The Official Nicknames for Residents of Every State

Alabama: Alabamians

When you’re in the Cotton State, you can call the residents Alabamians. You could also go with Bammers, Barners or Blazers, but if you do, you’d better know which football team they’re pulling for, as those names are nicknames for fans and students of the University of Alabama, Auburn University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, respectively. And as any Alabamian knows, college football is practically a religion.

Alaska: Alaskans

Alaskans live in America’s largest and northernmost state, and they have had that demonym since Alaska was officially proclaimed a state on Jan. 3, 1959. But according to History.com, people have lived in what we now know as Alaska since 10,000 BC. Descendants of those native peoples still live in Alaska today and prefer to be called Alaska Natives or their indigenous names. In fact, Alaska Natives account for more than 15% of the population of Alaska.

Arizona: Arizonans

The nickname for residents of Arizona is indeed Arizonans, but the story behind the state’s nickname is a little more complicated. People have been calling Arizona the Grand Canyon State since the 1930s, and Arizonans happily embraced it. But in 2009, a fifth-grade girl from California who was doing a project on Arizona couldn’t find any record of an official nickname for the state. She contacted Marshall Trimble, Arizona’s state historian, looking for answers. Trimble was surprised to find that the girl was right; no statute gave Arizona an official nickname. Trimble introduced a bill to fix the oversight, and on Feb. 14, 2011, Arizona’s 99th birthday, it officially became the Grand Canyon State.

Arkansas: Arkansans

Residents of Arkansas, the 25th state to join the United States, are officially nicknamed Arkansans. However, some people living in the state call themselves Arkansawyers, and no, it’s not because they have an affinity for literary character Tom Sawyer. This unofficial demonym comes from the state’s pronunciation. The Quapaws were a Native American tribe living in what is now Arkansas, but a tribe in the Ohio Valley called them the Arkansas, which means “south wind.” French explorers also referred to this tribe as the Arkansas, but around 1811, Captain Zebulon Pike spelled their name “Arkansaw.” The spelling and pronunciation continued to be disputed after Arkansas became part of the United States, until 1881, when the state’s General Assembly declared that the name would be spelled Arkansas but pronounced “ar-kan-saw.”

California: Californians

California is home to beaches, Hollywood, the Golden Gate Bridge and, of course, Californians. But these West Coast dwellers also have nicknames based on what part of California they live in (which makes sense, considering the state covers more than 163,000 square miles and houses almost 40 million residents). People living in Los Angeles are Angelenos, Angelinos or Los Angelans; those in Beverly Hills are called Beverly Hillers; in San Francisco, you’ll find San Franciscans; and people from Livermore, a Bay Area suburb, are affectionately known as Livermorons.

Colorado: Coloradans

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What do you call people from Colorado?” the answer is Coloradans—though some residents prefer the older nickname Coloradoans. In cities and towns, locals often have more specific nicknames—Denverites for Denver, Springsites for Colorado Springs, and even playful terms like Manitoids for residents of Manitou Springs. Another interesting fact about the state? According to an official census, fewer than half of Colorado’s residents were actually born in Colorado.

Connecticut: Connecticuters

Officially, residents of Connecticut are known as Connecticuters. Unofficially, they’re called Nutmeggers, and yes, it refers to the stuff you put in your eggnog. Early Americans sought after nutmeg, which is actually the pit of a fruit before it’s ground down into the spice, but it was expensive. Deceitful vendors tried to capitalize on the price tag by selling fake nutmeg that was made out of wood. According to Connecticut state legend, some of its residents shrewdly sold these wooden nutmegs. Another story says that Connecticut peddlers sold real nutmeg, but southern buyers didn’t know the pits had to be ground down to make the spice and accused Connecticuters of selling fake goods.

