware – Named after an English Baron ‘De la Warr’ by the first English colonial governor to Virginia, Thomas West. Dover – Named after the English (Kent) port from the Celtic/Latin ‘ad Portum Dubris’ in 300 AD.

 

Florida - From Spanish ‘Pascua florida’, literally "flowering Easter," a Spanish name for Palm Sunday. Tallahassee - originally ‘Seminole Tallahassee’, from native Muskogee /talaha:ssi/, name of a tribal town, perhaps from /(i)talwa/ "tribal town" + /ahassi/ "old, rancid."

Georgia – Named after England's King George II in 1733. Atlanta – Named by Edgar Thomson, Chief Engineer of the Georgia Railroad after Governor Wilson Lumpkin's daughter, who’s middle name was Atlanta. Atlanta is thought to come from Greek mythology which is of uncertain derivation. It might be from Atlas (bearing, tolerating, strength), the name of a mythological Titan.

Hawaii - comes from a combination of the Polynesian words "Hawa" and "ii" and means a small or new homeland; "Hawa" meaning a traditional homeland and "ii" meaning small and raging. Honolulu – Is native Hawaiian for “sheltered harbour”.

On Jan. 17, 1893, Hawaii's monarchy was overthrown when a group of US businessmen and sugar planters forced Queen Liliuokalani to abdicate.The Hawaiian Islands were taken against the native islanders will in a Coup d'état. In 1996 more than 30,000 descendants of Hawaii's original Polynesians who mailed in a state-sponsored plebiscite voted nearly 3 to 1 in favour of creating some sort of native Hawaiian government and to regain independence. Hawaii may be the ‘50th’ state to Americans, it is however not recognised as such as far as the founding native Polynesians are concerned.

Idaho - Derived from native Shoshone language meaning "the sun comes from the mountains" or "gem of the mountains". Boise - A French word meaning "wooded," Boise came into use early in the nineteenth century among French-Canadian fur hunters as a name for the Boise River. French trappers who started to use the name Boise apparently were translating an earlier English designation for the stream.

Illinois – Named in 1703, from the name of a native Algonquian people who called themselves Inoca, also written Ilinouek, Old native Ottawa for "ordinary speaker." The modern form represents a 17c. French spelling, pronounced "ilinwe" at that time. Springfield - An early English colonist, Pynchon named Springfield after his hometown in England, Springfield, Essex.

Indiana - Means "Land of the Indians", or simply "Indian Land". Indianapolis - Derived from the state's name and polis, the Greek word for city.

 

Iowa – Derived from the French Aiouez, an early transliteration of the name for the Iowa tribe, from Dakota ayúxba (“sleepy ones”). Des Moines – Derived from the French, translates literally to either "from the monks" or "of the monks".

 

Kansas - Derived from /kká:ze, a native Siouan term referring to members of the Dhegiha branch of the Siouan family. Topeka – Native Siouan derived meaning "a good place to dig potatoes; "from /do/ "wild potato" + /ppi/ "good" + /ke/ "to dig."

 Kentucky - likely based on a native Iroquoian name meaning "(on) the meadow" or "(on) the prairie" Frankfort - Originally Frank's Ford, after Stephen Frank, a pioneer killed there.

 Louisiana - When René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle claimed the territory drained by the Mississippi River for France, he named it La Louisiane. Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana territory from Napoleon in 1803 Baton Rouge - From the French baton rouge (red pole). The city in Louisiana is so named because there was a red painted pole placed on its site by the Native Americans.

Maine - From French Maine, named after the Maine River, from the name of the Gaulish tribe the aulerci cenomanni, who inhabited a territory centred around its capital city of Vindinon (“white place”), today called le Mans. Augusta - Augusta is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "great, magnificent".

Maryland – Named In honour of Henrietta Maria (queen of Charles I of England). Annapolis - named after Queen Anne of Great Britain (1665 - 1714). And polis is the Greek root meaning city.

 

Massachusetts - This Bay Colony was named after the indigenous population, the Massachusett, likely derived from a native W?panaak word muswach8sut. Boston - 1630, named after a town in Lincolnshire, a region from which many settlers came to New England. The name is said to mean literally "Botolph's Stone" in Olde English.

