Maine State Names

Maine Name Etymology and State Nicknames

Northeast

• Pine Tree State

• Border State

• Old Dirigo State

• Vacationland

• Down East

Pine Tree State

This common nickname for Maine is given because of the extensive pine forests that have covered the state. Maine possesses over 17 million acres of forests. The White Pine has played an important part in the history of Maine and has been afforded appropriate recognition. In the early days of colonization, the tall White Pines of Maine were valued for ship's masts.

Old Dirigo State

State motto, Dirigo,

Vacationland

License plates.

Origin of Maine State Name

There is no definitive answer for the origin of the name Maine. The state legislature in 2001 adopted a resolution establishing Franco-American Day, which stated that the state was named after the ancient French province of 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.

It is really not known how the name for this state originated. One theory suggests that the state was named by French colonists after the French province of Mayne. Another mentions that "Main" was a common term to describe a mainland. Whatever the origin, the name was fixed in 1665 when the King's Commissioners ordered that the "Province of Maine" be entered from then on in official records.

Maine Postal Code

ME

Maine Resident's Name

Mainer