Delaware: Delawareans

Residents of Delaware have a lot to be proud of. Not only are they called Delawareans, which is a fun word to say out loud, but they also live in the first state of the modern United States. You may remember from history class that the first colony in Colonial America was in Jamestown, Virginia. The rest of the original 13 colonies followed over the next 125 years, including the Delaware colony in 1638. But on Dec. 7, 1787, Delaware ratified the U.S. Constitution, effectively making it the first American state.

Florida: Floridians

The official nickname for people living in Florida is Floridians, and about 23 million of them live in the Sunshine State. What’s ironic is that the state hosts more tourists than actual residents every year. In 2018, 126.1 million people visited Florida. That’s almost six times more than the state’s population. While many visitors come for famed tourist attractions like Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World, some of Florida’s beaches and other picturesque sites get overlooked—and Floridians want to keep it that way.

Georgia: Georgians

People living in the U.S. state of Georgia are officially known as Georgians, which could hardly be confused with a demonym for residents of any other American state. For world travelers, however, it could pose some confusion, considering that residents of the country of Georgia are also called Georgians. While the American state was named after King George II of England, the country’s name supposedly comes from the Russian word Gruzia, which was derived from Persian and Turkish translations of the name George.

Hawaii: Hawaii residents

Not everyone who lives in Hawaii is called a Hawaiian. That demonym is reserved for people who are descendants of Native Hawaiians. People living in Hawaii but are not of native descent are officially known as Hawaii residents, but they are also simply called “locals.” Another unofficial name for Hawaii residents is “kama’aina.” According to Maui Magazine, this literally means, “I am a child of that which feeds me,” but it is also defined as “native born,” or “child of the land.”

Idaho: Idahoans

Idaho is home to Idahoans, and there are more than 2 million of them. While it may not be the most populous American state, it is the fastest-growing state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Idaho’s population grew by an estimated 2.1% between July 2017 and July 2018. Since 2010, the population has grown by 12%. So why do so many people want to become Idahoans? Perhaps they want local access to the state’s famous potatoes.

Illinois: Illinoisans

An estimated 12.7 million Illinoisans live in Illinois, and more than 2.7 million of them reside in Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States. Illinoisans have a lot to be proud of, from their delicious deep-dish pizza to their state’s contribution to Abraham Lincoln’s political career. However, they have had their fair share of negative press. Many assume Chicago got its nickname, “The Windy City,” because of windy weather. The truth is, when reporters from the Chicago Daily Tribune first used the term, they were calling Chicago’s residents “windbags” who lacked morals.

Indiana: Hoosiers

What are people from Indiana called? The demonym for people who live in this state doesn’t follow the same -an construction as the others we’ve listed so far. Indiana’s official nickname is the Hoosier State, and since 2017, the official nickname for Indiana residents has been Hoosiers. What exactly is a Hoosier? The answer is a bit complicated, because no one really knows. Even as early as 1833, an Ohio newspaper defined Hoosier—then spelled Hooshier—simply as “an inhabitant of our sister state of Indiana.”

They may not know where their name came from, but Hoosiers still carry the proud sentiment first spelled out by that newspaper centuries ago: “Whatever may have been the original acceptation of Hooshier this we know, that the people to whom it is now applied, are amongst the bravest, most intelligent, most enterprising, most magnanimous, and most democratic of the Great West.”

Iowa: Iowans

Since Hoosiers live in the Hoosier State, one might think that Hawkeyes live in the Hawkeye State. However, that is not how the U.S. Government Publishing Office refers to residents of Iowa. Instead, what you call people from Iowa turns out to simply be Iowans, named for their state and the Native American tribe called the Ioway that once inhabited the area. According to their official website, in their own language, the “800 members enrolled within the tribe” refer to themselves as Baxoje (Bah Kho-je), meaning “People of the Grey Snow.”

Kansas: Kansans

When Dorothy said, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” she certainly wasn’t surrounded by her fellow Kansans, the official answer for “What are people from Kansas called?” That line from The Wizard of Oz drew a lot of attention to Kansas and its resident Kansans, and it also showed the world that Kansas was a place of comfort and security. Kansas is also known for its nicknames: the Sunflower State, the Wheat State and the Jayhawk State.

