California — a mythical island from the 1510 Spanish novel Las sergas de Esplandián by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo.
Colorado — “red-colored” (referring to the color of the river that is the state’s namesake).
Florida — “flowery”
Montana — from montaña (“mountain”)
Nevada — “snowy”
New Mexico — an anglicization of Nuevo México.
Texas — the Spanish adopted the word tejas from the language of the indigenous Cado people. It means “friends” or “allies.”
Utah — derived from the name of the indigenous Ute people, by way of Spanish yuta.
Arizona — from Spanish Arizonac, itself an adoption of the word alĭ ṣonak, meaning “little spring,” from the local O’odham language. Alternate etymology may be the Basque haritz ona (good oak).
