Every State With a Native American Name

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

Tennessee is derived from the Cherokee word tanasi, which was a town in the area. Although the word tanasi has no direct Cherokee meaning, it may have been shortened from a longer word or named after a Cherokee person of unknown identity.

Texas is derived from the Caddo word taysha, which means “friends” or “allies.”

Utah is a derivation of Ute, a tribe native to the area. The Ute tribal name may have come from the Apache word yudah, meaning “they who are higher up.” The Utes refer to themselves as Noochee, meaning “the people.”

The Algonquin name for the Wisconsin River is meskousing, which may have been adapted from the Miami word meskonsing, meaning “it lies red,” referring to the red sandstone along the river around Wisconsin Dells. The name was corrupted over the years into its current form, Wisconsin.