What are people from Colorado called?
Colorado was a territory for less than a decade before it became a state in 1876. So, it’s not surprising that there’s no consensus on what to call people from Colorado. Both “Coloradan” and “Coloradoan” are acceptable terms, but so is simply calling someone from the state by their first name. The term “Native American” is considered offensive by many Native Americans and should not be used in reference to them or their culture; when referring to American Indian groups as a whole, you can use the more generic term “American Indians.”
What is the proper term for a native or resident of Colorado?
A native of Colorado is someone who was born in the state. A resident of Colorado is someone who lives there currently. A native-born Coloradan is someone who was born and raised in Colorado, whereas a resident may have moved to the state only recently. A native-born Coloradan is also referred to as a “first generation,” while an immigrant from another country can be considered a second generation or beyond.
Native Coloradans are sometimes called “Coloradoans” rather than “Coloradans.” This term comes from the fact that when people think of “the state”, they often mean just the city or county where they live instead of all parts that make up Colorado as a whole. So if you’re referring specifically to the northeast Denver/Boulder area, then yes; this would be the correct terminology!
“Coloradan” is now the most common.
The use of “Coloradan” has been growing since at least 2000, according to Google Trends data. In that time frame, its popularity in search results has increased by 37 per cent (as opposed to 3 per cent for “Coloradoan”). It’s also used more often than its synonym, “Colo-RADian.” This suggests that people are gradually shifting away from calling themselves Coloradoans and toward being Coloradans—and if this trend continues for another 100 years or so, we might see ourselves as a state full of Coloradans who live here instead of calling it home.
Both “Coloradan” and “Coloradoan” are acceptable.
If you’re not sure how to use “Coloradan” and “Coloradoan” in a sentence, here are some examples:
- “A Coloradan is someone who lives in Colorado.”
- “As a Coloradoan, I am proud of our state’s natural beauty.”
- “The trip was great; we had a lot of fun as Coloradan explorers!”
Conclusion
In short, “Coloradoan” is the preferred term for residents of Colorado. It’s also acceptable to use “Coloradan,” but this word is outdated and rarely used nowadays. If you’re looking for a way to refer to people from Colorado in your writing or speech, we recommend going with “Coloradoan.”
