State resident nicknames

While figuring out where to live, you might be wondering what people call the residents of your new home state. Some resident nicknames are straightforward — we’re looking at you, New Yorkers. But others are a bit tricky, like the Hoosiers of Indiana. Keep reading to learn the official government demonyms, other monikers and fun facts about every state. 

 

What do you call someone from: 

Alabama (AL)  

• Official demonym: Alabamian 
• Other monikers: Alabammer, ‘Bamer 
• State nicknames: The Yellowhammer State, The Heart of Dixie, The Cotton State 
• Statehood: 1819 
• Fun fact: Alabama was the first state to declare Christmas a holiday. 

Alaska (AK) 

• Official demonym: Alaskan 
• Other monikers: Alaska Native (preferred by those descended from native residents)  
• State nicknames: The Last Frontier 
• Statehood: 1959 
• Fun fact: The state sport is dog mushing. 

Arizona (AZ) 

• Official demonym: Arizonan 
• Other monikers: Arizonian 
• State nicknames: The Grand Canyon State, The Copper State, The Valentine State 
• Statehood: 1912 
• Fun fact: Arizona doesn’t observe Daylight Saving Time. 

Arkansas (AR) 

• Official demonym: Arkansan 
• Other monikers: Arkansawyer, Arkie 
• State nicknames: The Natural State 
• Statehood: 1836 
• Fun fact: The Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro is the only active diamond mine in the country — and you can dig for them yourself! 

California (CA) 

• Official demonym: Californian 
• Other monikers: Californiac, Californio
• State nicknames: The Golden State 
• Statehood: 1850 
• Fun fact: Sonoma County is home to the world’s largest geothermal field. 

Colorado (CO) 

• Official demonym: Coloradan 
• Other monikers: Coloradoan 
• State nicknames: The Centennial State  
• Statehood: 1876 
• Fun fact: The state is home to the tallest flat-top mountain in the world, Grand Mesa. 

Connecticut (CT) 

• Official demonym: Connecticuter 
• Other monikers: Connecticotian, Connecticutian, Nutmegger 
• State nicknames: The Constitution State (official), The Nutmeg State, The Provisions State, The Land of Steady Habits 
• Statehood: 1788 
• Fun fact: Home to the oldest public library in the U.S., the Scoville Memorial Library, which opened in 1771. 

Delaware (DE) 

• Official demonym: Delawarean 
• Other monikers: Muskrat 
• State nicknames: The First State; The Small Wonder, Blue Hen State, The Diamond State 
• Statehood: 1787 
• Fun fact: Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution of the United States. 

Florida (FL) 

• Official demonym: Floridian 
• Other monikers: Floridan 
• State nicknames: Sunshine State 
• Statehood: 1845 
• Fun fact: The state produces 70% of the country’s oranges yearly. 

Georgia (GA) 

• Official demonym: Georgian 
• Other monikers: Peach 
• State nicknames: Peach State, Empire State of the South 
• Statehood: 1788 
• Fun fact: Coca-Cola was invented in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1886. 

Hawaii (HI) 

• Official demonym: Hawaii Resident 
• Other monikers: Hawaiian, Islander 
• State nicknames: The Aloha State (official), Paradise of the Pacific, The Islands of Aloha, The 808 State 
• Statehood: 1959 (the newest state) 
• Fun fact: You can send an unpackaged coconut from Hawaii for about $20 with the USPS®. 

Idaho (ID) 

• Official demonym: Idahoan  
• Other monikers: Idahoer 
• State nicknames: The Gem State (official), The Potato State 
• Statehood: 1890 
• Fun fact: You may know the state is famous for potatoes, but it’s also famous for over 72 types of gemstones that can be found there, including the rare Idaho Star Garnet. 

Illinois (IL) 

• Official demonym: Illinoisan 
• Other monikers: Illinoian, Illinoyer 
• State nicknames: Land of Lincoln, Prairie State, The Inland Empire State 
• Statehood: 1818 
• Fun fact: Chicago, Illinois, is home to the largest bakery in the world, one of Nabisco’s plants.

Indiana (IN) 

• Official demonym: Hoosier 
• Other monikers: Indianian, Indianer 
• State nicknames: The Hoosier State 
• Statehood: 1816 
• Fun fact: The first professional baseball game was played in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1871.

Iowa (IA) 

• Official demonym: Iowan 
• Other monikers: Hawkeye, Iowegian 
• State nicknames: The Hawkeye State 
• Statehood: 1846 
• Fun fact: Iowa was home to engineer Otto Frederick Rohwedder, who invented the automatic bread-slicing machine in 1927. 

Kansas (KS) 

• Official demonym: Kansan 
• Other monikers: Kanswer, Jayhawk 
• State nicknames: The Sunflower State (official), The Wheat State, America's Heartland 
• Statehood: 1861 
• Fun fact: Pizza Hut started in the state in 1958 and is now the largest pizza company in the world, with over 11,000 restaurants in 90 countries. 

