The US is made up of 50 states, all with their own unique laws, climate, people, and cultures. One thing they all have in common, however, is US state nicknames. Each state owns its own nickname, some are official and can be found in History books dating back hundreds of years, and some were given to states more recently.

United Stats Nicknames

This guide will give you more of an understanding of each state’s nickname and why that nickname was assigned to the state. Some US state nicknames can be misleading and confusing at first glance, however, there is usually a deep meaning behind the US State nicknames.

An example would be, ‘The Constitution State’, this nickname isn’t given to the state where the US Constitution was drafted despite what some may believe, it actually comes from a document named ‘Fundamental Orders’ with regulations for running towns that were put together in 1639 by three cities. Many believe it was the first written Constitution.

Nicknames for states in the US

Historical events such as wars have shaped states nicknames, Alabama, Maryland, and Tennessee all have nicknames after situations that occurred during wars. ‘Yellowhammer’ is the name of a bird that appeared on soldiers’ uniforms, giving the nickname to soldiers first, then the state itself.

Many nicknames for states in the US resemble moments within the history of the U.S., while others represent the climate, weather, landscape, or terrain of a specific state. Most states have one official nickname and other unofficial nicknames that they are referred to less-commonly.

There are many cases where states are referred to by their non-official nickname, these situations arise when an official nickname for a state is slightly outdated, or maybe doesn’t have the same relevance it once had. Regardless of this, state nicknames are historical phrases or names used when identifying a state for something it is best known for, past and present.

When did States join the US?

The US that we know today was a very different place in the 1700s, and 1800s, not just through economic development and growth, but because it was originally formed from 13 colonies, making up the British territories of North America.

The colonies were founded in the 1700 and 1800s, becoming “The Thirteen Colonies” in 1776, when independence from the British Empire was declared. In 1788 the colonies became states of the new nation, New Hampshire was the 9th and final state to authorize the United States Constitution.

So, when did states join the US? Well, shortly after the birth of the United States Constitution, many more states were formed. The 50 states that we know today, however, didn’t complete their formation until the 20th century, during which time a further 5 states were added. Hawaii and Alaska were the last two states to join, both in 1959.

The table below reflects all 50 unique and interesting nicknames for states in the US. We have referenced only the official nickname per state, however, most states have multiple nicknames and if you visit the individual US state nickname pages you can see what they are.

Not only this, but our US state nicknames table answers a very important question – when did states join the US? In the right-hand column, you will see the exact date of admission next to each state. If you wish to learn more about the United States abbreviations for all 50 states, check out our page dedicated to this.

StateNicknameEntered the Union
Alabama's NicknameYellowhammer StateDecember 14th, 1819
Alaskas NicknameThe Last FrontierJanuary 3rd, 1959
Arizonas NicknameGrand Canyon StateFebruary 14th, 1912
Arkansas NicknameNatural StateJune 15th, 1836
California NicknameGolden StateSeptember 9th, 1850
Colorado's NicknameCentennial StateAugust 1st, 1876
Connecticut's NicknameConstitution StateJanuary 9th, 1788
Delaware's NicknameFirst StateDecember 7th, 1787
Florida's NicknameSunshine StateMarch 3rd, 1845
Georgia's NicknamePeach StateJanuary 2nd, 1788
Hawaii's NicknameAloha StateAugust 21st, 1959
Idaho's NicknameGem StateJuly 3rd, 1890
Illinois NicknamePrairie StateDecember 3rd, 1818
Indiana's NicknameCrossroads of AmericaDecember 11th, 1816
Iowa's NicknameHawkeye StateDecember 28th, 1846
Kansas NicknameSunflower StateJanuary 29th, 1861
Kentuckys NicknameBluegrass StateJune 1st, 1792
Louisiana's NicknamePelican StateApril 30th, 1812
Maine's NicknamePine Tree StateMarch 15th, 1820
Marylands NicknameOld Line StateApril 28th, 1788
Massachusetts NicknameBay StateFebruary 6th, 1788
Michigans NicknameGreat Lakes StateJanuary 26th, 1837
Minnesotas NicknameNorth Star StateMay 11th, 1858
Mississippis NicknameMagnolia StateDecember 10th, 1817
Missouri NicknameShow Me StateAugust 10th, 1821
Montana's NicknameTreasure StateNovember 8th, 1889
Nebraska's NicknameCornhusker StateMarch 1st, 1867
Nevada's NicknameSilver StateOctober 31st, 1864
New Hampshire's NicknameGranite StateJune 21st, 1788
New Jersey's NicknameGarden StateDecember 18th, 1787
New Mexico's NicknameThe Land of EnchantmentJanuary 6th, 1912
New York NicknameEmpire StateJuly 26th, 1788
North Carolina NicknameTar Heel StateNovember 21st, 1789
North Dakotas NicknamePeace Garden StateNovember 2nd, 1889
Ohio's NicknameBuckeye StateMarch 1st, 1803
Oklahoma's NicknameSooner StateNovember 16th, 1907
Oregon NicknameBeaver StateFebruary 14th, 1859
Pennsylvania's NicknameKeystone StateDecember 12th, 1787
Rhode Island NicknameOcean StateMay 29th, 1790
South Carolina's NicknamePalmetto StateMay 23rd, 1788
South Dakota's NicknameMount Rushmore StateNovember 2nd, 1889
Tennessee NicknameVolunteer StateJune 1st, 1796
Texas NicknameLone Star StateDecember 29th, 1845
Utah NicknameBeehive StateJanuary 4th, 1896
Vermont NicknameGreen Mountain StateMarch 4th, 1791
Virginia NicknameOld DominionJune 25th, 1788
Washington State NicknameEvergreen StateNovember 11th, 1889
West Virginia NicknameMountain StateJune 20th, 1863
Wisconsin NicknameBadger StateMay 29th, 1848
Wyoming NicknameEquality StateJuly 10th, 1890