Kentucky: Kentuckians

People who live in Kentucky are officially known as Kentuckians. The state itself is said to have gotten its name from a Native American word for “plain” or “prairie.” While this may accurately describe the topography of Kentucky, plain surely isn’t the right word for the state’s culture or people. Some of the most famous Kentuckians include Daniel Boone, Abraham Lincoln, Muhammad Ali and George Clooney. And for a true Kentuckian shindig, look no further than the Kentucky Derby.

Louisiana: Louisianians

From New Orleans to Shreveport, people who live in Louisiana are officially called Louisianians. Those 4.6 million Louisianians are a diverse group, including Cajuns, who are descendants of French-speaking Acadians from Canada, and Creoles, whose ethnicities are a mix of French, Spanish, African, Caribbean and/or Indian. The Cajun language is still spoken today throughout the state. One of the most famous phrases is Laissez les bon temps rouler, which means “Let the good times roll.”

Maine: Mainers

Tourists may vacation in Maine to get a taste of its famed lobster, but Mainers—which is what people from the state are called—are lucky enough to have it whenever they please. Maine’s lobster season is actually year-round, but late summer and fall are considered peak season, when hard- and soft-shell lobsters are available. In 2018, thousands of Maine lobstermen collectively caught more than 119 million pounds of lobster. The Maine Department of Marine Resources valued that catch at more than $484.5 million. If you’re a Mainer who isn’t a lobsterman, maybe it’s time to consider a career change.

Maryland: Marylanders

Maryland is home to more than 6.2 million Marylanders. Some of the most famous Marylanders include the composer of the National Anthem Francis Scott Key, the abolitionist Frederick Douglass and author Edgar Allen Poe. A little-known fact about Marylanders is that a good number of them are actually millionaires. Maryland has the highest number of millionaires per capita compared with the other 49 states; one in 12 households has at least $1 million.

Massachusetts: Massachusettsans

Next on our “what are people from each state called” list is the Bay State. Officially, residents of Massachusetts are known as Massachusettsans, but according to Boston.com, no one from Massachusetts actually uses that demonym. In fact, under Massachusetts state law, citizens are known as Bay Staters. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Bay Stater as “a native or resident of Massachusetts.” In fact, Massachusettsan is not even included in that dictionary. Those living in Boston simply refer to themselves as Bostonians, which is arguably the most elegant-sounding of all Massachusetts-related demonyms.

Michigan: Michiganians

Here we have yet another instance of an official demonym that the general public does not necessarily agree with. If you ask the U.S. Government Publishing Office what do you call people from Michigan, they’ll say Michiganians. But Michigan residents will tell you that they’re Michiganders through and through. In fact, they feel so strongly about it that in November 2017, the Michigan state legislature unanimously passed a bill that made Michigander the official term for the residents of Michigan. When it comes to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, also known as the U.P., those residents are lovingly known as Yoopers.

Minnesota: Minnesotans

Minnesota, the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” is home to 5.7 million Minnesotans. For many Minnesotans, Minnesota remains their home for their entire lives. An estimated 68% of current Minnesotans were also born in the state. That’s the twelfth-highest percentage of any state. In Morrison County specifically, nearly 90% of residents were born in Minnesota. But the state is home to more than just loyal residents. Roughly 12,000 common loons, the state bird, live in Minnesota. There are more loons in Minnesota than in any other state except Alaska.

