How Many States Were Named After People?

Ten of the 50 states were named after people.

They are:

Washington, named after George Washington;

Pennsylvania, named after Sir William Penn;

Louisiana, named after King Louis XIV of France;

Georgia, named after King George II of England;

Maryland, named after Henrietta Maria, the Queen of King Charles I of England;

New York, named after the English Duke of York;

North and South Carolina, named after Charles I of England;

and Virginia and West Virginia, named after Elizabeth I, the “Virgin Queen” of England.

Four state capitals were named after presidents: Lincoln, Nebraska; Jackson, Mississippi; Jefferson City, Missouri; and Madison, Wisconsin.