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List of Maryland state symbols

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Location of the state of Maryland in the United States of America

This is a list of symbols of the U.S. state of Maryland. Most of the items in the list are officially recognized symbols created by an act of the Maryland General Assembly and signed into law by the governor. However, two of the more famous symbols of Maryland, the state motto and the state nicknames, were never made official by the state government. While the state seal derives from the colonial heritage of the state, the majority of official state symbols were designated in the last few decades.

Insignia

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Further information: List of U.S. state, district, and territorial insignia
Type Symbol Description Year Image Source
Flag The Flag of Maryland Arms of the Calvert and Crossland families. While 1904 was the official date of adoption, the flag has colonial roots. Calvert was the surname of the Lords Baltimore, proprietors of the Maryland colony, and Crossland was the maiden name of the mother of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore. 1904 Maryland flag [1]
Motto Fatti maschii, parole femine
Literally: manly deeds, womanly words
Officially: strong deeds, gentle words 		The state motto has never been formally adopted, though it was the motto of the Calvert family upon the founding of Maryland in 1634 and appears on the Great Seal of Maryland. Traditional — [2][3]
Nicknames The Old Line State The Old Line State might have originated as a nickname given by George Washington during the Revolutionary War to the Maryland line of troops. Traditional — [4]
The Free State The Free State originated from an editorial in the Baltimore Sun in 1923 on how Maryland should be free by seceding from the Union rather than prohibiting alcohol.
Seal The Great Seal of Maryland The obverse side shows Lord Baltimore as a knight on a charging horse. The reverse side shows the Calvert seal, a plowman, a fisherman, the state motto and a Latin text that translates as "You have crowned us with the shield of your goodwill." 1969 [2][3]
Coat of arms The coat of arms of Maryland The Calvert seal, a plowman, a fisherman, the state motto and a Latin text that translates as "You have crowned us with the shield of your goodwill." [2][3]

Species

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Type Symbol Description Year Image Source
Bird Baltimore oriole
Icterus galbula 		The male's black and orange feathers are similar to the Calvert seal. This led to the bird receiving its name of Baltimore. 1947 Baltimore oriole [5]
Cat Calico cat The calico has tri-color fur of orange, black and white, which is the same colors as the Calvert seal. 2001 Calico cat [6]
Crustacean Blue crab
Callinectes sapidus 		The blue crab is found in the Chesapeake Bay and is the most valuable species harvested from the bay. 1989 Blue crab [7]
Dinosaur Astrodon
Astrodon johnstoni 		In 1958, the first Astrodon fossils were found in Maryland. They lived in what is now Maryland from 130 to 95 million years ago. 1998 Astrodon [8]
Dog Chesapeake Bay Retriever Named after the Chesapeake Bay, the retriever was developed in the United States to recover waterfowl for hunters. The University of Maryland, Baltimore County's mascot is a retriever. 1964 Chesapeake Bay Retriever [9]
Fish Rock fish
Morone saxatilis 		The rockfish, also called striped bass, is found in abundance in Maryland. 1965 Rockfish [10]
Flower Black-eyed susan
Rudbeckia hirta 		A daisy with yellow petals and a dark purple center. 1918 Black-eyed susan [11]
Horse Thoroughbred horse
Equus caballus 		The Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing is held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. 2003 Thoroughbred horse [12]
Insect Baltimore checkerspot butterfly
(Euphydryas phaeton) 		The butterfly has orange and black colorings, which is the same colors as the Calvert seal. 1973 Baltimore checkerspot butterfly [13]
Reptile Diamondback terrapin
Malaclemys terrapin 		The terrapin were abundant and easy to catch and became a gourmet food until over-harvesting depleted terrapin stocks. The University of Maryland's nickname is the "terrapins". 1994 Diamonback terrapin [14]
Tree White oak
Quercus alba 		A long-lived and one of the pre-eminent hardwoods of America. It is also the state tree of Illinois and Connecticut. The Wye Oak was believed to be the largest and oldest white oak, being 540 years old until it fell during a thunderstorm in 2002.[15] 1941 White oak [16]

Geology

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Type Symbol Description Year Image Source
Fossil Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae The shell of an extinct snail that is commonly found throughout Maryland. 1994 Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae [17]
Gem Patuxent River stone
an agate 		A yellow and red, almost an orange hue, quartz found only in Maryland. It is named after the Patuxent River. 2004 Tumbled specimens of Patuxent River Stone [18]

