The story
Likely named in reference to the vast size of the state and its general shape (compare California king, which is long but somewhat narrower, alongside other large beds named for Texas and Wyoming).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Alaskan King
Today it means: A very large bed measuring 108 × 108 inches (274 × 274 cm), considerably larger than a king-sized bed. Full definition →