What US state names come from Native American languages?

Answer 1

The following 26 state names come from Native American languages:

1. Alabama - Named after the Alibamu tribe of Indians who were members of the Creek Confederacy. Literally, it means “clears the thicket.”
   
2. Alaska - From the word “Alakshak’ which means peninsula.
   
3. Arizona - This one’s uncertain but may derive from a word meaning “small springs.”
   
4. Connecticut - From the expression “quinnitukg-ut” which means “at the long tidal river.”
   
5. Hawaii - From the words “Havaiki” or “Hawaiki,” the name of the original Polynesian homeland.
   
6. Idaho - Derived from one of three sources and meaning one of three things: Comanche “Idahi” Shoshone “ee-dah-how” which means something like “Good Morning” Salmon River Tribe of Indians “Ida” means salmon and “ho” means tribe so we might be saying “Salmon eaters”.
7. Illinois - From “illiniwek” or “illiniwek”. “Illini” meant “man” and “iwek” makes the word plural, so, literally, “men.”
8. Iowa - Named after the Ioway Indians.
9. Kansas - Named after the Kansa Indians.
10. Kentucky - Means one of three things: meadowlands, cane and turkey lands, or dark and bloody ground.
11. Massachusetts - meaning “about the big hill.”
12. Michigan - From the Chippewa Indian word “Michigama” meaning “large lake.”
13. Minnesota - From the Dakota Indian word “Minisota” meaning “white water.”
14. Mississippi - From the Choctaw word meaning “Great water” or “Father of Waters.”
15. Missouri - "Town of the large canoes.”
16. Nebraska - From the Oto Indian word meaning “flat water.”
17. New Mexico - Means “place of the Mexica.” One source says that it’s derived from the name “Mertili” who was an Aztec god.
18. Ohio - From the Iroquois word meaning “beautiful.”
19. Oklahoma - From the Choctaw word meaning “red people.”
20. South Dakota - see next one
21. North Dakota - “Dahkota” means “friends” or “allies”.
22. Tennessee - From the Cherokee “Tanasi” which was a village. The word means one of three things: “meeting place”, “winding river”, or “river of the great bend”.
23. Texas - A Caddo Indian word meaning “allies.”
24. Utah - From the Ute Indian word “Yuta” meaning “people who live high in the mountains.”
25. Wisconsin - From the word “Wishkonsing” meaning “place of the beaver.”
26. Wyoming - “On the Great Plain.”