Washington (state) - Name

Name

Washington was named after George Washington, the first President of the United States, and is the only U.S. state named after a president. Washington is commonly called Washington state or occasionally the State of Washington to distinguish it from the U.S. capital. However, Washingtonians (residents of Washington) and many residents of neighboring states and Canadians from southern British Columbia normally refer to the state simply as "Washington", while usually referring to the nation's capital as "Washington, D.C." or simply "D.C." The area was originally called "Columbia" after the Columbia River; however, to avoid confusion with the District of Columbia, the area was renamed Washington.