Which is the correct use of 'people' vs 'peoples'? [closed]

Solution 1:

Both versions are possible, depending on the intent of the question.

From the Merriam-Webster definition of people, we see peoples:

5 plural peoples : a body of persons that are united by a common culture, tradition, or sense of kinship, that typically have common language, institutions, and beliefs, and that often constitute a politically organized group

So:

1. Which people was Utah named for?
   
   This would normally be referring to specific persons (sense 2 in the definition: "HUMAN BEINGS, PERSONS —often used in compounds instead of persons"). So, the answer would be individual proper names. For example, if the question had been which people Washington, D.C. was named for, the answer would be just one person: George Washington.
   
   
2. Which peoples was Utah named for?
   
   This uses sense 5, as quoted above. The answer would be a groups of people united by a culture or tradition.

Since the answer is Utes, the more correct question in this case, especially if you were expecting the answer to be a cultural group, is the one that uses peoples.