Mississippi: Mississippians

People living in Mississippi, nicknamed the Magnolia State, are themselves nicknamed Mississippians. Their state is named after the Mississippi River, which comes from the Ojibwa tribe word messipi, meaning “big river.” Several surprising inventions came out of the state, all thanks to Mississippians. Edward Adolf Barq Sr. invented root beer in Biloxi in 1898. Chemist Harry A. Cole invented the cleaning product Pine-Sol near Jackson in 1929. And although Coca-Cola was invented in Atlanta, it wasn’t bottled until Joseph Biedenharn decided to do so in 1894—in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Missouri: Missourians

Missourian is the official demonym for someone who lives in Missouri. Not only does their state have an official bird (the bluebird), flower (the white hawthorn blossom) and dessert (the ice cream cone), but it is also one of 12 states with an official horse. The Missouri fox trotting horse became Missouri’s state horse on June 4, 2002. First bred in Missouri in the 19th century, these horses are known for their rhythmic gait: They walk with their front legs and trot with their back legs.

Montana: Montanans

What are people from Montana called? Montanans! It’s the fourth largest state in the United States, but with a population of just over a million Montanans, it has the 44th largest population by state. In addition to those Montanans, the state is also home to approximately 100 species of mammals, more than any other state. Those animals include elk, bighorn sheep, caribou and bobcats.

Nebraska: Nebraskans

People who live in Nebraska are officially called Nebraskans, but you’ll also hear them referred to as Cornhuskers, after the University of Nebraska-Lincoln football team. When the Cornhuskers’ Memorial Stadium, is full—it holds more than 90,000 people—it actually becomes the third most populated place in the state. The first two are Omaha, with a population of 434,000, and the state capital, Lincoln, with 268,000.

Nevada: Nevadans

The name for people who live in or are from Nevada, the Silver State, is Nevadans. Approximately 3.2 million Nevadans reside in the state, and about half of them live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. However, tourists have Nevadans beat when it comes to Las Vegas numbers. In 2018, more than 42 million people visited Sin City. That’s 14 times the population of the entire state.

New Hampshire: New Hampshirites

New Hampshire has come a long way since it was one of the original 13 colonies. An estimated 500 people lived in the colony in 1630, and the state now has a population of more than 1.4 million. All New Hampshirites, no matter where they live, should feel a special kind of patriotism. In 1775, their state became the first to declare independence from England. Plus, Alan Shepard, the first American to go into space, was born in New Hampshire.

New Jersey: New Jerseyans

People who live in or come from New Jersey are known as New Jerseyans, and nearly 9.5 million of them live in the Garden State. The state itself got its Garden nickname in 1876 from Camden resident Abraham Browning, who said the state was an “immense barrel, filled with good things to eat and open at both ends, with Pennsylvanians grabbing from one end and New Yorkers from the other.” Ben Franklin is said to have also called New Jersey a barrel tapped at both ends.

New Mexico: New Mexicans

If people from Mexico are called Mexicans, what are people from New Mexico called? New Mexicans, of course. The only exception is for residents who are descendants of early Spanish settlers of New Mexico, who are called Hispanos. Lucky New Mexicans get to enjoy temperate weather year-round, with their coldest average temperatures in the mid-50s and hottest average temperatures in the 90s.

New York: New Yorkers

New Yorkers are people who live in New York City or anywhere else in the state of New York, and they’re not afraid to show it. There’s a certain pride that comes with being a New Yorker that few demonyms can rival. After all, not everyone can thrive in a city of traffic jams, subway delays and crowded sidewalks. But while many people hear “New Yorker” and think “New York City,” there’s a lot to be said for the rest of the state, from Niagara Falls and the Adirondack Mountains to wineries and museums.

North Carolina: North Carolinians

North Carolinians live in the 12th state to officially join the United States, and there are more than 11 million of them. Back in 1587, the first child of English descent born in America was born in what we now know as North Carolina. Her name was Virginia Dare, and she belonged to the “Lost Colony” of English colonists who mysteriously disappeared from Roanoke Island.

North Dakota: North Dakotans

People who live in or are from North Dakota are known as North Dakotans. Their state is a perfect place to escape from city life and embrace nature. Nearly 90% of North Dakota’s land is farms or ranches, and the state has 63 wildlife refuges, more than any other state. North Dakota is also the No. 1 honey producer in America, so if you visit, be sure to ask the locals where you can get a taste.

