Whether you’re working on an ‘L’ assignment or looking forward to that next intense game of Scattergories where an ‘L’ comes up on the die, if you need to know which states start with ‘L,’ we’ve got you covered.
Here are all the ‘L’ states in the U.S. (and beyond) and how they got their ‘L’ names.
Louisiana
And there you have it, the singular ‘L’ state in the U.S.
As for where the state got its name, Louisiana was named for Louis XIV who was King of France at the time the French seized and named the territory in 1682.
The state was named by Robert Cavelier de La Salle, who was exploring the territory at King Louis XIV’s behest.
Louisiana Name Meaning
The word “Louisiana” is a combination of “Louis” and “ana,” a suffix that roughly means “relating to.”
So, the loose meaning of “Louisiana” is “relating to Louis.”
Onward From the ‘L’ State Names
One state in the country with an ‘L’ name isn’t going to help you much in Scattergories.
So, if you’re looking for a few more unique state names that begin with the letter ‘L,’ here they are:
International States That Start With L
There might be only one U.S. state that starts with an ‘L,’ but there are other countries that call their territories states and have some states with ‘L’ names.
In Austria, for instance, you’ve got –
- Lower Austria
In Germany, you’ve got –
- Lower Saxony
Is “Lower” cheating? I don’t know.
In Nigeria, you’ve got –
- Lagos (It’s a state too!)
Independent States That Start With L
Along with countries that call their independent territories “states,” there are also countries that are considered independent, or sovereign, states themselves.
Some sovereign states that start with ‘L’ are:
- Laos
- Latvia
- Libya
- Luxembourg
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 L
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 L states can a person or thing be in?
- Laborious
- Lackadaisical
- Ladylike
- Lame
- Leaden
- Leafy
- Legible
- Linear
- Lionhearted
- Logical
- Loose
- Lounging
- Luminescent
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 “L,” it’s really open to interpretation.
Plus, you’re being super creative (good for you!), so you should really get bonus points!