Question: when did oklahoma become a state what does the word oklahoma mean

title: Oklahoma
text: Oklahoma ( / ˌoʊkləˈhoʊmə / ( listen ) ; Pawnee : Uukuhuúwa , Cayuga : Gahnawiyoˀgeh ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States . It is the 20th-most extensive and the 28th-most populous of the 50 United States . The state 's name is derived from the Choctaw words okla and humma , meaning `` red people '' . It is also known informally by its nickname , `` The Sooner State '' , in reference to the non-Native settlers who staked their claims on land before the official opening date of lands in the western Oklahoma Territory or before the Indian Appropriations Act of 1889 , which dramatically increased European - American settlement in the eastern Indian Territory . Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory were merged into the State of Oklahoma when it became the 46th state to enter the union on November 16 , 1907 . Its residents are known as Oklahomans , or informally as Okies , and its capital and largest city is Oklahoma City . 

Answer: answer: Oklahoma's name is derived from the Choctaw words okla and humma , meaning ``red people," and it became a state on November 16, 1907.