10 U.S. State Nicknames You Might Not Know

From the Lone Star State to the Golden State and the Grand Canyon State, some U.S. state nicknames are immediately obvious. (We’re looking at you, Texas, California, and Arizona.) Other state nicknames may leave you scratching your head, but they contain fascinating insights into the unique histories of a state’s people, culture, and landmarks. Below, discover 10 lesser-known state nicknames and how they came to be.

Minnesota – The Gopher State

Minnesota’s official nickname is the North Star State, but it’s also unofficially known as the Gopher State. The reasons for the nickname likely don’t have much to do with the critters themselves, but instead go back to an 1858 political cartoon. At the time, the newly admitted state wanted to amend its constitution to allow legislators to issue credit and raise $5 million to build new railroads. Political cartoonist R.O. Sweeny saw the deal as corrupt, and drew a satirical cartoon depicting nine legislators as gophers with human heads pulling a railroad car filled with bond holders. It’s not entirely clear why Sweeny chose the rodents, except that they were plentiful in the state at the time, and the bane of local farmers. Nonetheless, the nickname has persisted; the gopher is even the mascot for the University of Minnesota. 

Wyoming – The Equality State

As the first territory to give women the right to vote in 1869 and the first state to swear in a female governor in 1924, Wyoming has a long history to back up its nickname. Wyoming’s official state motto, “Equal Rights,” adorns the state flag and state seal. But while the state may have had progressive views on women’s suffrage for the time, one reason they were the first state to pass the women’s vote was due to the state’s population size — or lack thereof. Without women being granted the vote, the state would have fallen short for the population requirement for statehood. But they did kick off a trend for women’s suffrage, with Utah, Washington, Montana, and Alaska soon following suit.

Indiana – The Mother of Vice Presidents

Ohio may call itself the “Mother of Presidents,” but when it comes to the second-highest office in the land, its next-door neighbor Indiana takes the spotlight. The state earned the nickname “Mother of Vice Presidents” after Republicans and Democrats put an Indiana-born vice presidential candidate on the ticket in 10 of the 13 elections that took place between 1868 and 1916. The Hoosiers who have served as vice president include Schuyler Colfax, Thomas Hendricks, Charles W. Fairbanks, Thomas R. Marshall, Dan Quayle, and Mike Pence. Despite Indiana’s nickname, New York has produced nearly double the amount of vice presidents (11, compared to Indiana’s six). 

Maryland – America in Miniature

At only 12,406 square miles, Maryland is one of the smallest states in the U.S. — but it packs a punch. The state is home to a wide range of natural features, from the Appalachian Mountains to the Piedmont Plateau to the Atlantic Coastal Plain. This diverse landscape, along with Maryland’s foundational role in the nation’s history, is what earned it the “America in Miniature” nickname. Maryland’s other nicknames include the “Old Line State,” a reference to George Washington’s army in the Revolutionary War, and the “Free State,” a name which came about thanks to residents’ opposition to Prohibition. 

Connecticut – The Nutmeg State

Connecticut’s official nickname is the Constitution State, but one of several unofficial nicknames is the Nutmeg State, which means its residents are “Nutmeggers.” The origin of the Nutmeg State nickname is unclear. Nutmegs are seeds that come from a tree native to the Spice Islands of the East Indies. Under colonial rule, Connecticut merchants imported large amounts of nutmegs, which became popular in early American cuisine. Another theory is that unscrupulous merchants actually sold wooden nutmegs in place of real ones to unsuspecting buyers, and the term “Nutmegger” became associated with fraud. Whatever the origin, the nutmeg symbol has stuck — look out for it on souvenirs the next time you visit Connecticut.

North Dakota – The Flickertail State

North Dakota flicks around as the “Flickertail State,” definitely one of the most unique nicknames of the 50 states. The moniker refers to the noteworthy population of Richardson ground squirrels. Many people got behind the nickname, considering the distinct flick of the squirrels’ tails as they run is quite charming. The state song also relates this nickname: The “Flickertail March” became the title of North Dakota’s state song, as the original title, “Spirit of the Land,” was too similar to the name of another march. North Dakota is also known by the nicknames the “Peace Garden State” and the “Roughrider State.”

Nevada – The Silver State

California might be known as the Golden State, but Nevada takes second prize with the nickname the “Silver State.” Nevada earned the nickname when silver was discovered in the region back in 1859, causing a silver rush of miners hoping to strike it rich. In fact, Nevada is rich with all kinds of precious materials, as the state is the fourth-largest producer of gold in the world, supplying 75% of all gold mined in America. Copper and black opals are also mined in Nevada.

Maine – The Pine Tree State

Maine is the only U.S. state whose official state flower isn’t quite a flower. Rather, it’s an eastern white pine cone. Given Maine’s nickname as the “Pine Tree State” and its abundance of eastern white pines, perhaps Mainers can be forgiven for favoring the pine cone, even if it doesn’t technically qualify as a flower. Named the official state flower in 1945, the eastern white pine cone is known as a gymnosperm, which is a plant that produces seeds without true flowers. The eastern white pine is also Maine’s official state tree, reflecting the central role of lumber in the state’s economy.

Vermont – The Green Mountain State

The only two states with “mountain” in their official nicknames are Vermont, the “Green Mountain State,” and West Virginia, the “Mountain State.” Vermont gets both its name and nickname from the actual Green Mountains that Samuel de Champlain encountered in 1647 and named “Verd Mont,” meaning green mountain in French. West Virginia, meanwhile, lies completely in the Appalachian Mountain region and has the highest average elevation (around 1,500 feet) of any state east of the Mississippi.

Utah – The Beehive State

The beehive has long been a Mormon symbol, and Utah’s short-but-sweet motto of “Industry” is a reference to the industrious insect. The early Mormons who settled Utah had few resources, and they attributed their success to cooperation and hard work. The beehive represents these virtues that the pioneers valued. Utah’s state motto became official in 1959, and it’s featured on both the state seal and the state flag accompanied by the beehive emblem.