Origin of "Delaware"

Delaware State Name Origin

Lord-De-La-WarrLordDelaware.jpg

Lord De La Warr

Lord De La Warr (public domain image on Wikipedia).

What does "Delaware" mean?

The name "Delaware" originates from the Delaware River and Bay, which were named in honor of Sir Thomas West (Lord De La Warr), the first governor of the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia in 1610. All State Name Origins

Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 7, 1787 (statehood dates), and since 1933, Delaware's governors have proclaimed December 7 as "Delaware Day." 

Delaware

Images

Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution in 1787. The U.S. Mint's commemorative quarter for Delaware features Caesar Rodney on horseback (signer of the Declaration of Independence and president of Delaware during most of the American Revolution), and Delaware's official nickname: "The First State" (public domain image on Wikipedia).

Delaware quarter

Endorsed ratification of the federal Constitution by the Delaware convention on December 7, 1787. Public domain image from "Observing Constitution Day" (National Archives).

Delaware ratification of U.S. Constitution