Are You A Washingtonian? Washington State or DC? Nicknames From All 50 States

Downeasters, Cheeseheads, Okies and Pennamites.

Oh, so you're from Maine, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

The unique nicknames for the residents of different states are interesting and some of them are obvious but others, you might not be familiar with.

Here is the nickname and a little background for the moniker of the people in every state in the U.S.A.

Alabama (AL)
The residents of the cotton state go by Alabamians, Blazers, Bammers, or Barners. The preference is based on which of the Alabama University football teams you cheer for.

Alaska (AK)
The residents of Alaska are known as Alaskans but natives who lived there before statehood in 1959 prefer to be called "Alaskan Native" or use their indigenous tribal names.

Arizona (AZ)
Residents of Arizona call themselves Arizonans. Curiously, the state nickname "Grand Canyon State" wasn't made official until 2011

Arkansas (AR)
There is debate among residents over the official name for resident "Arkansans" because many prefer the use of "Arkansawyers". The argument centers around the true spelling of the name for the indigenous people the state is named after.

California (CA)
I'm a native Californian but you can also be a transplant to Washington in the early 80's  LA residents can be called Angelino's, and if you are from certain cities; a Beverly Hiller, or a Livermoron from Livermore. Ouch!

Colorado (CO)
If you live in Colorado, you are a Coloradan.  Straight forward and no debate.

Connecticut (CT)
Residents of the sate of Connecticut are known as a Connecticuter but remember to skip the middle C when you pronounce it.  Like many other states, Connecticuters have (even my spell check doesn't like that one) another nickname, Nutmeggers.  It's easier to say but has a tie to the state's early history as a trafficker in counterfeit nutmeg during the colonial spice trade days.

Delaware (DE)
Residents of the nation's first state are known as proud Delawareans! That's a distinction worthy to be proud of.

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Florida (FL)
"Florida Man" is a derisive term for stupid criminals in the news but residents of the sunshine state are known as Floridians.

Georgia (GA)
The southern state is named after King George II of England and residents of the Peach State are called Georgians.

Hawaii (HI)
In Hawaii, it's a little tricky.  If you're a transplant and not of Hawaiian heritage, you're called a local or Hawaii Resident.  If you have Hawaiian ancestry, then you can be called Kama’aina or a Hawaiian.

Idaho (ID)
In the fastest growing state in the nation, you are known as an Idahoan.

Illinois (IL)
Residents of Illinois are officially an Illinoisan. If you live in the Windy City,  you can call yourself Chicagoan.

Indiana (IN)
Nobody knows why Indiana is called the Hoosier state and locals call themselves Hoosiers.  Why not Indianans?

Iowa (IA)
The Hawkeye state, Iowa is named after the native Ioway tribe.  Residents are called Iowans.

Kansas (KS)
To borrow the famous line from The Wizard of Oz, Kansans will always call Kansas home, even if they're not in Kansas anymore!

Kentucky (KY)
Kentucky was the native word for prairie.   A resident of Kentucky is a Kentuckian which was also the name of a 1955 film starring Burt Lancaster.

Louisiana (LA)
Residents of Louisiana are Louisianians, Cajuns and Creoles.

Maine (ME)
It is believed that the state of Maine was named after the French province of Maine.  Residents are called Mainers.  Fun fact: license plates have promoted tourism in Maine with the nickname Vacationland since 1936

Maryland (MD)     

Marylanders are residents of the state named for Queen Henrietta Maria from France who was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1625-1649

Massachusetts (MA)
Residents of Massachusetts describe themselves as Bay Staters.  The official term is  Massachusettsans but that is too hard to say, don't you think?

Michigan (MI)
Michigan locals have been calling themselves Michiganders since 2017.  Before that, the phrase was Michiganians so I can see why they made the switch.

Minnesota (MN)
Those who live in the land of 10,000 lakes are called Minnesotans. It really adds to that  upper mid-west dialect, don't cha know.

Mississippi (MS)
Mississippi is the magnolia state and the name is derived from the Ojibwa language meaning "big river."  Mississippi is the home of Mississippians and my favorite state to spell.