Culture

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Type Symbol Description Year Image Source
Boat Skipjack Skipjacks would dredge the Chesapeake Bay for oysters. 1985 Skipjack [19]
Dessert Smith Island Cake A cake with eight to fifteen layers and chocolate frosting between each layer. The recipe originated from Smith Island, Maryland. 2008 [20]
Drink Milk 1998 Milk [21]
Exercise Walking 2008 — [22]
Folk dance Square dance A folk dance with four couples arranged in a square. As of 2011, it is the official state dance for 21 states. 1994 Square dancers [23]
Spirit Rye whiskey Rye whiskey was first produced along the Chesapeake Bay in colonial times, and became popular during the American Civil War. Maryland was once the fifth largest liquor producer in the United States, but prohibition led to the industry's steady decline until the closure of Maryland's last distillery in 1972. Rye distilling would not return to the state until 2014.[24] 2023 Rye whiskey [24]
Song (former) From 1939 to 2021, "Maryland, My Maryland", which set lyrics from a poem written by James Ryder Randall to the tune of "O Tannenbaum", was the Maryland state song. It was repealed and replaced by an act of the Maryland general assembly in 2021.[25] 1939–2021[25] Maryland, My Maryland [26]
Sport (individual) Jousting Jousting tournaments in the form of ring tournaments have been held in Maryland since colonial times. The Maryland State Jousting Championship has been held annually since 1950 and is sponsored by the Maryland Jousting Tournament Association[27] 1962 Jousting [28]
Sport (team) Lacrosse Lacrosse is the oldest known sport to be played in America. Maryland is home to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum. 2004 Lacrosse [28]
Summer theater Olney Theatre Center Olney Theatre was founded in 1938 and offers include the Summer Shakespeare Festival and summer training programs for High School students. 1978 — [29]
Theater Center Stage Center Stage was founded in 1963 and is Maryland's largest theater company. 1978 — [29]

References

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General
  • "Maryland State Symbols". Maryland At A Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
  • "Title 13. Emblems; Commemorative Days". Maryland State Code. State of Maryland. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
Specific
  1. ^ "Maryland State Flag". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on March 22, 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c "Maryland Statute §13 article 102". Maryland General Assembly. Archived from the original on April 17, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "Great Seal of Maryland". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on December 24, 2018. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  4. ^ "Nicknames". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  5. ^ "Maryland State Bird - Baltimore Oriole". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  6. ^ "Maryland State Cat - Calico Cat". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  7. ^ "Maryland State Crustacean - Blue Crab". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  8. ^ "Maryland State Dinosaur - Astrodon johnstoni". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on March 31, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  9. ^ "Maryland State Dog - Chesapeake Bay Retriever". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  10. ^ "Maryland State Fish - Rockfish". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  11. ^ "Maryland State Flower - Black-eyed Susan". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  12. ^ "Maryland State Horse - Thoroughbred". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  13. ^ "Maryland State Insect - Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on April 9, 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  14. ^ "Maryland State Reptile - Diamondback Terrapin". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  15. ^ "Wye Oak". U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  16. ^ "Maryland State Tree - White Oak". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  17. ^ "Maryland State Fossil - Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  18. ^ "Maryland State Gem - Patuxent River Stone". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  19. ^ "Maryland State Boat - Skopjack". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  20. ^ "Maryland State Dessert - Smith Island Cake". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  21. ^ "Maryland State Drink - Milk". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  22. ^ "Maryland State Exercise - Walking". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  23. ^ "Maryland State Dance - Square Dance". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  24. ^ a b Connolly, Connie (May 17, 2023). "Moore declares rye whiskey state spirit". Cecil Whig. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  25. ^ a b "Maryland Repeals State Song That Called Lincoln a 'Tyrant'". NPR.org. Archived from the original on 2021-09-28. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  26. ^ "Maryland State Song - Maryland, My Maryland". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on August 6, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  27. ^ "Maryland Jousting Tournament Association". Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  28. ^ a b "Maryland State Sport Jousting & Lacrosse". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  29. ^ a b "Maryland State Theater - Center Stage & Olney Theatre". Maryland at a Glance. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.

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