Pennsylvania State Symbols

Pennsylvania state symbols: official state symbols include the ruffed grouse, mountain laurel, eastern hemlock, Keystone State nickname, and state motto.

Abbreviation

Harrisburg

Capital

1787

Statehood

Symbols

Overview

Pennsylvania has one of the longest lists of official state symbols in the country, anchored by the Keystone identity, Virtue, Liberty and Independence motto, and blue coat-of-arms flag. The ruffed grouse, mountain laurel, eastern hemlock, and Pennsylvania Long Rifle tie forests, farms, and frontier craft to the founding-era politics behind the state's nickname.

Best-known symbol The Keystone State

Oldest in this guide Virtue, Liberty and Independence, 1875

Frontier craft Pennsylvania Long Rifle

Pennsylvania State Symbols — Complete List

Category	Official Symbol	Adopted
State Flag	Pennsylvania State Flag	1907
State Bird	Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus	1931
State Flower	Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia	1933
State Tree	Eastern Hemlock Tsuga canadensis	1931
State Motto	Virtue, Liberty and Independence English	1875
State Nickname	The Keystone State	—
State Animal	White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus	1959
State Dog	Great Dane Canis lupus familiaris	1965
State Beverage	Milk	1982
State Colors	Blue and Gold	—
License Plate Slogan	Let Freedom Ring	2025
State Firearm	Pennsylvania Long Rifle	2014
State Seal	Great Seal of Pennsylvania	1778

What Does Pennsylvania Mean?

Pennsylvania ratified the Constitution in 1787, second among the states. The name means Penn's woods, combining the Penn family name with sylvania, a Latin word connected with forest or woodland.

That woodland meaning still fits the symbol pages. Ruffed grouse, mountain laurel, eastern hemlock, and white-tailed deer keep the commonwealth rooted in forest country, while the motto and Keystone nickname point toward founding politics.

Pennsylvania's postal abbreviation is PA, and residents are Pennsylvanians. Keystone State reflects Pennsylvania's central role among the original states.

Key Meaning and Background

Origin: Pennsylvania means Penn's woods, from the Penn family name and sylvania, meaning woodland.
Statehood: Pennsylvania ratified the Constitution in 1787 and became the 2nd state.
Motto: Virtue, Liberty and Independence is Pennsylvania's state motto.

Usage Examples and Context

Commonwealth: Pennsylvania is officially styled the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
State: Refers to Pennsylvania, a Mid-Atlantic state with major founding-era, industrial, agricultural, and forest histories.
People: People from Pennsylvania are called Pennsylvanians.

Nicknames and Short Forms

The Keystone State: Main nickname, tied to Pennsylvania's central position in early American politics and geography.
PA: Postal abbreviation and common short form.
Abbreviation: PA; older short form Pa.

Newest and Oldest Symbols

Oldest listed Great Seal of Pennsylvania, 1778

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

Newest listed Let Freedom Ring (2025), Pennsylvania Long Rifle (2014)

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

What Pennsylvania's Symbols Say About the State

Pennsylvania's Keystone State nickname does more civic work than a scenery nickname would. It frames the state through position, balance, and founding-era importance.

The ruffed grouse, mountain laurel, eastern hemlock, and white-tailed deer keep the hub in Pennsylvania's forested interior, not only Philadelphia or Pittsburgh.

The Pennsylvania Long Rifle and Great Dane make the list less predictable: one points to frontier craft, the other to a formal state dog choice.

Quick Answers

What is Pennsylvania's most famous state symbol?

The Keystone State nickname is Pennsylvania's strongest shorthand because it captures the commonwealth's central role in early American history.

What is Pennsylvania's state bird?

Pennsylvania's bird emblem is the ruffed grouse, selected in 1931.

What is Pennsylvania's state flower?

Mountain laurel, adopted in 1933, is Pennsylvania's flower symbol.

Why is the Pennsylvania Long Rifle included?

The Pennsylvania Long Rifle gives the hub a frontier craft symbol tied to gunsmithing and early American settlement.

How many official state symbols does Pennsylvania have?

Pennsylvania's set here includes the flag, ruffed grouse, mountain laurel, eastern hemlock, motto, nickname, colors, milk, Great Dane, white-tailed deer, and Long Rifle.