Over about 200 years, each U.S. state and territory landed on a name that honored its leaders or represented some aspect of its natural landscape or history. Half the states found the roots of their current names in the words Indigenous people used to describe the area. Twelve state names come from Spanish or French explorers. Some Eastern states were named for British royalty or nobility, including the Carolinas, Virginia and New York. Washington is the only state named for a U.S. president.
Sources: Alta Services, Etymonline, Government of the Virgin Islands