Whether you’re working on an ‘H’ assignment or looking forward to that next intense game of Scattergories where an ‘H’ comes up on the die, if you need to know which states start with ‘H,’ we’ve got you covered.
Here are all the ‘H’ states in the U.S. (and beyond) and how they got their ‘H’ names.
Hawaii
Yup, that’s it. Just Hawaii.
It’s the only ‘H’ state in the country.
As for Hawaii’s name origin, it’s somewhat uncertain.
One possibility for the state’s name origin comes from a legend.
The legend says a fisherman named Hawai’iloa discovered Hawaii on a fishing expedition and that the island was named after him.
(There is no proof to support this legend, but it is a popular origin story in Hawaii oral history.)
Another possibility is that the name Hawaii is a slight alteration of the name “Hawaiki,” which also comes from legend.
Hawaiki was thought to be the home of all Polynesians before they dispersed throughout the islands of Polynesia.
Hawaii Name Meaning
While the name “Hawaii” itself has no specific meaning (beyond the island group that bears the name), there are words in several Polynesian languages that sound similar to Hawaii.
These words are varied, but carry the same general meaning – homeland or underworld.
Onward From the ‘H’ State Names
So, there you have it, the singular U.S. state that starts with the letter ‘H.’
That’s not going to help you much in Scattergories.
So, if you’re looking for a few more unique state names that begin with an ‘H,’ here they are:
International States That Start With H
There might only be one U.S. state that starts with an ‘H,’ but there are other countries that call their territories states and have some states with ‘H’ names.
In Mexico, for instance, you’ve got –
- Hidalgo
In Germany, you’ve got –
- Hamburg
- Hesse
In India, you’ve got –
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
And so on.
Independent States That Start With H
Along with countries that call their independent territories “states,” there are also countries that are considered independent, or sovereign, states themselves.
The sovereign states that start with ‘H’ are:
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
Basically, any country that is not under the political or social control of another country is considered a sovereign state, including the United States.
States of Being That Start With H
Now, if you really want to push your luck with “state” (like during a Scattergories game), you can also go with a different definition of “state.”
Namely, this definition –
“the condition of a person or thing” (dictionary.com)
This opens up tons of possibilities.
So, what H states can a person or thing be in?
- Hairy
- Hallowed
- Hardheaded
- Hardhearted
- Hard up
- Harried
- Hedonic
- Heightened
- High
- Hindered
- Horny
Whether or not you’ll get away with any of these really depends on how cool the group you’re playing with is or how cool your teacher is.
But, unless it’s explicitly stated that you must name a “place that is a state” or a “U.S. state” that starts with an “H,” it’s really open to interpretation.
Plus, you’re being super creative (good for you!), so you should really get bonus points!