How did the Oklahoma City thunder get their name?

Answer 1

The University of Oklahoma is NOT called the Boomer Sooners; they are called the Sooners after the enterprising settlers who sneaked into Oklahoma Territory before the official start of the run at noon on April 22, 1889 (i.e., sooner than they should have).

The boomers were a group (most notably David L. Payne, for whom Payne County, OK is named) who agitated for more than ten years for opening Oklahoma to settlement.

The University of Oklahoma fight song, "Boomer Sooner," was fashioned after the Yale fight song, "Boola Boola" and the University of North Carolina fight song, "I'm a Tar Heel Born."

Answer 2

The state's name is derived from the Choctaw words oklaand humma, meaning "red people"

Answer 3

Everyone from Oklahoma is a Sooner. The territory was opened for homesteading at noon on April 22, 1889, but some settlers got there "sooner"; then later.... :)

Answer 4

The names were suggested to the Thunder, and the Thunder ended up choosing the Thunder as their name.