Kentucky (KY) 

• Official demonym: Kentuckian 
• Other monikers: Kentucker, Kentuckyite 
• State nicknames: The Bluegrass State 
• Statehood: 1792 
• Fun fact: Fort Knox is located between Elizabethtown and Louisville in Kentucky. 

Louisiana (LA) 

• Official demonym: Louisianian 
• Other monikers: Louisianan 
• State nicknames: Pelican State (official), Bayou Stat, Creole State, Sportsman's Paradise, The Boot 
• Statehood: 1812 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: The state is home to the largest alligator population in the United States. 

Maine (ME) 

• Official demonym: Mainer 
• ​​​​​​​Other monikers: Down Easter,  Maineiac (or Mainiac)  
• State nicknames: The Pine Tree State, Vacationland 
• Statehood: 1820 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: The moose population in Maine is higher than any other Lower 48 state. 

Maryland (MD) 

• Official demonym: Marylander 
• Other monikers: Marylandian 
• State nicknames: Old Line State, Free State, Little America, America in Miniature 
• Statehood: 1788 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: The country’s first dental school, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, was established in Maryland in 1840. 

Massachusetts (MA) 

• Official demonym: Massachusettsan 
• Other monikers: Bay Stater (preferred by residents), Massachusite 
• State nicknames: The Bay State (official), The Pilgrim State; The Puritan State, The Old Colony State, The Baked Bean State 
• Statehood: 1788 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: The first Thanksgiving was held in what is now Massachusetts in 1621. 

Michigan (MI) 

• Official demonym: Michiganian 
• Other monikers: Michiganders (often preferred by residents), Wolverine 
• State nicknames: The Great Lake State, The Wolverine State, The Mitten State, Water (Winter) Wonderland 
• Statehood: 1837 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: The state has the longest continuous freshwater coastline in the country, with over 3,200 miles.

Minnesota (MN) 

• Official demonym: Minnesotan 
• Other monikers: Minnesotian 
• ​​​​​​​State nicknames: Land of 10,000 Lakes, North Star State, Gopher State 
• Statehood: 1858 
• Fun fact: Despite its nickname, the state actually has almost 12,000 registered lakes. 

Mississippi (MS) 

• Official demonym: Mississippian 
• Other monikers: Mississipper 
• State nicknames: The Magnolia State, The Hospitality State 
• Statehood: 1817 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: The state is the birthplace of the teddy bear, which was created after President Theodore Roosevelt refused to kill a bear tied to a tree during his Mississippi hunting trip in 1902. 

Missouri (MO) 

• Official demonym: Missourian 
• Other monikers: Missouran 
• State nicknames: Show Me State, Cave State, Mother of the West 
• Statehood: 1821 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: Missouri has more than 7,000 caves due to its concentration of porous limestone. 

Montana (MT) 

• Official demonym: Montanan 
• Other monikers: Montanian 
• State nicknames: Big Sky Country, The Treasure State 
• Statehood: 1889 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: Home to the longest river (Missouri River) and the shortest river (Roe River) in the U.S. 

Nebraska (NE)

• Official demonym: Nebraskan
• Other monikers: Cornhuskers
• State nicknames: The Cornhusker State
• Statehood: 1867
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: Kool-Aid was invented in the state in 1927.

Nevada (NV) 

• Official demonym: Nevadan 
• Other monikers: Nevadian 
• State nicknames: The Silver State (official), The Sagebrush State, The Battle Born State 
• Statehood: 1864 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: Blue jeans were invented in the state in 1870 by Reno tailor Jacob Davis. 

New Hampshire (NH) 

• Official demonym: New Hampshirite 
• Other monikers: New Hampshireman, Granite Stater 
• State nicknames: The Granite State, The White Mountain State 
• Statehood: 1788 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: New Hampshire was the first state to declare independence from England in 1775. 

New Jersey (NJ) 

• Official demonym: New Jerseyan 
• Other monikers: New Jerseyite, Jerseyite 
• State nicknames: The Garden State 
• Statehood: 1787 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: In 1858, William Parker Foulke discovered the country’s first complete dinosaur skeleton in Haddonfield, New Jersey.  

New Mexico (NM) 

• Official demonym: New Mexican 
• Other monikers: Hispanos (used by some locals who are descendants of original settlers from Spain)  
• State nicknames: The Land of Enchantment 
• Statehood: 1912 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: When a young bear cub was rescued from a forest fire in New Mexico in 1950 and sent to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., he became a living symbol of Smokey Bear. After Smokey died in 1976, he was returned to Capitan for burial in the State Historical Park. 

New York (NY) 

• Official demonym: New Yorker 
• Other monikers: Empire Stater 
• State nicknames: The Empire State 
• Statehood: 1788 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: New York State was originally called New Amsterdam by Dutch settlers until British conquerors renamed it to honor England’s Duke of York. 

