Category:State Symbols

States commonly select symbols to represent life within their respective borders. These symbols provide residents with a sense of identity and belonging to their respective states. Symbols help to connect a state's diverse population together, creating a united people.

Since Ohio's admittance as the seventeenth state within the United States of America in 1803, the Ohio government has adopted numerous symbols to represent the state. These symbols not only unite Ohioans, but also serve as a promotional tool to bring attention to the state. Beginning in the 1840s, many people unofficially referred to Ohio's residents as "Buckeyes." Even the largest state university, The Ohio State University, adopted the nickname Buckeyes. In 1953 the Ohio legislature named Aesculus glabra, the Ohio Buckeye, as Ohio's official tree. Due to the Ohio General Assembly's action, Ohio residents have ever since officially been referred to as Buckeyes.

Besides an official tree, Ohio also has an official motto, bird, flower, slogan, song, fossil, beverage, reptile, animal, gem stone, rock song, wildflower, seal, pledge, nickname, herb capital, and insect.