Official and Nonofficial Nicknames of U.S. States

The United States has 50 named states. What isnt as well known is the fact that every one of those states has a nickname (official or not)—or maybe even more than one. Some state nicknames come out of the pages of history (Constitution State, Land of Lincoln), and some come from what grows there (Peach State, Spud State) or an identifying natural feature (Grand Canyon State). Some just make you want to go there (Sunshine State, Colorful Colorado, Land of Opportunity). Historical Nicknames To those not living there, some of the nicknames might seem odd or mysterious. Or they might not be what you think. The Constitution State isnt where the U.S. Constitution was drafted (that was in Philadelphia), but rather the nickname comes from a document with regulations for running towns that was put together in 1639 by three cities. This document was called the  Fundamental Orders and is considered by some to be the first written constitution. Theres much debate about this first and even debate about whether the document constitutes a constitution. Wars come into play in the nicknames for Alabama, Maryland, and Tennessee. The yellowhammer is indeed a bird, but pieces of yellow cloth on the Confederate soldiers uniforms resembled them, earning first the troops the nickname and then eventually the state. And Marylands nickname Old Line refers to the steadfast Maryland troops from the era of the American Revolution. Tennessee soldiers who volunteered during the Mexican-American War (not the War of 1812) earned them their states nickname, the Volunteer State. Also from the colonial era, the Tar Heel nickname comes from the fact that North Carolina pine trees were harvested to make tar, pitch, and turpentine used in wooden naval shipbuilding. This was messy work, and workers inevitably found the sticky substance on their feet—hence the name.   In 1889 in Oklahoma, settlers poured in to stake land claims. Those who came in early, before the specified time, were called Sooners. The territory became a state in 1907. State Nicknames Heres a listing of the often colorful nicknames of the 50 states. When a state has multiple nicknames, the official or most common state nickname is listed first. Alabama: Yellowhammer State, Heart of Dixie, Camellia State Alaska: The Last Frontier Arizona: Grand Canyon State, Copper State Arkansas: The Natural State, Land of Opportunity, The Razorback State California: Golden State Colorado: Centennial State, Colorful Colorado Connecticut: Constitution State, Nutmeg State Delaware: First State, Diamond State, Blue Hen State, Small Wonder Florida: Sunshine State Georgia: Peach State, Empire of the South, Goober State Hawaii:  Aloha State, Pineapple State Idaho: Gem State, Spud State Illinois: Prairie State, Land of Lincoln Indiana: Hoosier State Iowa: Hawkeye State Kansas: Sunflower State, Salt of the Earth Kentucky: Bluegrass State Louisiana: Pelican State, Sugar State Maine: Pine Tree State Maryland: Old Line State, Free State Massachusetts: Bay State, Old Colony State Michigan: Great Lakes State, Wolverine State Minnesota: North Star State, Gopher State, Land of 10,000 Lakes, Bread and Butter State Mississippi: Magnolia State Missouri: Show Me State Montana: Treasure State, Big Sky State Nebraska: Cornhusker State Nevada: Silver State, Battle Born State, Sagebrush State New Hampshire: Granite State New Jersey: Garden State New Mexico: Land of Enchantment New York: Empire State North Carolina: Tar Heel State, Old North State North Dakota: Peace Garden State, Flickertail State, Roughrider State Ohio: Buckeye State, Modern Mother of Presidents Oklahoma: Sooner State, Panhandle State Oregon: Beaver State Pennsylvania: Keystone State, Quaker State Rhode Island: Ocean State, Little Rhody South Carolina: Palmetto State South Dakota: Coyote State, Mount Rushmore State Tennessee: Volunteer State, Big Bend State Texas: Lone Star State Utah: Beehive State Vermont: Green Mountain State Virginia: Old Dominion Washington: Evergreen State, Chinook State West Virginia: Mountain State Wisconsin: Badger State Wyoming: Equality State, Cowboy State