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Quiz about Exploring the Origins of State Names
Quiz about Exploring the Origins of State Names

Exploring the Origins of State Names Quiz

How much do you know about the origins of the names of U.S. states? I learned a lot while writing this quiz, and I hope you will learn something interesting when you take it.

A multiple-choice quiz by chessart. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
chessart
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
55,743
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
20
Difficulty
Difficult
Avg Score
10 / 20
Plays
2836
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Question 1 of 20
1. How many states derive their names from Native American words? Hint


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Question 2 of 20
2. Which state name means 'beautiful river' in Iroquois? Hint


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Question 3 of 20
3. Which state takes its name from a Chippewa word meaning large river? Hint


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Question 4 of 20
4. Which state name is derived from a Native American word meaning 'people of the mountains'? Hint


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Question 5 of 20
5. Which state derives its name from a Chippewa word for 'grassy place'? Hint


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Question 6 of 20
6. Which state name is derived from a Dakota word meaning 'milky water'? Hint


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Question 7 of 20
7. Which state name is derived from a Delaware word meaning 'at the big flats'? Hint


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Question 8 of 20
8. How many states derive their names from European royalty? Hint


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Question 9 of 20
9. Lord Baltimore named Maryland after Queen Henrietta Maria, who was the wife of ___________________. Hint


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Question 10 of 20
10. How many state names are derived from common Spanish words? Hint


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Question 11 of 20
11. Florida takes its name from a Spanish __________. Hint


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Question 12 of 20
12. New Hampshire is named after a British ___________. Hint


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Question 13 of 20
13. New Jersey is named for a British __________. Hint


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Question 14 of 20
14. Which state's name is derived from two French words? Hint


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Question 15 of 20
15. Which state takes its name from an imaginary island? Hint


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Question 16 of 20
16. Which state's name is partially derived from a Latin word? Hint


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Question 17 of 20
17. Which state was named after a colonial governor? Hint


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Question 18 of 20
18. Which state's name is from a Papago word meaning 'little spring'? Hint


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Question 19 of 20
19. Which state's name is taken from Choctaw words meaning 'plant together'? Hint


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Question 20 of 20
20. Which state name is from a Wyandotte word meaning 'plain'? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. How many states derive their names from Native American words?

Answer: 25

 Of these 25 state names, nine are eponymous, derived from the names of Indian tribes. The nine are North and South Dakota, Kansas and Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Utah, and Missouri.
2. Which state name means 'beautiful river' in Iroquois?

Answer: Ohio

 And the state song is 'Beautiful Ohio'.
3. Which state takes its name from a Chippewa word meaning large river?

Answer: Mississippi

 A fitting reference to the role the mighty Mississippi River plays in that part of the country.
4. Which state name is derived from a Native American word meaning 'people of the mountains'?

Answer: Utah

 Utah is derived from a term from the Ute tribe, whose members are today found mainly in Utah, though there are some in Colorado and New Mexico also.
5. Which state derives its name from a Chippewa word for 'grassy place'?

Answer: Wisconsin

 A reference to the area around the Wisconsin River.
6. Which state name is derived from a Dakota word meaning 'milky water'?

Answer: Minnesota

 Minnesota is from a Sioux word meaning "cloudy water" or "sky-tinted water".
7. Which state name is derived from a Delaware word meaning 'at the big flats'?

Answer: Wyoming

 From the Delaware term 'mecheweaming'.
8. How many states derive their names from European royalty?

Answer: 8

 The eight are North and South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, New York, Georgia, Louisiana, and Maryland.
9. Lord Baltimore named Maryland after Queen Henrietta Maria, who was the wife of ___________________.

Answer: Charles I
10. How many state names are derived from common Spanish words?

Answer: 4

 The four are Montana (mountainous), Nevada (snowy), Colorado (red), and Florida.
11. Florida takes its name from a Spanish __________.

Answer: holiday

 Ponce de Leon arrived at the peninsula on Easter Sunday, 1513, and named the land after Pascua Florida ('flowering Easter'), the Spanish Easter holiday.
12. New Hampshire is named after a British ___________.

Answer: county

 Named by Captain John Mason for the county of Hampshire in his native England.
13. New Jersey is named for a British __________.

Answer: island

 Named by Sir George Carteret after his native island of Jersey, in the English Channel.
14. Which state's name is derived from two French words?

Answer: Vermont

 From the French words 'mont vert', meaning 'green mountain'.
15. Which state takes its name from an imaginary island?

Answer: California

 'California' was the name of a fictional island in 'Las Sergas de Esplandian', a romance published in 1510 by the Spanish writer Garcia Ordonez de Montalvo. The name was given to the Baja California peninsula by the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez.
16. Which state's name is partially derived from a Latin word?

Answer: Pennsylvania

 Literally 'Penn's woods', from the Quaker settler William Penn, and 'sylvania', the Latin word for 'woods'.
17. Which state was named after a colonial governor?

Answer: Delaware

 Named after Lord De La Warr, the first colonial governor of Virginia.
18. Which state's name is from a Papago word meaning 'little spring'?

Answer: Arizona

 From 'aleh-zon', a Papago Indian term meaning 'little spring', in reference to a spring in the southern part of the territory.
19. Which state's name is taken from Choctaw words meaning 'plant together'?

Answer: Alabama

 From 'alba' and 'amo', Choctaw words meaning 'plant together'.
20. Which state name is from a Wyandotte word meaning 'plain'?

Answer: Kentucky
Source: Author chessart

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor minch before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
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This quiz is part of series Words and Language:

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Referenced Topics
Geography   People   England   New York   California   Islands   Florida   Rivers   Pennsylvania   Missouri   Massachusetts   Ohio   Georgia   Iowa   Illinois   Arizona   Mexico   New Jersey   Colorado   Wisconsin  

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