All the 50 states of the U.S have unofficial names known as nicknames, we all humans have nicknames at some point during our school days, so why won’t the states have them?
But many of the nicknames of the U.S states came about for a specific reason. The nicknames listed in this article are traceable to some specific features peculiar to the state.
Some states have more than a nickname, however, we’ve seen some of them, over the years, use the quasi-name officially while some coined by the people.
For instance, some of the descriptive names associated with California include The Golden State, Grape State, The Eureka State, Land of Milk and Honey, El Dorado State, and Golden West.
Of all the nicknames of California, “The Golden State” is the most popular and was made the official nickname of California in 1968, according to California State Library.
As such, it may be rare to find a U.S resident who doesn’t know that California is the Golden State. One might want to ask….
Why is California called the Golden State?
Historically, the discovery of gold in the state around 1848 is the major reason behind “The Golden State” and of course, gold was later made an official element of the state.
Also, the slogan of California, “Eureka” which is used to express joy when someone found something precious can also be traced to the gold rush in the state. Eureka became the state’s new slogan in 1963.
States nicknames and slogans
States in Nigeria also have slogans. This list contains the nicknames of states in the United State and their slogans
| States | Nicknames | Slogans |
| Alabama | Yellowhammer State | Audemus jura nostra defendere |
| Alaska | The Last Frontier | North to the Future |
| Arizona | The Grand Canyon State | Ditat Deus |
| Arkansas | The Natural State | Regnat populus |
| California | The Golden State | Eureka |
| Colorado | The Centennial State | Nil sine numine |
| Connecticut | The Constitution State | Qui transtulit sustinet |
| Delaware | The First State | Liberty and independence |
| Florida | The Sunshine State | In God we trust |
| Georgia | The Peach State | Wisdom, Justice, Moderation |
| Hawaii | The Aloha State | Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ‘Āina i ka Pono |
| Idaho | The Gem State | Esto perpetua |
| Illinois | The Prairie State | State sovereignty, national union |
| Indiana | The Hoosier State | The crossroads of America |
| Iowa | The Hawkeye State | Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain |
| Kansas | The Sunflower State | Ad astra per aspera |
| Kentucky | The Bluegrass State | United we stand, divided we fall |
| Louisiana | The Pelican State | Union, justice, and confidence |
| Maine | The Pine Tree State | Dirigo |
| Maryland | The Old Line State | Fatti maschi, parole femmine |
| Massachusetts | The Bay State | Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem |
| Michigan | The Great Lakes State | Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspic |
| Minnesota | The North Star State | L’étoile du Nord / Quae sursum volo videre |
| Mississippi | The Magnolia State | Virtute et armis |
| Montana | The Treasure State | Oro y plata |
| Missouri | The Show Me State | Salus populi suprema lex esto |
| New Hampshire | The Granite State | Live free or die |
| Nevada | The Silver State | All for our country |
| Nebraska | The Cornhusker State | Equality before the law |
| New Mexico | The Land of Enchantment | Crescit eundo |
| New York | The Empire State | Excelsior! |
| New Jersey | The Garden State | Liberty and Prosperity |
| North Dakota | The Peace Garden State | Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable |
| North Carolina | The Tar Heel State | Esse quam videri |
| Oregon | The Beaver State | The Union, and Alis volat propriis |
| Oklahoma | The Sooner State | Labor omnia vincit |
| Ohio | The Buckeye State | With God, all things are possible |
| Pennsylvania | The Keystone State | Virtue, Liberty and Independence |
| Rhode Island | The Ocean State | Hope |
| South Carolina | The Palmetto State | Dum spiro spero |
| South Dakota | Mount Rushmore State | Under God, the people rule |
| Texas | The Lone Star State | Friendship |
| Tennessee | The Volunteer State | Agriculture and Commerce |
| Utah | The Beehive State | Industry |
| Vermont | The Green Mountain State | Freedom and Unity |
| Virginia | The Old Dominion State | Sic semper tyrannis |
| Washington | The Evergreen State | Al-ki |
| West Virginia | The Mountain State | Montani semper liberi |
| Wisconsin | The Badger State | Forward |
| Wyoming | The Equality State | Equal Rights and Cedant arma togae |