1 Alabama Authorities differ on the reason why Alabama is nicknamed the Yellowhammer State. The term originated during the Civil War as a reference to soldiers from the state serving the Confederacy. Either because the state confederate troops stuck yellowhammer feathers in their caps or because their uniforms, which had been home-dry gray had a yellowish tinge. Some other nicknames were the Cotton Plantation State, the Camellia State, and the Lizard State. The Heart of Dixie is a more recent designation for Alabama. Its nickname is the Land of the Midnight Sun and America's Last Frontier. It was once labeled "S