state abbreviations

[arabianequine]

Was thinking today....trying to figure out how states got their abbreviations. Why did they pic certain letters out of the state? Is there a rime or reason?

Some states I think make more sense with at different second letter for the abbreviation.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Some would make more sense if there weren't 50 states, but having a duplicate initial is difficult to get around when considering 50 individual states. Think Maine, Minnesota, Massachusettes, Mississippi. Or....ME, MN(which would've made more sense for Maine), MA(would've made more sense to use MS),MS. See how difficult it could be?

ETA: Add Michigan MI to that list as well. MI could have easily been Mississippi, but it isn't

Now throw in Montana and Missouri.....

 

[Q9]

NC, SC, WV, GA and VA all make sense. Gotta love Southern sense.

Of course, NY and NJ are pretty reasonable, too.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Quote:

 

[PineappleMama]

Quote:
Yup, easy just going by the first initial of each word... I think all the two word names do... from NH to NM and all the NDs in between...

On GA and VA though it's the first and last letter in the one word name. That's the rule for Maine & Maryland too.

Some used the first two letters, like AL (Alabama), AR (Arkansas), MA (Mass), MI (Michigan)

Others just picked the first and then a random selection, like AK (Alaska), AZ (Arizona), TX (Texas) or TN (Tennessee)... hmmm perhaps it isn't so random, maybe that's the letter THEY have that the other A or T state doesn't have?? That works for some, AZ AK for example, but doesn't explain why Montana is MT but Minnesota is MN... both have Ns and Ts.

Interesting the way it worked out.

 

[justbugged]

It is a plot created by the post office to confuse the American population. It is a good thing that it was created just postal system. I can only imagined how truly confusing it would have been had the phone company been in charge of the plot.

 

[justbugged]

Oh! and the 3 West Coast state abbreviations make complete sense.

 

[michickenwrangler]

It's just the A and M states that get confusing. I always get Arkansas (AR) and Alaska (AK) and Alabama (AL) mixed up.

Michigan could have easily been MC or MG. In fact, on boat licenses it comes up as MC

 

[can you hear me now?]

I don't know I kinda like the challenge of it all. I am in Missouri and the abbreviation is MO. Like that better than IN for Indiana. Anyway I wanted to add the abbreviation was first started for postal codes wasn't it?

 

[deerman]

Like the idea of first and last letter....Ohio would be ..............OO