This state was named after the Wisconsin River. Wisconsin means "grassy place" in the Chippewa Indians native tongue.

Adopted in 1913, Wisconsin's official state flag has a deep blue background with the white letters spelling "WISCONSIN" and "1848," which was the year Wisconsin became a state.

A sailor with rope and a miner with an axe surround a yellow shield in the center of the flag. The has the images of an arm and hammer, a plow, a pick and shovel, and an anchor. These represent Wisconsin's main industries: manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and shipping. In the center of the shield is a blue ring with the words "E PLURIBUS UNUM" (which is the motto of the U.S.A. and means "Out of Many, One".. which represents the unification of independent states into one union.