List of U.S. state nicknames

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

[edit] State nicknames

State	Nickname(s)
Alabama (No official Nickname)^[1]	Cotton State^[2] Heart of Dixie^[2]^[3]^[4] (currently used on license plates) Yellowhammer State^[2] Stars Fell on Alabama^[2] (currently used on license plates)
Alaska	Great Land (previously used on license plates) Last Frontier (previously used on license plates)
Arizona	Apache State Copper State Grand Canyon State (currently used on license plates)
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	Constitution State^[12] (currently used on license plates) Land of Steady Habits^[12]^[13] Nutmeg State^[12] Provisions State^[12]
Delaware	Diamond State First State (currently used on license plates) Small Wonder Blue Hen State or the Blue Hen's Chicken^[13]
District of Columbia	A Capital City (previously used on license plates) The Federal City The District
Florida	Peninsula State or Peninsular State^[13] Hurricane State Tropical State Everglades State Citrus State Flower State Manatee State Orange State Sunshine State (currently used on license plates)
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	Aloha State (currently used on license plates) Pineapple State Rainbow State^[15]
Idaho	Gem State^[16] Spud State^[17]
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	Crossroads of America (previously used on license plates) Hoosier State^[19] Hospitality State
Iowa	Tall Corn State Hawkeye State^[20] Land of the Rolling Prairie Cyclone State
Kansas	Bleeding Kansas Jayhawk State Sunflower State Wheat State (previously used on license plates)
Kentucky	Bluegrass State (currently used on license plates) The Corn-crackers (reported in 1881)^[13]
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	The Border State (reported in 1881)^[13] Down East^{[citation needed]} Pine Tree State Vacationland (currently used on license plates)
Maryland	Cockade State Free State^[21] Monumental State Old Line State Terrapin State Crab State
Massachusetts	Bay State^[13] The Commonwealth Colony State^{[citation needed]} Old Colony^{[citation needed]}
Michigan	The Great Lakes State (previously used on license plates) Mitten State Winter Water Wonderland (previously used on license plates) Wolverine State^[13] The Birthplace of Automotives
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	Hospitality State (previously used on license plates) Magnolia State
Missouri	Bullion State Cave State Gateway State Bellwether State Lead State Ozark State Puke State (reported in 1881)^[13] Show-Me State (currently used on license plates)
Montana	Big Sky Country (currently used on license plates) The Last Best Place^{[citation needed]} Treasure State (previously used on license plates)
Nebraska	Beef State (previously used on license plates) Cornhusker State (previously used on license plates) Tree Planter's State
Nevada	Battle Born State Sagebrush State Silver State (currently used on license plates)
New Hampshire	Granite State^[22] Mother of Rivers^[22] White Mountain State^[22]
New Jersey	Garden State (currently used on license plates) The Crossroads of the Revolution (previously used on license plates) The Tomato State
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	The Empire State (currently used on license plates)
North Carolina	Old North State^[24] Tar Heel State^[25] Turpentine State^[26] Variety Vacationland^[27]
North Dakota	Flickertail State Peace Garden State (currently used on license plates) Rough Rider State Sioux State
Ohio	Buckeye State^[13] Birthplace of Aviation^[28] (currently used on license plates) Mother of Modern Presidents
Oklahoma	Native America (currently used on license plates) Land of the Red Man Sooner State^[29]
Oregon	Beaver State Union State Pacific Wonderland (previously used on license plates)^[30] Sunset State
Pennsylvania	Liberty Bell State Independence State Keystone State^[13] Quaker State
Rhode Island	Little Rhody^[13] Ocean State (currently used on license plates) Plantation State
South Carolina	Palmetto State^[13] Sandlapper State Iodine Products State (in disuse)^[31] (previously used on license plates)
South Dakota	Artesian State^[32] Blizzard State^[32] Coyote State^[32] Land of Infinite Variety Mount Rushmore State (officially adopted in 1980 in place of the former nickname of Sunshine State)^[32] Sunshine State^[32]
Tennessee	Big Bend State (refers to the Tennessee River)^[33] Butternut State (refers to the tan color of the uniforms worn by Tennessee soldiers in the American Civil War)^[33] Hog and Hominy State^[33] The Mother of Southwestern Statesmen^[33] Volunteer State^[33] (currently used on license plates)
Texas	Cowboy State Friendship State^[34] Lone Star State^[13]^[34] (currently used on license plates)
Utah	Beehive State Mormon State^[35]
Vermont	Green Mountain State^[13] (currently used on license plates)
Virginia	Mother of Presidents The Old Dominion^[13]
Washington	Evergreen State^[36] (currently used on license plates)
West Virginia	Mountain State (previously used on license plates) Panhandle State
Wisconsin	America's Dairyland (currently used on license plates) America's Bread Basket Badger State^[13]
Wyoming	Cowboy State Equality State Park State