List of Adjectival and Demonyms for the United States

Created: December 17, 2015 Last Modified: August 19, 2021

What do you call someone from Idaho (Idahoan) or someone from New Hampshire (New Hampshirite)? What do you call someone from _______? The term for this type of word is a Demonym (also called a gentilic). This is sometimes the same as the Adjectival form of a state but not always.

For example, someone from California is a Californian; and you cheese from California, Californian cheese. In this case, the Demonym and Adjectival forms are the same.

However, this is not true for every state. Someone Maryland is known as a Marylander (Demonym form); however, crabs from Maryland are simply called Maryland crabs (Adjectival form).

In fact, not every state has an Adjectival form. In the case where there is not an appropriate adjective form, you should try to reword the sentence or simply use the state name itself as an adjective form. Notice that in English we capitalize both the Demonym and Adjectival forms of the word because they are derived from proper nouns. Many other languages such as Spanish do not capitalize demonyms.

The United States Government Publishing Office (U.S. GPO) published "preferred" demonym for each state. These are often considered the official nomenclature but many states have unofficial nicknames or informal alternatives.

Below is a complete List of adjectival and demonyms for the United States.

State Preferred Dymonyms Unofficial Dymonyms Adjectival
AlabamaAlabamianAlabamanAlabamian
AlaskaAlaskanAlaskan
American SamoaAmerican Samoan†American Samoan
ArizonaArizonanArizonianArizonan
ArkansasArkansanArkansawyer Arkansan
CaliforniaCalifornianCalifornioCalifornian
ColoradoColoradanColoradoanColoradan
ConnecticutConnecticuterNutmegger
DelawareDelawareanMuskratDelawarean
District of ColumbiaWashingtonian D.C.'erWashingtonian
FloridaFloridianFloridanFloridian
GeorgiaGeorgianGoober-grabberGeorgian
GuamGuamanian Guamanian
HawaiiHawaiianIslanderHawaiian
IdahoIdahoanIdahoan
IllinoisIllinoisanIllinoisianIllinoisan
IndianaIndianianHoosierIndianian
IowaIowanHawkeyeIowan
KansasKansanGrasshopperKansan
KentuckyKentuckianCorncrackerKentuckian
LouisianaLouisianianLouisianian
MaineMainerMainiac
MarylandMarylander
MassachusettsMassachusettsanBay Stater
MichiganMichiganianWolverineMichiganian
MinnesotaMinnesotanMinnesotan
MississippiMississippianMississippian
MissouriMissourianMissourian
MontanaMontananMontanan
NebraskaNebraskanCornhuskerNebraskan
NevadaNevadanNevadianNevadan
New HampshireNew HampshiriteNew Hampshireman or New Hampshirewoman
New JerseyNew JerseyanNew JerseyiteNew Jerseyan
New MexicoNew MexicanNew Mexican
New YorkNew YorkerKnickerbocker
North CarolinaNorth CarolinianTar HeelNorth Carolinian
North DakotaNorth DakotanNorth Dakotan
Northern Mariana IslandsMariana Islander
OhioOhioanBuckeyeOhioan
OklahomaOklahomanSoonerOklahoman
OregonOregonianOregonian
PennsylvaniaPennsylvanianPennamitePennsylvanian
Puerto RicoPuerto Rican BoricuaPuerto Rican
Rhode IslandRhode IslanderRhodean
South CarolinaSouth CarolinianSouth Carolinian
South DakotaSouth DakotanSouth Dakotan
TennesseeTennesseanVolunteerTennessean
TexasTexanTexianTexan
UtahUtahnUtahn
VermontVermonter
VirginiaVirginianVirginian
Virgin IslandsVirgin Islander
WashingtonWashingtonianWashingtonian
West VirginiaWest VirginianWest Virginian
WisconsinWisconsiniteCheesehead
WyomingWyomingite

This demonym is not officially published by the U.S. GPO
There is not proper Adjectival form


** This Document Provided By States101.com **
Source: https://www.states101.com/articles/demonyms