Missouri (MO)
Missouri is the Show Me state and the cave state with over 7,500 caves.  A resident is called a Missourian. Remember they pronounce it Muh zur ruh, not Muh zur Ree

Montana (MT)
Montana may have more animals than people.  Residents are called Montanans!  Some of he animals call them dinner.

Nebraska (NE)
The University of Nebraska Cornhuskers are a well known college football program but the official nickname for residents is a straight forward, Nebraskans.

Nevada (NV)
Las Vegas, Nevada is Sin City, but the residents of Nevada are not nicknamed  "sinners." They go by Nevadans. And I chuckle at the East Coast pronunciation of Nuh vaw duh.  It's Nuh vaa duh, please.

New Hampshire (NH)
Residents of the granite state are known as New Hampshirites.

New Jersey (NJ)
New Jerseyans reside in the garden state which is named for the island of Jersey in England.

New Mexico (NM)
New Mexico's residents go by "New Mexicans" but some locals also use a term "Hispanos" These are descendants of the New Mexico settlers, who came from Spain.

New York (NY)
Fuhgetboutit!  There is only one nickname-New Yorkers!

North Carolina (NC)
Those who live in North Carolina are proud North Carolinians.

North Dakota (ND)
North Dakota is the honey capital of the U.S. and residents are called North Dakotans!

Ohio (OH)
You've heard of the Ohio State University Buckeyes.  What is a buckeye?  It's the nut produced by the Buckeye tree and many residents actually go by the nickname Buckeye. Officially, residents are called Ohioans.

Oklahoma (OK)
Folks from around these parts are known as Oklahomans. And is there a Broadway musical with catchier tunes than the one named for this state?

Oregon (OR)
Oregonians, as the locals are called pronounce the final syllable like it rhymes with bin.  Everyone on the east coast seems to seems to say gone, have you noticed?  What is it with the Oregon and Nevada pronunciation back east?

Pennsylvania (PA)
In Pennsylvania, you might be called a Pennamite or a Pennsylvanian.  Pennsylvania means "Penn's Woods."

Rhode Island (RI)
The residents of the country's smallest state are referred to as Rhode Islanders.  I had never heard the full name of Rhode Island is actually "Rhode Island and Providence Plantations."

South Carolina (SC)
Just like their neighbor to the north, residents of South Carolina call themselves South Carolinians.

South Dakota (SD)
Another North and South sister state pair so it's an obvious one for those in South Dakota to call each other South Dakotans.

Tennessee (TN)
The residents of Tennessee call themselves Tennesseans.

Texas (TX)
There are a lot of Texans in Texas the second most populated state in the U.S.

Utah (UT)
The residents of Utah were originally called Utahans.  A lot of residents didn't like it and thought it hard to spell so they revised the official nickname to Utahns. Not much easier to spell in my book and they're both difficult to pronounce.  I like Utes better, the University of Utah mascot name.

Vermont (VT)
A native of Vermont is a Vermonter, but if you're a transplant from out of state, you will be called a "flatlander."

Virginia (VA)
The residents of Virginia date back to 1607 and are known as Virginians. The state's namesake is the virgin queen, Queen Elizabeth I.

Washington (WA)
Here in Washington state, we are Washingtonians! Here in the Northwest we don't have an accent but a lot of residents pronounce it WARSHington with an R in there for some reason?  We are not the only ones laying claim to the moniker.  Residents in the District of Columbia, our nation's capitol, also prefer this nickname and since the Evergreen State in named in honor of our first President, sharing "Washingtonians" is probably fair.

West Virginia (WV)
Residents of Virginia are Virginians and West Virginia became a state unique from Virginia during the Civil War so this one is easy.  Residents are West Virginians.

Wisconsin (WI)                                                                                                                In Wisconsin, Cheesehead is not an insult, it's an affectionate name for residents and proud Green Bay Packer fans.  The official title for residents is Wisconsinites.

Wyoming (WY)
There are not many Wyomingites in the least populated state in the country. Wyomingite sounds like a rare type of rock found only in the Cowboy State.