How every state got their name and by who?

Question

I want to now an example, like florida how they select the name and who was doing it .like a geografe man or the man with more knologe in that mater on that time thank.

Answer 1

Seems like most were named for people in Europe and most were named by the people who discovered each.  Below is a complete list of where the names came from.  The second link below goes into detail where each states name came from and by who.

Alabama  From Alabama River by early European explorers and named "Alibamu" after the local Indian tribe

Alaska  Corruption of Aleut word meaning “great land” or “that which the sea breaks against”

Arizona  Uncertain. Perhaps from the O'odham Indian word for “little spring”

Arkansas  From the Quapaw Indians

California  From a book, Las Sergas de Esplandián, by Garcia Ordóñez de Montalvo, c. 1500

Colorado  From the Spanish, “ruddy” or “red”

Connecticut  From an Indian word (Quinnehtukqut) meaning “beside the long tidal river”

Delaware  From Delaware River and Bay; named in turn for Sir Thomas West, Baron De La Warr

Florida  From the Spanish Pascua Florida, meaning “feast of flowers” (Easter)

Georgia  In honor of George II of England

Hawaii  Uncertain. The islands may have been named by Hawaii Loa, their traditional discoverer. Or they may have been named after Hawaii or Hawaiki, the traditional home of the Polynesians.

Idaho  An invented name whose meaning is unknown.

Illinois  Algonquin for “tribe of superior men”

Indiana  Meaning “land of Indians”

Iowa  From the Iowa River which was named after the Ioway Indian tribe

Kansas  From a Sioux word meaning “people of the south wind”

Kentucky  From an Iroquoian word “Ken-tah-ten” meaning “land of tomorrow”

Louisiana  In honor of Louis XIV of France

Maine  First used to distinguish the mainland from the offshore islands. It has been considered a compliment to Henrietta Maria, queen of Charles I of England. She was said to have owned the province of Mayne in France.

Maryland  In honor of Henrietta Maria (queen of Charles I of England)

Massachusetts  From Massachusett tribe of Native Americans, meaning “at or about the great hill”

Michigan  From Indian word “Michigana” meaning “great or large lake”

Minnesota  From a Dakota Indian word meaning “sky-tinted water”

Mississippi  From an Indian word meaning “Father of Waters”

Missouri  Named after the Missouri Indian tribe. “Missouri” means “town of the large canoes.”

Montana  From the Spanish word meaning “mountain.”

Nebraska  From an Oto Indian word meaning “flat water”

Nevada  Spanish: “snowcapped”

New Hampshire  From the English county of Hampshire

New Jersey  From the Channel Isle of Jersey

New Mexico  From Mexico, “place of Mexitli,” an Aztec god or leader

New York  In honor of the Duke of York

North Carolina  In honor of Charles I of England

North Dakota  From the Sioux tribe, meaning “allies”

Ohio  From an Iroquoian word meaning “great river”

Oklahoma  From two Choctaw Indian words meaning “red people”

Oregon  Unknown. However, it is generally accepted that the name, first used by Jonathan Carver in 1778, was taken from the writings of Maj. Robert Rogers, an English army officer.

Pennsylvania  In honor of Adm. Sir William Penn, father of William Penn. It means “Penn's Woodland.”

Rhode Island  From the Greek Island of Rhodes

South Carolina  In honor of Charles I of England

South Dakota  From the Sioux tribe, meaning “allies”

Tennessee  Of Cherokee origin; the exact meaning is unknown

Texas  From an Indian word meaning “friends”

Utah  From the Ute tribe, meaning “people of the mountains”

Vermont  From the French “vert mont,” meaning “green mountain”

Virginia  In honor of Elizabeth “Virgin Queen” of England

Washington  In honor of George Washington

West Virginia  In honor of Elizabeth, “Virgin Queen” of England

Wisconsin  French corruption of an Indian word whose meaning is disputed

Wyoming  From the Delaware Indian word, meaning “mountains and valleys alternating”; the same as the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania