The Lone Star State

The nickname for Texas, "The Lone Star State," was made official in 2015 (House Concurrent Resolution No. 78, 84th Legislature, Regular Session). All State Nicknames

The "Lone Star" can be found on the Texas state flag, the state seal, the U.S. Mint's bicentennial commemorative quarter for Texas, and is also recognized as the official state gemstone cut of Texas. 

Concurrent Resolution

WHEREAS, Over the course of nearly 200 years, people all around the world have come to know the State of Texas as "the Lone Star State," and it is time that this universally recognized nickname receive official recognition; and

WHEREAS, The exact origins of this colorful phrase, and the use of a single, white, five-pointed star to represent Texas, are unclear; some accounts trace it to a flag carried by the James Long Expedition in 1819, an early attempt to free Texas from the Spanish empire, while a recent discovery of coins that were minted in what is now San Antonio, showing a five-pointed star on one side and the year 1817 on the other, suggest that the star was already in use as a symbol for the region; and

WHEREAS, The first official use of the Lone Star came in 1836, when the Congress of the Republic of Texas adopted a flag with a five-pointed gold star on a background of deep azure, known as the David G. Burnet Flag; three years later, the Texas Congress adopted what is commonly known as the Lone Star Flag, showing a bright white star against deep blue on the left of the flag and two horizontal stripes of white and red on the flag's right; this was made the official flag of the State of Texas in 1933; and

WHEREAS, Today, the distinctive five-pointed star and the phrase "the Lone Star State" are instantly recognizable the world over as the primary symbol and nickname for Texas; the term "Lone Star" has been adopted by countless enterprises, from a brand of beer to car dealerships, restaurants, hotels, and barbecue establishments, along with nearly every other sort of business; over the years, at least 10 communities in Texas have been named Lone Star, including towns in Morris, Floyd, Bastrop, Delta, Polk, and other counties; and

WHEREAS, Whatever its origins, and whatever its uses, from the serious to the playful, the phrase "the Lone Star State" has achieved universal currency as a sharp and memorable way to evoke the unique legacy of Texas and the indomitable spirit of its people; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby designate "the Lone Star State" as the official nickname of Texas.