Hoosier

This article is about the official demonym for a resident of the U.S. state of Indiana. For other uses, see Hoosier (disambiguation).

Hoosier /ˈhuːʒər/ is the official demonym for the people of the U.S. state of Indiana. The origin of the term remains a matter of debate,[1] but "Hoosier" was in general use by the 1840s,[2] having been popularized by Richmond resident John Finley's 1833 poem "The Hoosier's Nest".[2] Indiana adopted the nickname "The Hoosier State" more than 150 years ago.[1]

"Hoosier" is used in the names of numerous Indiana-based businesses and organizations. "Hoosiers" is also the name of the Indiana University athletic teams. As there is no accepted embodiment of a Hoosier, the IU schools are represented through their letters and colors alone. The term is universally accepted by residents of Indiana and, as of 2017, is also the official demonym used by the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO), making it the only GPO-recommended demonym of any US state that is not directly formed from the state's name. Before 2017, the GPO-recommended demonym for the state was "Indianian".[3]

  1. ^ a b "What is a Hoosier?". Indiana Historical Bureau. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Haller, Steve (Autumn 2008). "The Meanings of Hoosier. 175 Years and Counting". Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History. 20 (4). Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society: 5. ISSN 1040-788X.
  3. ^ Groppe, Maureen (January 12, 2017). "Don't Call Them Indianians; They're Hoosiers". USA Today. Gannett. Archived from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.