Utah became the 45th state in 1896. Utah was acquired by the United States in 1848 when it won the Mexican-American War. Native American tribes, including the Navajo, Goshute, Ute, Paiute, Bannock, and Shoshone lived in Utah for thousands of years. The first outsiders to settle in Utah were the Spanish in 1776. There are debates as to how Utah got its name. There are some that say it comes from the Spanish nickname for the Ute Native American tribe, Yuta. While others say the name could come from the Ute word yutas, which is said to mean “the people,” or “people of the mountains.”