Michigan – Derived from old Ojibwa (native Algonquian) *meshi-gami "big lake." Lansing - Derived from Lansing, New York, home of one of the original settlers previously named after Lancing in West Sussex, England.

 Minnesota – Derived from one of two words in the native Dakota language, 'Mní sóta' which means "clear blue water", or 'Mni?ota', which means cloudy water. Saint Paul - Known as Pig's Eye Landing until 1841, when Roman Catholic missionary Lucien Galtier built a log chapel dedicated to the apostle Paul. In 1849 St. Paul became the capital

Mississippi - Settlers named it after the native Ojibwe word misi-ziibi ("Great River"). Jackson – Named after Andrew Jackson.

 

Missouri - Named after the indigenous Missouri Indians, a Siouan-language tribe. It is said that they were called the ouemessourita (wimihsoorita), meaning "those who have dugout canoes". Jefferson City – Named after Thomas Jefferson.

Montana - Comes from the Spanish word Monta?a and the Latin word Montana, meaning "mountain", or more broadly, "mountainous country". Monta?a del Norte was the name given by early Spanish explorers to the entire mountainous region of the west. Helena - Scotsman named John Summerville proposed Helena, which he pronounced /h??li?n?/ h?-LEE-n? in honour of Helena Township, Scott County, Minnesota. Helena is derived from the Greek Helenē, which is derived from the root ēlē (light, torch, bright). The name is borne in Greek legend by the beautiful wife of the king of Sparta. Her abduction by the Trojan prince Paris sparked the Trojan War.

Nebraska - Derived from the Oto native word nebrathka, meaning "flat water". Lincoln – Named after Abraham Lincoln.

 

Nevada - Derived from the Spanish nevada [ne?βaea], meaning "snow-covered", after the Sierra Nevada ("snow-covered mountain range"). Carson – Named after the mountain man Kit Carson.

 

New Hampshire – Named after the English county of Hampshire by John Mason. Concord – Means "harmony, agreement, treaty," from Latin concordia "agreement, union," from concors (genitive concordis) "of the same mind," literally "hearts together"

 New Jersey – Names after the British Island of Jersey. Trenton - Originally named “Trent-Towne” after William Trent (the most significant land-owner in the area), it later became shortened to Trenton.

 New Mexico - During the 16th century, Spaniards in Mexico called the land to the north and west of the Rio Grande River New Mexico. "Mexico" is an Aztec word meaning "place of Mexitli" (an Aztec god). Santa Fe – Founded by Spanish colonists in 1610, is the oldest city in the state and the oldest state capital city in the United States. Santa Fe (meaning "holy faith").

New York - Named by the British to honour the Duke of York and Albany, the brother of England's King Charles II. Albany – See above.

 

North Carolina - Carolina is taken from the Latin word for Charles (Carolus), honouring King Charles I of England (who made the original land grant in 1629). North Carolina was formed in 1729 when the Carolina colony was divided in two. Raleigh - Named after famous Briton Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618).

 North Dakota - Name was taken from that of the native Dakota or Sioux Indian Tribe. Bismarck – Named to honour German chancellor Otto von Bismarck, in an effort to attract German immigrants.

 

Ohio - originates from the native Iroquois word for "good river" Columbus - Named after explorer Christopher Columbus.

 

Oklahoma - Comes from the native Choctaw phrase okla humma, literally meaning ‘red people’. Oklahoma City – See above.

 

Oregon – Means "River of the West" in native Shoshone. Salem – Derived from Its native Kalapuya name, Chemeketa, meaning “place of rest,” it was translated into the biblical name of Salem (from Hebrew shalom, “peace”).

 

Pennsylvania - On March 4, 1681, Charles II of England granted a land tract to William Penn for the area that now includes Pennsylvania. Penn then founded a colony there as a place of religious freedom for Quakers, and named it for the Latin sylva, silva meaning "wood", thus "Pennsylvania." Harrisburg - In the spring of 1785, the town was formally surveyed by William Maclay, who was a son-in-law of John Harris, Sr. In 1791, Harrisburg became incorporated.

