Welcome to Delaware! Whether you call it the First State, Diamond State, or Blue Hen State, Delaware’s symbols prove it is indeed a Small Wonder. (Continued below)
| Nicknames & Slogans | |||
| Nicknames | The First State, Blue Hen State, Diamond State, Small Wonder | 2002 | |
| Symbols of State | |||
| Motto | Liberty and Independence | > | |
| Song | Our Delaware | 1925 | > |
| EcoSymbols | |||
| Flower | peach blossom (Prunus persica) | 1895 | > |
| Herb | sweet goldenrod (Solidago odora) | 1996 | > |
| Tree | American holly (Ilex opaca) | 1939 | > |
| Fruit | strawberry (Fragaria) | 2010 | > |
| Bird | Blue Hen Chicken (Gallus gallus) | 1939 | > |
| Wildlife Animal | gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) | 2010 | > |
| Dog | rescue dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | 2023 | > |
| Dog (former) | Golden Retriever (Canis lupus familiaris) | 2016 | > |
| Fish | weakfish (Cynoscion) | 1981 | > |
| Bug | convergent ladybug (Hippodamia convergens) | 1974 | > |
| Butterfly | tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) | 1999 | > |
| Macroinvertebrate | stonefly (Plecoptera) | 2005 | > |
| Marine Animal | horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) | 2002 | > |
| Shell | channeled whelk (Busycotypus canaliculatus) | 2014 | > |
| Mineral | sillimanite | 1977 | > |
| Fossil † | American belemnite (Belemnitella americana) | 1996 | > |
| Soil | Greenwich | 2000 | > |
| Star | Delaware Diamond | 2000 | |
| Cultural Symbols | |||
| Colors | Colonial blue and buff | 1953 | > |
| Dessert | peach pie | 2009 | > |
| Beverage | milk  |
1983 | > |
| Sport | bicycling | 2014 | > |
| Tall Ship | Kalmar Nyckel | 2016 | > |
| Dance (former) | Maypole dancing | 2016 | > |
Why does such a tiny state have three state insects, along with a state shell and a squid-like state fossil?
I love the ladybug, stonefly, and horseshoe crab. However, one of Delaware’s most iconic symbols is its state tree, the American holly. For me, it somehow seems linked to the former state dance, Maypole dancing. Why was such a cool symbol dropped from the roster? Is it because Maypole dancing is widely considered a pagan symbol? In fact, holly wreaths have pagan origins, too. That’s what makes them so cool!
If you think state flags and flowers are nothing more than trivia, guess again. A thorough exploration of the more than 1,500 items adopted as state symbols embraces geography, history, and psychology.
You have found the best state symbols website, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. The introduction above is adapted from Geobop’s State Symbols and My State Symbols Book, by far the biggest and most detailed state symbols references ever. You can learn still more about the symbols of the 50 states in the books Flag Quest and Grading the States. (Learn more about them here.)
After you spend some time exploring your favorite state’s symbols, you can come back here and tell us what you think about them.
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