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You are here: Home / Geography / Why Is New York Called the Empire State and Where Did the Nickname Come From?

Why Is New York Called the Empire State and Where Did the Nickname Come From?

April 26, 2020 by Karen Hill

New York is called the Empire State not because of the Empire State Building, the state had its nickname long before 1931, when that famous skyscraper was built.

how did new york get the nickname empire state?

No one knows for sure how New York got the nickname, but some historians think the name can be traced to George Washington, who once said the state might become the seat of a new empire.

In the first few decades of the nation’s history, Virginia was the most populous state.

But by 1810 New York had taken over. It remained number one for more than 150 years, until California passed it in population in the 1960s.

By the 1990s, Texas also had more people than New York.

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Filed Under: Geography

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « When Was New York City the Capital of the United States and Why Was It Relocated To Philadelphia?
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