Iowa got it's name from the Iowa tribe of Indians!. Iowa is a native American word that means- 'beautifil land'.
Iowa's first people saw the land and named it Iowa meaning "The Beautiful Land." Also the river running through Iowa was named The Iowa river before the state earned its statehood.
The state of Iowa is named after the Iowa River. The river was named after the native people living near its banks called Ioways.
Iowa State University
There was an Indian tribe called the Ioway Indians.