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Idaho Landscape

Idaho

State Names & Nicknames

A list of US state slogans is available, as well as a list of US state State Name, origin of the state names, and the state resident's names.

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Idaho Symbols

Idaho Greeting

Idaho Symbols

American Folk Dance, Bird, Fish, Flag, Flower, Fossil, Fruit, Gem or Stone, Horse, Insect, Motto, Nicknames, Raptor, Seal, Song, Tree, Vegetable

Idaho State Names

Idaho Name Etymology and State Nicknames

Rocky Mountains

Gem State
Gem of the Mountains
Land of Famous Potatoes
Spud State

Origin of Idaho State Name

Originally suggested for Colorado, the name "Idaho" was used for a steamship which traveled the Columbia River. With the discovery of gold on the Clearwater River in 1860, the diggings began to be called the Idaho mines. "Idaho" is a coined or invented word, and is not a derivation of an Indian phrase "E Dah Hoe (How)" supposedly meaning "gem of the mountains."

Nicknames

Gem State or Gem of the Mountains

In 1863, Congress designated the Idaho Territory with the erroneous understanding that Idaho was a Shoshone word meaning Gem of the Mountains. This has led the state to be nicknamed Gem of the Mountains, or most succinctly in more recent times, The Gem State.

The mountains of Idaho contain veins of gold, silver, lead, zinc, cobalt, copper, and many other rare minerals. Among these rare minerals are gems - star garnets (the state gem), jasper, opal, jade, topaz, zircon, and tourmaline.

Land of Famous Potatoes

But Idaho's famous potatoes aren't ignored, and Land of the Famous Potato and Spud State are sometimes seen.

Slogans

Great Potatoes. Tasty Destinations.

(formerly) Famous Potatoes (on its license plate)

Idaho Postal Code

ID

Idaho Resident's Name

Idahoan

State Names

State Names & Nicknames

The etymologies of some US state names are more obvious than others, derived from the Spanish or French tongue. Though, more than half of the US state names come from Native American tribal languages, with several still a mystery to scholars and historians.

name \ˈnām\
noun

Etymology:Middle English, from Old English nama; akin to Old High German namo name, Latin nomen, Greek onoma, onyma

Date: before 12th century

a: a word or phrase that constitutes the distinctive designation of a person or thing

b: a word or symbol used in logic to designate an entity

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