Delaware State Names

Delaware Name Etymology and State Nicknames

Middle Atlantic

• First State

• Diamond State

• Blue Hen State

• Small Wonder

• Peach State

• New Sweden

• Land of Tax-Free Shopping

Origin of Delaware State Name

Delaware is not a Native American name. Exploring the Atlantic coast north of Jamestown in 1610, Captain Samuel Argall discovered a large bay which he named in honor of Sir Thomas West, Third Lord de la Warr and the first governor of the Virginia. Apparently, Governor West was unimpressed with this honor and returned to England without ever bothering to gaze upon his namesake. However, the name stuck. English colonists later used Delaware for the bay, the river and the native peoples who lived there. The Delaware called themselves Lenape translated either as "original people" or "true men."

Nicknames

"The First State" became the official State nickname on May 23, 2002.

Delaware has several nicknames, they include Diamond State, Small Wonder, Blue Hen State, Peach State, Land of Tax-Free Shopping, and New Sweden.

First State

Delaware is known by this nickname due to the fact that on December 7, 1787, it became the first of the 13 original states to ratify the US Constitution. "The First State" became the official State nickname on May 23, 2002.

Diamond State

Small but valuable. This nickname was given to Delaware, according to legend, by Thomas Jefferson because he described Delaware as a "jewel" among states due to its strategic location on the Eastern Seaboard.

Blue Hen State

Blue Hen State was given to Delaware after the fighting Blue Hen Cocks that were carried with the Delaware Revolutionary War Soldiers for entertainment during Cock fights.

Small Wonder

And its small size gave it the nickname of Uncle Sam's Pocket Handkerchief, or more recently, Small Wonder. It was given to Delaware due to its size and the contributions it has made to our country as a whole and the beauty of Delaware.

Peach State

In the 16th century, the Spanish introduced peaches into the state, and a hundred years later the state was almost overrun with them, leading to the nickname The Peach State (which in turn led the state to adopt the Peach Blossom as the state flower in 1895).

New Sweden

It also once had the nickname New Sweden, after the name of the original Swedish settlement of "Nye Sverige", founded in 1638.

Slogans

It's Good Being First

Delaware Postal Code

DE

Delaware Resident's Name

Delawarean