Arizona - Etymology

Etymology

The general belief is that the name of the state comes from an earlier Spanish name, Arizonac, derived from the O'odham name alĭ ṣonak, meaning “small spring”, which initially applied only to an area near the Mexican silver mining camp of Planchas de Plata, Sonora. This is supported by the fact that that area is still known as alĭ ṣonak in the O'odham language. Other possible origins that have been proposed are the Spanish phrase árida zona (“arid zone”), shortened to “Arizona” or the Basque phrase aritz ona (“the good oak”).

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