Michigan State Names

Michigan Name Etymology and State Nicknames

Midwest

• Wolverine State

• Great Lake State

• The Peninsula State

• Lake State

• Lady of the Lake

• Auto State

• Mitten State

• Water Wonderland

Origin of Michigan State Name

Derived from the Indian words "Michi-gama" meaning "large lake."

The word Michigan originally referred to a clearing on the lower peninsula and was derived from the Chippewa Indian word "majigan" which means clearing. Lake Michigan was named after this clearing by European explorers in the area in the 1670's. The state later took the name of the clearing as well.

The French first used the word for the Great Lake that Native Americans called the "Lake of the Illinois"--now Lake Michigan. It was first used officially to refer to this land area when Congress created the Territory of Michigan in 1805.

Nicknames

Wolverine State:

Michigan has long had an unofficial nickname: "The Wolverine State." However, evidence seems to show that if wolverines ever lived in Michigan, they would have been very rare. We don't know exactly how the state got the nickname, but two stories attempt to explain it.

Some people believe that Ohioans gave Michigan the nickname around 1835 during a dispute over the Toledo strip, a piece of land along the border between Ohio and Michigan. Rumors in Ohio at the time described Michiganians as being as vicious and bloodthirsty as wolverines. This dispute became known as the Toledo War.

Another reason given for the nickname is a story that has Native Americans, during the 1830s, comparing Michigan settlers to wolverines. Some native people, according to this story, disliked the way settlers were taking the land because it made them think of how the gluttonous wolverine went after its food.

Source: http://www.sos.state.mi.us/history/michinfo/michfaq/michfaq.html#wolver  

Great Lake State

Another nickname for Michigan is the "Great Lake State." Michigan's shores touch four of the five Great Lakes, and Michigan has more than 11,000 inland lakes. In Michigan, you are never more than 6 miles from an inland lake or more than 85 miles from a Great Lake. From 1969 to 1975 and from 1977 to 1983 Michigan's automobile license plates featured the legend, GREAT LAKE STATE.

But this name conflicts with the "Lake States", given to the states which border the Great Lakes. To avoid this conflict, some have turned it into the Lady of the Lake and the more remote Water Wonderland.

Lake State

Lake Michigan. Michigan is also known as the Lake State, (which appeared on the state license plates) for its proximity to Lake Michigan, but this name conflicts with the "Lake States", given to the states which border the Great Lakes. To avoid this conflict, some have turned it into the Lady of the Lake and the more remote Water Wonderland.

Lady of the Lake

Lake Michigan. Michigan is also known as the Lake State, or the Great Lakes State (which appeared on the state license plates) for its proximity to Lake Michigan, but this name conflicts with the "Lake States", given to the states which border the Great Lakes. To avoid this conflict, some have turned it into the Lady of the Lake and the more remote Water Wonderland.

Auto State

Detroit's automobile manufacturing industry.

The Peninsula State

Some references to Michigan during the early twentieth century also called the state "The Peninsula State."

Slogans

(formerly Water/Winter Wonderland)

Michigan Postal Code

MI

Michigan Resident's Name

Michigander, Michiganite