State Name Origin: Delaware

Delaware is a state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the
United States, in the northeastern portion of the Delmarva Peninsula and is the second
smallest, the sixth least populous, but the sixth most densely populated of the 50 United
States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, to the northeast by New
Jersey, and to the north by Pennsylvania.
Delaware's largest city is Wilmington, while the state capital is Dover, the second-
largest city in the state. The state is divided into three counties, having the lowest
number of any state; from north to south, they are New Castle County, Kent County,
and Sussex County. While the southern two counties have historically been
predominantly agricultural, New Castle is more urbanized. In a similar vein to Maryland,
Delaware's geography, culture, and history combine elements of the Mid-Atlantic,
Northeastern, and Southern regions of the country.
The state was named after the Delaware River which in turn derived its name from
Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr (1577-1618), the governor of the Colony of
Virginia at the time the river was first explored by Europeans.

Origin of Delaware State Name

Delaware is not a Native American name. Exploring the Atlantic coast north of
Jamestown in 1610, Captain Samuel Argall discovered a large bay which he named in
honor of Sir Thomas West, Third Lord de la Warr and the first governor of the Virginia.
The title is likely ultimately derived from the Old French de la werre ("of the war"or a
warrior). Apparently, Governor West was unimpressed with this honor and returned to
England without ever bothering to gaze upon his namesake. However, the name stuck.
English colonists later used Delaware for the bay, the river and the native peoples who
lived there. The Delaware called themselves Lenape translated either as "original
people" or "true men."

Delaware Nicknames
Delaware is known by this nickname due to the fact that on December 7, 1787, it
became the first of the 13 original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution. "The First State“
became the official State nickname on May 23, 2002 following a request by Mrs.
Anabelle O'Malley's First Grade Class at Mt. Pleasant Elementary School.
Delaware has several nicknames, they include Diamond State, Small Wonder, Blue Hen
State, Peach State, Land of Tax-Free Shopping, and New Sweden.
First State
Delaware is known by this nickname due to the fact that on December 7, 1787, it
became the first of the 13 original states to ratify the US Constitution. "The First
State" became the official State nickname on May 23, 2002.

Diamond State
Small but valuable. This nickname, Diamond State, was given to Delaware,
according to legend, by Thomas Jefferson because he described Delaware as a
"jewel" among states due to its strategic location on the Eastern Seaboard.

Blue Hen State

Blue Hen State was given to Delaware after the fighting Blue Hen Cocks that
were carried with the Delaware Revolutionary War Soldiers for entertainment
during Cock fights.

Small Wonder
And its small size gave it the nickname of Uncle Sam's Pocket Handkerchief, or
more recently, Small Wonder. It was given to Delaware due to its size and the
contributions it has made to our country as a whole and the beauty of Delaware.

Peach State
In the 16th century, the Spanish introduced peaches into the state, and a
hundred years later the state was almost overrun with them, leading to the
nickname The Peach State (which in turn led the state to adopt the Peach
Blossom as the state flower in 1895).

New Sweden
It also once had the nickname New Sweden, after the name of the original
Swedish settlement of "Nye Sverige", founded in 1638.