Why Is Iowa Called the Hawkeye State?

Most sources say that Iowa’s Hawkeye State nickname was inspired by a Native American warrior named Black Hawk and/or the character of Hawkeye in James Fenimore Cooper’s novel The Last of the Mohicans. Though the exact history of the name is debated, most Iowans proudly refer to themselves as Hawkeyes.

The story of how the Hawkeye State got its name changes slightly depending on who is telling it. However, most sources agree on the basic underlying facts. There are two men largely responsible for the adoption of the Hawkeye nickname: David Rorer (a judge) and James G. Edwards (a newspaperman).

As (one version of) the story goes, in the early 1830s, Rorer was concerned that Iowa would be given an unflattering label by its regional neighbors. He thought it would be better if Iowa created its own nickname. He was determined to support the process, and he enlisted his friend James Edwards to help popularize a good state nickname.

It’s thought that Rorer had two inspirations for his chosen name. He loved literature, and it’s almost certain he knew of the character Hawkeye in The Last of the Mohicans (one of the most popular novels at the time). However, Rorer probably also chose the name to honor a well-known Iowan historical figure: Black Hawk (Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak). This Native American warrior of the Sauk tribe was famous in the region for participating in the Black Hawk War of 1832. Siding with the British, Black Hawk fought against the U.S. to push American settlers away from Sauk territory.

Many sources say that Rorer and Edwards agreed that choosing “Hawkeye” as the state’s nickname would honor Black Hawk and be an easy sell thanks to The Last of the Mohicans. Both men worked hard to get Iowa’s citizens to adopt the name. Edwards moved to Burlington and renamed his newspaper The Hawk-Eye.

Rorer may have done even more; some sources say he was the ghostwriter of several anonymous letters widely published in Iowa newspapers. Collectively called “A Wolverine Among the Hawkeyes,” these letters were supposedly from a Michigan traveler visiting Iowa. While it’s not certain that Rorer was the true author, there’s little doubt that the letters helped secure support for the Hawkeye nickname.

The name Iowa is derived from a Native American Siouan tribe called the Ioway people. This name probably came from the Sioux word ayuhwa, which means “the sleepy ones.” However, the name is not itself an Ioway word; it was probably the term that other tribes called the Ioway. The name is thought to have started with the Dakotan word ayuxbe, which the French rendered as aiouez, and which then became ioway.

The Ioway people referred to themselves as Bah-Kho-Je in their own language of Chiwere. The name Bah-Kho-Je means “grey snow.” An alternate spelling is Báxoje.

Along with its Hawkeye moniker, Iowa has several other emblems. The state tree is the oak, and the wild rose is the official flower. While Iowa doesn’t have a state animal, it does have an official bird: the Eastern Goldfinch. The state’s motto is “ Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.” Its apropos song is The Song of Iowa.

Along with its storied nickname, Iowa is famous for many other interesting things. The state has a history of progressivism; it desegregated schools in 1868, gave married women property rights in 1851, and legalized women practicing law in 1869. Iowa is the largest producer of pork, corn, and beef in the U.S.