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10 Fascinating US State Name Origins

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Here are the fascinating origins of 10 states’ names.

Not surprisingly, the process of naming a state can be an involved one. It can also yield a number of fascinating stories. Here are the origins of 10 US states names.
Number 10. Colorado. Taken by the unique and striking hue of the river flowing through the area, people began to refer to the waterway as the Colorado, a Spanish word for ‘colored red’. Congress liked it, so in 1861 they adopted as a reference for the entire territory.
Number 9. Idaho. In the mid 1800s lobbyist George M. Willing campaigned to have the territory that would later become Colorado carry the Idaho name. He said that it was a Native American word meaning ‘gem of the mountains’. It was later discovered that he’d made it up. The name however, stuck and moved further west.
Number 8. Rhode Island. In 1524 a European explorer decided that the landmass off the coast looked like the Mediterranean Island of Rhodes. That name made its way to England, and 1663 King Charles II made it official. When it came time make it a state, the name was carried forth.
Number 7. Florida. Having been discovered by the Spanish on March 20th of 1513, the land was named for the religious holiday falling on that date. It’s believed its earliest European name was Pascua florida, which roughly translates as Palm Sunday.
Number 6. Oklahoma. The name is derived from two Choctaw words: ‘okla’ and ‘humma’ which together mean red people. It’s been pointed out that if the Washington Redskins have to change their name, so too should the state of Oklahoma.
Number 5. California. It’s appropriate that a state where one of the primary industries is movie making and storytelling got its moniker from a novel. Inspiration came from the 16th century Spanish romance, "Las Sergas de Esplandian," which references a fantasyland called ‘Baja California’.
Number 4. Pennsylvania. That’s what you get when you combine the Welsh surname Penn and the Latin word for woods. The William Penn who was the recipient of the land however, was not the individual being honored. It was named for his late father, as King Charles the second handed over the property to satisfy a debt owed to the elder.
Number 3. Virginia. As she never married, Elizabeth the first was often referred to as the ‘Virgin Queen’. In her honor, Virginia was the identifier given to all of North America that hadn’t been claimed by the Spanish or French. In 1788, it was officially bestowed upon the state.
Number 2. North Carolina. Taken from the Latin word for Charles, as in the early-17th century King of England, it once described the region that consisted of both present day North and South. They were later split apart and given their respective upper and lower designations.
Number 1. Massachusetts. The word is of Algonquian origins, but its exact meaning has gotten a bit clouded over time. Strong possibilities include great hills mouth, great mountain place, and Indian arrowhead.
What’s your favorite origin story?
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