Ohio: Ohioans

The official demonym for Ohio residents is Ohioans, but many locals refer to themselves as Buckeyes. It is called the Buckeye State, after all. A buckeye is a shiny brown nut that comes from the buckeye tree and is said to bring good luck. It was first used to describe a person in 1788, when Native Americans greeted 6-foot-4-inch Colonel Ebenezer Sproat by saying “Hetuck, hetuck,” their native word for buckeye, because they were impressed by his stature. The nickname stuck with Sproat and was passed on to other settlers and, later, Ohio residents.

Oklahoma: Oklahomans

Not many Americans can say there’s a Broadway musical named after their home, but Oklahomans sure can. Oklahoma! was the first musical written by famed composer duo Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, and there’s a reason it starts with the song “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’.” With average high temperatures in the low 70s and average low temperatures in the 40s, Oklahomans have an ideal Goldilocks climate: not too hot, not too cold, but just right.

Oregon: Oregonians

If you ask someone “What are people from Oregon called?” the answer is easy: Oregonians. But if you ask them the proper pronunciation of the state’s name itself, that’s where you may get some confusion. Oregonians, the people who actually live there, call it “ORE-uh-gin,” so the last syllable sounds like begin. Americans who live pretty much anywhere else say “ORE-uh-GONE.” If you’re ever wondering if someone is a true Oregonian, just find out how they pronounce it!

Pennsylvania: Pennsylvanians

Pennsylvania has a storied history that Pennsylvanians know all too well. Its namesake is William Penn, the Quaker settler who founded the colony; King Charles II of England named it Pennsylvania, meaning “Penn’s Woods.” The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were both signed in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. And Abraham Lincoln delivered one of the most famous speeches ever given in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. There’s one fact most people get wrong about Pennsylvania, though. Many assume the Battle of Gettysburg was the deadliest day in American military history. That record actually goes to the Battle of Antietam in Maryland, where more than 3,500 Union and Confederate soldiers are believed to have died.

Rhode Island: Rhode Islanders

Rhode Island may be the smallest state in America, but it’s actually not the least populated. There are more than a million Rhode Islanders living within the state’s 1,214 square miles. Rhode Island has a few other surprises up its sleeve. The state’s official name is actually Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. And it’s not divided up into counties, instead having 39 municipalities with their own local governments. Rhode Island is also home to the oldest schoolhouse in the U.S. Located in Portsmouth, the school was built in 1716.

South Carolina: South Carolinians

Residents of South Carolina are officially known as South Carolinians, and they have something in common with the characters in the movie Footloose. Yes, there’s a dumb law that says it’s illegal to dance in South Carolina on Sundays. Plus, any South Carolinians running a dance hall could technically spend 30 days in jail. A couple of these outdated South Carolina laws aren’t all that bad though: One says it’s illegal to challenge someone to a gun or sword fight, and another outlaws working on Sundays.

South Dakota: South Dakotans

Similar to the demonym for North Dakota, the official nickname for people who live in South Dakota is South Dakotans. They’re a special bunch, especially considering that only around 924,000 of them live in the state. However, a few South Dakotans went on to make it big in their careers. The longtime host of The Price Is Right, Bob Barker, spent most of his childhood in South Dakota. Baseball player and manager George “Sparky” Anderson was the first South Dakotan to be enshrined at the Baseball Hall of Fame. He led the Cincinnati Reds and the Detroit Tigers to World Series wins.

Tennessee: Tennesseans

Tennesseans, people who live in or are from Tennessee, are often pictured as cowboys line-dancing in a honky-tonk or singers trying to make it big in the Nashville country music scene. As important as that country culture is to Tennesseans, there’s more to them. They’re also some of the nicest people in the country. In fact, for two years in a row, the winner of the Reader’s Digest Nicest Place in America contest was from Tennessee: the city of Gallatin in 2017, and Yassin’s Falafel House in Knoxville in 2018.

