The Official Terms For Each State's Residents Have Lots Of People Confused
By Emily Lee
August 2, 2019
Did you know that U.S. Government Publish Office has an official style guide that lists the correct way to address residents from each state? If you didn't, you're not alone. The news came a surprise to a ton of people after a woman named Natalie Jackson shared the list on Twitter.
"After about a dozen arguments about what to call residents of certain states, I finally googled and found the U.S. Government Publishing Office Style Manual. Have fun with this, twitter," Natalie's tweet reads. Her tweet quickly went viral and, let's just say, a ton of people were very confused by the 'official' term for their state's residents.
After about a dozen arguments about what to call residents of certain states, I finally googled and found the U.S. Government Publishing Office Style Manual. Have fun with this, twitter. pic.twitter.com/H8bugwOH2j
— Natalie Jackson (@nataliemj10) July 31, 2019
Here's the full list:
- Alabama: Alabamian
- Alaska: Alaskan
- Arizona: Arizonan
- Arkansas: Arkansan
- California: Californian
- Colorado: Coloradan
- Connecticut: Connecticuter
- Delaware: Delawarean
- Florida: Floridian
- Georgia: Georgian
- Hawaii: Hawaii Resident
- Idaho: Idahian
- Illinois: Illinosian
- Indiana: Hoosier
- Iowa: Iowan
- Kansas: Kansan
- Kentucky: Kentuckian
- Louisiana: Louisianian
- Maine: Mainer
- Maryland: Marylander
- Massachusetts: Massachusettesan
- Michigan: Michiganian
- Minnesota: Minnesotan
- Mississippi: Mississippian
- Missouri: Missourian
- Montana: Montanan
- Nebraska: Nebraskan
- Nevada: Nevadan
- New Hampshire: New Hampshirite
- New Jersey: New Jerseyan
- New Mexico: New Mexican
- New York: New Yorker
- North Carolina: North Carolinian
- North Dakota: North Dakotan
- Ohio: Ohioan
- Oklahoma: Oklahoman
- Oregon: Oregonian
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvanian
- Rhode Island: Rhode Islander
- South Carolina: South Carolinian
- South Dakota: South Dakotan
- Tennessee: Tennessean
- Texas: Texan
- Utah: Utahn
- Vermont: Vermonter
- Virginia: Virginian
- Washington: Washingtonian
- West Virginia: West Virginian
- Wisconsin: Wisconite
- Wyoming: Wyomingite
The list quickly garnered a ton of replies and retweets with people from various states arguing that the "official" term for the residents of their state is actually incorrect. The term 'Michiganian' seemed to get the most negative attention. Apparently, people form Michigan prefer to be called 'Michiganders.'
Michiganian? pic.twitter.com/jsdhUf1cAa
— UMvsEveryone (@UMvsEveryone) August 1, 2019
Eeeesh some of these are decent argument never to trust big government
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) July 31, 2019
"Wyomingite" sounds like that weird food-like substance that comes from Australia.
— Natalie Jackson (@nataliemj10) July 31, 2019
Were you surprised by your states official term for its residents?
Photo: Getty