New Hampshire State Names (Etymology of Names)
New Hampshire Etymology, Name Origin and State Nicknames
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The small New England state, is defined by its quaint towns and large expanses of wilderness. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. New Hampshire is the 5th smallest, and the 9th least populous of the 50 United States. New Hampshire's major regions are the Great North Woods, the White Mountains, the Lakes Region, the Seacoast, the Merrimack Valley, the Monadnock Region, and the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee area. New Hampshire has the shortest ocean coastline of any coastal state.
The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire, England, by Captain John Mason.
New Hampshire Nicknames
- Granite State
- Queen State
- White Mountain State
- Switzerland of America
- Mother of Rivers
Origin of New Hampshire State Name
From the English county of Hampshire.
Captain John Mason received a grant for land in 1629. He named this land New Hampshire after the English county of Hampshire where he had enjoyed a number of years as a child.
New Hampshire Nicknames
Granite State
Granite is the traditional rock in New Hampshire. Back in 1830, New Hampshire was known as the Granite State, and this nickname has prevailed to the present day (there was once a huge industry based on the quarrying of granite).
Queen State
Queen by right of her natural beauty; queen by her native hardy spirit; queen by her diversified industry; queen by reason of her motherhood of great men.
White Mountains and Switzerland of America
For the White Mountains. Early visitors related the White Mountains to the mountains of Switzerland.
Mother of Rivers
For rivers with headwaters in the White Mountains.
New Hampshire Slogans
- Live Free or Die
- You're Going to Love it Here
New Hampshire Postal Code
- NH
New Hampshire Resident's Name
- New Hampshirite - Official (recommended by US GPO)
- New Hampshireman - Official, unofficial or informal alternates
- New Hampshirewoman - Official, unofficial or informal alternates
The Etymologies of US State Names