Texas: Texans

The official demonym for residents of Texas is Texans. The Lone Star State has a population of 28.7 million Texans, making it the second-most populous state in the country. Texas’s population has grown steadily since 2010, especially among minority groups. The U.S. Census Bureau states that Latinos have made up the largest share of the state’s population since at least July 2022. And the number of Asian Texans has grown by almost 50% since 2010, according to the Texas Tribune.

Utah: Utahns

The U.S. Government Publishing Office lists the official nickname for residents of Utah as Utahns—but it wasn’t always that way. According to KSL Broadcasting in Salt Lake City, the government office used to list the demonym for Utah’s residents as Utahans, even though locals strongly preferred and continued to widely use Utahns instead. The officials in the publishing office eventually changed the listing to the easier-to-say Utahns.

Vermont: Vermonters

Vermonter is the official demonym for a resident of Vermont or someone who was born in the state. Many Vermonters, however, give this word an even stricter definition, saying that it only applies to natives of Vermont. Visitors or Vermont residents who were born elsewhere are given nicknames with a more negative connotation, like “flatlanders” or “transplants.” The website Vermonter.com explains the term flatlander as “a person who visits the state or lives here that brings negative qualities from their home to our state… Unfortunately for the flatlander, even if they assimilate to Vermont culture and reside here for 50 years, they can never rid themselves of this label.”

Virginia: Virginians

The official nickname for people born in or residents of Virginia is Virginians. Now home to more than 8.8 million Virginians, the state has come a long way since its colonial days. When the colony of Jamestown, Virginia, was founded in 1607, only about 100 people lived there. That number quickly dwindled; by 1610, 80% to 90% of the settlers died from disease or starvation. But once they began to use a new strain of tobacco as a cash crop, they were able to get the funds the settlement needed to thrive as a permanent English colony. Virginians and tourists alike can still visit Jamestown today.

Washington: Washingtonians

The approximately 7.9 million Washingtonians who live in the state of Washington already know the special attractions their state offers, but for non-Washingtonians, here’s a sampling: Washington produces more apples, pears, red raspberries and sweet cherries than any other state. The San Juan Islands, located off the coast of Washington, include 172 named islands and reefs, but at low tide, there can be as many as 450 islands. Plus, Washington’s Yakima Valley produces more than 75% of hops grown in the United States.

West Virginia: West Virginians

Fans of John Denver’s song “Take Me Home, Country Roads” will remember that the lyrics describe West Virginia as “almost heaven.” Well, West Virginians probably wouldn’t argue with that. They’d use the breathtaking sights of the Eastern Panhandle or the Mountain Lakes to prove their point. Once part of Virginia, the state was named to honor Queen Elizabeth I, the “Virgin Queen.” It later separated from Virginia when residents decided to stay with the Union during the Civil War.

Wisconsin: Wisconsinites

People who live in or were born in Wisconsin are officially known as Wisconsinites, but they also proudly go by Cheeseheads. This nickname is a nod to Wisconsin’s dairy industry, but it originated as an insult. According to Milwaukee Magazine, some Chicago Bears fans tried to mock Green Bay Packers fans after the Bears won the 1986 Super Bowl by calling them “Cheeseheads.” Instead, Packers fan and Milwaukee native Ralph Bruno took it as a compliment. Bruno decided to make his own cheesehead hat out of a couch cushion and wore it to a Milwaukee Brewers game. The hat garnered so much attention that Bruno began selling them. Now the hats are sold all over Wisconsin and are practically required garb at Lambeau Field.

Wyoming: Wyomingites

Last but certainly not least when it comes to what are people from each state called, we have Wyomingites, the nickname for people hailing from Wyoming. The 44th state is the least populous in America, with around 587,000 residents. In 1869, female Wyomingites became the first women in the United States to be granted the right to vote. State leaders made the law hoping it would encourage more women to move to the state.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.