Fascinating map shows most-spoken language in each state after English and Spanish – with some VERY surprising results
The US surprisingly does not have an official language like many other countries around the world.
English and Spanish are the most widely spoken in America, with 91.6 percent of the population speaking both, but the third most popular language varies from state to state.
A fascinating map, made by word search, shows the incredible variety of dialects spoken in the US and some of them may come as a shock.
Next to English and Spanish, German is the most widely spoken in thirteen states — which is more than any other language, according to data from the US Census Bureau. It is followed by French, Chinese, Portuguese and Arabic.
While less common languages such as the Aleut language, one of the two remaining Eskimo dialects, the Dakota languages and Hmong, an Asian dialect, dominate other areas.
English and Spanish are the most widely spoken in America, with 91.6 percent of the population speaking both, but the third most popular language varies from state to state
German is the third most common language in 13 states, significantly more than other dialects.
This is supported by the 42 million Americans who are of German descent, according to 2021 Census data.
Two of the German-speaking states are North Dakota and Wisconsin, where migrants from Germany settled historically.
The majority of residents who identify as German live in Wisconsin.
German is also commonly spoken in the clusters of Idaho, Montana, Idaho, Nebraska, and Colorado.
French is most popular, excluding English and Spanish, in seven states plus DC
France played a major role in the formation of the US, including their assistance in the American Revolution and the sale of Louisiana.
About 9.4 million Americans claim to have ancestors from the country.
It is spoken in Louisiana, North and South Carolina, Maine, Maryland, DC, Columbia, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
Chinese follows French and is commonly spoken in six different states, including New York, California, Washington, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Workers from China first escaped the economic chaos in their country and migrated to the US in the 1950s.
They tried it out in the gold mines, but also took over agricultural and factory jobs, especially in the clothing industry.
Chinese immigrants played a special role in the construction of railroads in the American West.
There are approximately 5.4 million people of Chinese descent in America.
Portuguese is the third common language in Utah, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
Migrants from Portugal came to the US in relatively large numbers around 1870.
The majority were men from the Azores, a group of islands and islets in the North Atlantic. They were largely recruited to work on American whaling ships.
About 550,000 people in the country have Portuguese ancestry, and 30 percent live in the cluster of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
Next to English and Spanish, German is the most widely spoken in thirteen states — which is more than any other language, according to data from the US Census Bureau. It is followed by French, Chinese, Portuguese and Arabic
While Arabic is the most common language, after English and Spanish, in Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, and Tennessee.
Arab immigrants began to come to the US in significant numbers in the 1980s.
It is estimated that nearly 3.7 million Americans can trace their roots back to an Arab country.
The Aleut language, an extremely rare language, dominates Alaska after English and Spanish.
It is spoken by the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, who are politically divided between the US state of Alaska and the Russian administrative division of Kamchatka Krai.
The Dakota languages are the third most spoken language in South Dakota and are a Native American dialect.
It is believed that only 290 people speak it in the world. The language is closely related and mutually intelligible with the Lakota language.
While Hmong is the most popular language after English and Spanish in Minnesota.
It is widely spoken by an indigenous group in East and Southeast Asia.
Hmong refugees began their move to Minnesota in 1975 following the withdrawal of US troops following the Vietnam War.
Elsewhere, Tagalog is a Central Philippine language and the third most spoken language in Nevada, Russian dominates Oregon, and Polish is widely spoken in Illinois.