North Carolina (NC) 

• Official demonym: North Carolinian 
• Other monikers: Tar Heel 
• State nicknames: Tarheel State; Old North State 
• Statehood: 1789 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: The first successful plane flight happened in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903 when the Wright brothers launched the first occupied Wright Flyer. 

North Dakota (ND) 

• Official demonym: North Dakotan 
• Other monikers: NoDak 
• State nicknames: Peace Garden State, Roughrider State, Flickertail State, Heaven on Earth 
• Statehood: 1889 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: North Dakota hosts 63 wildlife refuges, more than any other state. 

Ohio (OH) 

• Official demonym: Ohioan 
• Other monikers: Buckeye 
• State nicknames: The Buckeye State, Birthplace of Aviation, The Heart of It All 
• ​​​​​​​Statehood: 1803 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: While the first flight happened in North Carolina, the Wright brothers invented and developed their plane in their hometown of Dayton, Ohio. 

Oklahoma (OK) 

• Official demonym: Oklahoman 
• Other monikers: Oklahomians, Oklahomie, Okie, Sooner 
• State nicknames: Land of the Red Man, Sooner State
• Statehood: 1907 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: Oklahoma City was the birthplace of the parking meter when the world’s first one was installed in 1935. 

Oregon (OR) 

• Official demonym: Oregonian 
• Other monikers: Oregoner 
• State nicknames: The Beaver State 
• Statehood: 1859 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: The world’s smallest park is located between two streets in Portland, Oregon, and covers just two feet of space. 

Pennsylvania (PA) 

• Official demonym: Pennsylvanian 
• ​​​​​​​Other monikers: Pennsylvanier, Pennamite 
• State nicknames: Keystone State, Quaker State 
• Statehood: 1787 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: Hershey, Pennsylvania, is the chocolate capital of the U.S. 

Rhode Island (RI) 

• Official demonym: Rhode Islander 
• Other monikers: Rhodian 
• State nicknames: The Ocean State, Little Rhody 
• Statehood: 1790 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 colonies to become a state. 

South Carolina (SC) 

• Official demonym: South Carolinian 
• Other monikers: South Carolinan, Sandlapper 
• State nicknames: The Palmetto State 
• Statehood: 1788 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: Morgan Island, off the coast of South Carolina, is uninhabited by humans, but it houses one of only two rhesus monkey colonies in the U.S., with a population of about 4,000 monkeys. 

South Dakota (SD) 

• Official demonym: South Dakotan  
• Other monikers: N/A 
• State nicknames: The Mount Rushmore State 
• Statehood: 1889 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: More than 2.5 million people visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota each year. 

Tennessee (TN) 

• Official demonym: Tennessean 
• Other monikers: Volunteer, Big Bender, Butternut 
• State nicknames: The Volunteer State 
• Statehood: 1796 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: Home to the Great Smokey Mountains, often touted as the most-visited national park in America. 

Texas (TX) 

• Official demonym: Texans 
• Other monikers: Texian, Tejano 
• State nicknames: The Lone Star State 
• Statehood: 1845 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: Texas was an independent country for ten years before its annexation by the United States. 

Utah (UT) 

• Official demonym: Utah 
• Other monikers: Utahan 
• State nicknames: Beehive State (official), The Mormon State, Deseret 
• Statehood: 1896 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: Home to the Great Salt Lake, the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. 

Vermont (VT) 

• Official demonym: Vermonter 
• Other monikers: N/A 
• State nicknames: The Green Mountain State 
• Statehood: 1791 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: Montpelier, Vermont, is the smallest capital city in the U.S., with a population of around 8,000 people.  

Virginia (VA) 

• Official demonym: Virginian 
• Other monikers: N/A 
• State nicknames: Old Dominion, Mother of Presidents 
• Statehood: 1788 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: Home to Jamestown, the first English colony in the United States. 

Washington (WA) 

• Official demonym: Washingtonian 
• Other monikers: 'Toner 
• State nicknames: The Evergreen State 
• Statehood: 1889 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: There are ten volcanoes in Washington State. Five volcanoes are active, including Mount St. Helens, which last erupted in 1980. 

West Virginia (WV) 

• Official demonym: West Virginian 
• Other monikers: Mountaineer 
• State nicknames: Mountain State 
• Statehood: 1863 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: The state is located entirely within the Appalachian Mountain range. 

Wisconsin (WI) 

• Official demonym: Wisconsinite 
• Other monikers: Cheesehead, Badger 
• State nicknames: Badger State, America's Dairyland 
• Statehood: 1848 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: The largest wooly mammoth excavated was found in Kenosha, and a replica is viewable at the Milwaukee Public Museum. 

Wyoming (WY) 

• Official demonym: Wyomingite 
• Other monikers: Wyomingian, Wyoman 
• State nicknames: Equality State (official), Cowboy State, Big Wyoming 
• Statehood: 1890 
• ​​​​​​​Fun fact: Home to the Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park. 

Learn more about each state

If you want to learn more about a state before you move, check out the information at the bottom of U-Pack’s coverage map page.