Every State With a Native American Name

Nebraska is derived from the archaic Otoe word ñí brásge (“flat water”), which refers to the Platte River.

This state is named after Mexico, a derivation of the Nahuatl word mexihco, whose origins may translate to “place where the god of war lives” or “place at the center of the moon.”

North Dakota is named after the Dakota Sioux. Dakota translates to “the allies.”

The Seneca word for the Ohio River, ohiyo, translates to “it is beautiful.”

A combination of the two Choctaw words ukla (“person”) and humá (“red”), the name was originally used by Choctaw Nation chief Allen Wright to refer to the “red nation” during treaty negotiations.