What do you call a person from one of the States of the USA?
It seems like a simple question, and it's a common one too. As a geography teacher I was often asked what you called a person from a country we might have been investigating. It's not always as obvious as we'd like, and it would help if everywhere followed the same rules, but of course the English language is well known for being a little eccentric at times :-)
Geographers call the word that describes where somebody comes from a DEMONYM (pronounced demo - nim) and we tend to use them quite a lot. Listen to the news, read a paper or just chat on MSN or IRC and you will see / hear plenty of demonyms.
People from different parts of the same country are often refered to with different names too. In the UK, people from Cornwall are Cornish, and in the USA, people from Nebraska are Nebraskans. Demonyms for groups of people within countries follow general rules, but have plenty of exceptions too. So, as with naming people from different countries, you can't follow a few simple rules and always get it right!
So, here's a list showing the most generally accepted demonyms in use today, arranged alphabetically for people living in the different states of the USA.
| State | Demonym |
| Alabama | Alabamian, Alabaman |
| Alaska | Alaskan, Innuit ( a group within Alaskan) |
| Arizona | Arizonan, Arizonian |
| Arkansas | Arkansan |
| California | Californian |
| Colorado | Coloradan, Coloradoan |
| Connecticut | Connecticuter, Nutmegger |
| Delaware | Delawarean |
| District of Colombia | Washingtonian |
| Florida | Floridian, Floridan, Cracker (if they were born there) |
| Georgia | Georgian |
| Hawaii | Hawaiian, Malihini (new comer) and Kamaaina (born there) |
| Idaho | Idahoan |
| Illinois | Illinian,Illinoisan |
| Indiana | Indianan, Indianian, Hoosier |
| Iowa | Iowegian,Iowan |
| Kansas | Kansan |
| Kentucky | Kentuckian |
| Lousiana | Lousianan, Lousianian, Cajun (a group within Louisianians) |
| Maine | Mainer, Maineiac |
| Maryland | Marylander |
| Massachusetts | Bay Stater, Massachusettsan |
| Michigan | Michigander, Michiganite,Michiganian |
| Minnesota | Minnesotan |
| Mississippi | Mississippian |
| Missouri | Missourian |
| Montana | Montanan |
| Nebraska | Nebraskan |
| Nevada | Nevadan, Nevadian |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshirite |
| New Jersey | New Jerseyite, New Jerseyan, Jerseyite |
| New Mexico | New Mexican |
| New York | New Yorker |
| North Carolina | North Carolinian |
| North Dakota | North Dakotan |
| Ohio | Ohioan |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoman, Okie, Sooner |
| Oregon | Oregonian |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvanian |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Islander |
| South Carolina | South Carolinian, Sandlapper |
| South Dakota | South Dakotan |
| Tennessee | Tennessean, Tenesseean |
| Texas | Texan |
| Utah | Utahan, Utahn |
| Vermont | Vermonter |
| Virginia | Virginians |
| Washington | Washingtonian |
| West Virginia | West Virginian |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsinite |
| Wyoming | Wyomingite |
