Mississippi State Symbols

Mississippi state symbols: official state symbols include the magnolia, northern mockingbird, Virtute et Armis motto, and the magnolia-centered state flag.

Abbreviation

Jackson

Capital

1817

Statehood

Symbols

Overview

The magnolia is Mississippi's defining official state symbol — appearing on the state flag, as the state flower, and as the state tree. The northern mockingbird, Virtute et Armis motto, and Gulf Coast wildlife from white-tailed deer to bottlenose dolphin complete the list.

Best-known symbol Magnolia

Oldest in this guide Virtute et Armis, 1894

Coastal symbol Bottlenose Dolphin

Mississippi State Symbols — Complete List

Category	Official Symbol	Adopted
State Flag	Mississippi State Flag	2021
State Bird	Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos	1944
State Flower	Magnolia Magnolia grandiflora	1952
State Tree	Southern Magnolia Magnolia grandiflora	1938
State Motto	Virtute et Armis Latin	1894
State Nickname	The Magnolia State	—
State Land Mammal	Red fox Vulpes vulpes	1997
State Land Mammal	White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus	1974
State Water Mammal	Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus	1974
State Beverage	Milk	1984
State Colors	Red, Blue, and Gold	2021
License Plate Slogan	No current standard slogan	2024
State Seal	Great Seal of Mississippi	1817

What Does Mississippi Mean?

Mississippi became the 20th U.S. state in 1817. The name comes from the Mississippi River, whose name is often traced to Ojibwe or related Algonquian language words meaning great river or big river.

That river name fits a state whose identity runs from Delta land and interior forests down to the Gulf Coast. The official symbols in this guide do not present one landscape only. The magnolia dominates the public image, while deer, fox, and dolphin add land and water habitats.

Mississippi's postal abbreviation is MS, and residents are Mississippians. The Magnolia State is the main nickname, reinforced by both the state flower and the state tree.

Key Meaning and Background

Origin: Named for the Mississippi River, with the name commonly explained as great river or big river.
Statehood: Mississippi became the 20th state in 1817.
Motto: Virtute et Armis means By Valor and Arms.

Usage Examples and Context

State: Refers to Mississippi, a Deep South state with Delta, pine forest, and Gulf Coast regions.
River: Also refers to the Mississippi River, one of the defining waterways of North America.
People: People from Mississippi are called Mississippians.

Nicknames and Short Forms

The Magnolia State: Main nickname tied directly to the state flower and state tree.
Magnolia identity: Mississippi is unusual because its flower and tree both come from Southern Magnolia.
Abbreviation: MS; older short form Miss.

Newest and Oldest Symbols

Oldest listed Great Seal of Mississippi, 1817

Older symbols tend to anchor the state's public identity: flag, bird, flower, motto, or nickname.

Newest listed No current standard slogan (2024), Red, Blue, and Gold (2021)

Recent designations often show how states keep adding wildlife, foods, breeds, and cultural traditions.

What Mississippi's Symbols Say About the State

Mississippi's official imagery has a rare center of gravity. The magnolia flower and Southern Magnolia tree come from the same species, so the nickname is not just a slogan. It is repeated in law, landscape, and public imagery.

The state flag keeps the magnolia visible in a newer civic design, while the motto reaches back to a nineteenth-century seal tradition.

The animal symbols widen the frame. The white-tailed deer and red fox point inland, but the bottlenose dolphin makes the Gulf Coast part of the official story instead of an afterthought.

Quick Answers

What is Mississippi's most famous state symbol?

The magnolia is Mississippi's most recognizable symbol because it appears as the state flower, the state tree, and the root of The Magnolia State nickname.

What is Mississippi's state bird?

Mississippi's state bird is the northern mockingbird, adopted in 1944.

What is Mississippi's state flower?

Mississippi's state flower is the magnolia, while the state tree is the Southern Magnolia.

Why does Mississippi have both a deer and a dolphin symbol?

Mississippi's available symbol pages include the white-tailed deer for inland habitat and the bottlenose dolphin for the Gulf Coast, giving the hub a land-and-water pairing.

How many official state symbols does Mississippi have?

The Mississippi pages gathered here cover the flag, mockingbird, magnolia flower, Southern Magnolia tree, motto, colors, nickname, milk, and the state's mammal symbols.