Last night, history was made on college football’s biggest stage. The Indiana Hoosiers captured the College Football Playoff National Championship, earning the first national title in school history and sending shockwaves of pride through Bloomington and beyond. For a program long defined by perseverance rather than trophies, the victory was more than a win—it was a defining moment for the Hoosiers and for the state they represent.
But who exactly are the Hoosiers?
“Hoosier” is the official demonym for the people of Indiana, a nickname as distinctive as it is mysterious. Just a little more than a decade after Indiana joined the Union on December 11, 1816, newspapers began referring to the state’s residents as Hoosiers. The term appeared in print as early as 1832 and gained wider popularity in 1833 with the publication of “The Hoosier’s Nest,” a poem by Indiana resident John Finley. By the 1840s, “Hoosier” was firmly established in common usage, and for more than 150 years Indiana has proudly carried the nickname “The Hoosier State.”
Today, the word is everywhere across Indiana. It appears in the names of countless businesses and organizations and, of course, serves as the name of Indiana University’s athletic teams. The term is universally accepted—and embraced—by Indiana residents. In 2017, it even gained official federal recognition when the U.S. Government Publishing Office designated “Hoosier” as the official demonym for Indiana, replacing the previously recommended “Indianian.” Notably, this makes “Hoosier” the only GPO-recognized state demonym not directly derived from the state’s name.
Despite its official status and widespread pride, no one can say with certainty where the word “Hoosier” came from.
Over the years, numerous theories—some serious, some humorous—have tried to explain its origins. One popular folk etymology traces the term back to life on the American frontier. According to the story, travelers approaching a cabin would shout out to avoid being mistaken for a threat. The occupants would respond with “Who’s here?” which, spoken in the Appalachian English of early settlers, sounded like “Who’sh ’ere?”—eventually morphing into “Hoosier.” A variation of this tale suggests that pioneers themselves called out “Who’sh ’ere?” when hearing movement in the woods, hoping to avoid accidentally shooting a friend or relative.
Other stories connect the name to a man named Samuel Hoosier, who reportedly employed large numbers of Indiana laborers to work on the Louisville & Portland Canal. These workers became known as “Hoosier’s men,” a phrase that was eventually shortened to “Hoosiers.” From there, the name spread to Indiana boatmen in the region and gradually followed settlers north as the state developed.
In the early 1900s, Indiana historian Jacob Piatt Dunn Jr., longtime secretary of the Indiana Historical Society, conducted extensive research into the word’s origins. He traced it to the Cumbrian dialect of northern England, where hoozer referred to something unusually large and was derived from Old English words meaning “high” or “hill.” This theory aligns with the strong influence of immigrants from northern England and southern Scotland, whose legacy remains visible in place names like the Cumberland Mountains, Cumberland River, and Cumberland Gap. Dunn suggested their descendants carried the term with them into the hills of southern Indiana.
Even today, the etymology remains disputed. However, the leading theory supported by the Indiana Historical Bureau and the Indiana Historical Society places the word’s roots in Virginia, Kentucky, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, where it was used to describe a backwoodsman, rough countryman, or country bumpkin. Though the term may have begun with a negative connotation, it was eventually reclaimed—transformed into a badge of honor worn with pride.
That pride was on full display last night.
As the Indiana Hoosiers lifted the national championship trophy for the first time, they carried with them not just a football legacy, but a name steeped in history, mystery, and resilience. Whatever its true origin, “Hoosier” has come to symbolize grit, loyalty, and an unshakable sense of identity—qualities that now define a national champion.