Rhode Island - Early Modern Dutch Roode Eylant (“Red Island”), after a description of Aquidneck Island given by navigator Adriaen Block: een rodlich Eylande (Modern Dutch een roodlijk eiland). Providence - Roger Williams founded Providence in the early seventeenth century after he was exiled from the colony of Massachusetts. He named it in gratitude for “God's merciful providence.”

South Carolina - Carolina is taken from the Latin word for Charles (Carolus), honouring King Charles I of England (who made the original land grant in 1629). South Carolina was formed in 1729 when the Carolina colony was divided in two. Columbia – Named after the explorer Christopher Columbus.

 South Dakota - Name was taken from that of the native Dakota or Sioux Indian Tribe. Pierre - Is a French form of the name Peter (it can also be a surname and a place name). Pierre originally means "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word "petros" meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). Fort Pierre was named after Pierre Chouteau, Jr., a major American fur trader from St. Louis.

Tennessee - Named by Captain Juan Pardo, a Spanish explorer, when he and his men passed through a native Yuchi village named "Tanasqui" ("meeting place", "winding river", or "river of the great bend") in 1567 while traveling inland from South Carolina. Nashville -  After Gen. Francis Nash (1742-1777) of North Carolina. The surname dates from 1296 in Sussex, England Subsidy Rolls, atten Eysse, atte Nasche

Texas - Based on the native Caddo word taysha (or tayshas) meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in East Texas. Austin - Named in honour of the founder of Anglo-American Texas, Stephen F. Austin.

Utah - Originates from a native Apache word meaning people of the mountains (yuttahih); became known as the land of the Utes, and eventually Utah. Salt Lake City - The Great Salt Lake lends its name to Salt Lake City, originally named "Great Salt Lake City" by the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) Brigham Young, who led a group of Mormon pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley southeast of the lake on July 24, 1847. When they first saw the lake from a distance, they thought it would be the ideal place to settle as it had an abundance of fresh water; they were wrong but settled nonetheless.

Vermont – Thought to derive from the French Les Verts Monts, meaning "the Green Mountains". Montpelier – A Colonel Davis selected the name "Montpelier" after the French city of Montpellier.

 

Virginia - From Latin Virginia, feminine form of Virginius or Verginius, a Roman family name, possibly identical with Vergilius. The state was named for Elizabeth I as the Virgin Queen. Richmond - In 1737, Englishman William Byrd II looked out over the James River into the surrounding woodlands and declared that he was reminded of his home upon the Thames, Richmond Hill, England. It was from this site that Virginia’s capital city was born and so named.

Washington - Named after President George Washington by an act of the United States Congress during the creation of Washington Territory in 1853. Olympia - 1853, Olympia was named the provisional territorial capital by Isaac Stevens, Washington's first territorial governor.

West Virginia - From Latin Virginia, feminine form of Virginius or Verginius, a Roman family name, possibly identical with Vergilius. The state was named for Elizabeth I as the Virgin Queen. Charleston – King Charles + ton, ton being an old form of town.

Wisconsin – Originated from the name given to the Wisconsin River by one of the Algonquian-speaking native groups living in the region at the time of European contact, probably Miami meskonsing (“it lies red”), borrowed into French as Ouisconsin by French explorers; compare Ojibwe misko- (“red”), -osin (“to lie”) and -ing (“locative suffix”). Madison - Named Madison after James Madison (1751-1836), the father of the U. S. Constitution and U. S. President from 1809-1817.

Wyoming - Named after the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania, which derives its name from native Munsee xwé:wam?nk (“at the big river flat”). Cheyenne - Comes into English from French; the J.B. Franquelin map of 1678-1679 has Chaiena, a direct rendering of native Dakota (dialect) ?ahíyena (Riggs 1890, p. 440), corresponding to Lakota (dialect) ?ahíyela. This is the regular diminutive of ?ahíya, the name of the Cree. So, the Cheyenne are [called] the "little Cree" [by the Sioux].