Rhode Island is known as the Ocean State. How did we get the nickname anyway?
When you think of Rhode Island, one of the first things that likely comes to mind is the ocean. After all, that’s our nickname: The Ocean State.
State nicknames are one of the tried-and-true methods to market a state. Take Florida, a state where it rains nearly every afternoon during the humid summer months, successfully billing itself as the Sunshine State. Arizona focused on its main tourism asset, nicknaming itself The Grand Canyon State. Or how about Arizona’s neighbor New Mexico choosing The Land of Enchantment as its nickname. It makes for pretty enchanted copywriting.
A What and Why RI reader asked why Rhode Island is billed as The Ocean State, and if it’s ever been known as anything else.
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How the Ocean State got its name
The nickname started with a billboard.
Rhode Island Gov. Frank Licht, who served from 1969 to 1973, was unhappy with the billboard welcoming people to Rhode Island, and he wasn’t alone in that opinion. The Department of Transportation thought the signs, which featured a Rhode Island Red crowing, were “gaudy,” and one influential group, Ecology Action of Rhode Island, called it “the worst type of visual pollution around” in a Providence Journal article.
In September 1970, they tested two new signs – one on Route 24 at the Tiverton-Massachusetts line and one on Interstate 95 at the Attleboro line – declaring Rhode Island “The Ocean State,” just to see the reaction.
And from those signs, the name took off. In July 1971, the General Assembly voted to change the Rhode Island license plate from saying “Discover” to declaring Rhode Island “The Ocean State.” From there it caught on quickly, making its way into seafood advertisements, in political speeches, even the name of a cat show. However, according to the state librarian's office, it was never officially voted on as the official state nickname.
At the time, the move was a little controversial, with The Providence Journal article announcing the change somewhat wryly, pointing out that Rhode Island has less coastline than many other states on the Eastern Seaboard. But now, the name is pretty widely accepted. After all, every Rhode Islander lives within a 30-minute drive to the Atlantic Ocean or Narragansett Bay.
Plus, it works well for promoting tourism. It has a better ring to it than, say, Connecticut's status as the Nutmeg State.
Other names for Rhode Island
Before the 1970s, "Little Rhody" was the main nickname used for Rhode Island. It’s an obvious nod to the small size of the state. This is by far the nickname that came up the most frequently in The Providence Journal archives.
Rhode Island has also gone by "The Smallest State," again, because we’re little.
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Rhode Island was also nicknamed "The Plantation State" because until 2020 the full name was “State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.”
Rhode Island has also been called "The Southern Gateway of New England," because “Rhode Island was the most southerly of the New England states with harbors suitable for ocean-going ships,” the state’s website reads.
A quick check with Rhode Island Commerce, which oversees Visit Rhode Island, confirmed they've stuck to The Ocean State and Little Rhody as the official nicknames.
What and Why RI is a weekly feature by The Providence Journal to explore our readers' curiosity. If you have a question about Rhode Island, big or small, email it to [email protected]. She loves a good question.
Correction: A previous version incorrectly identified the agency Visit Rhode Island.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: How did RI get the nickname the Ocean State? Other names came first.
