California State Motto: Eureka
Eureka
Eureka
The motto appears on the state seal of California
- Motto
- Eureka
- Language
- Ancient Greek
- Translation
- I Have Found It
- Adopted
- 1963
California State Motto
California's state motto is Eureka, a Greek word meaning I Have Found It. It appeared on the state seal in 1849 and was officially adopted by the legislature in 1963.
California is the only U.S. state with a motto in ancient Greek — every other state uses Latin, English, Spanish, French, or Hawaiian. The word Eureka is also the name of seventeen California cities and towns, including Eureka in Humboldt County, founded during the Gold Rush.
California State Motto Meaning
The word εὕρηκα (heurēka) is ancient Greek for I have found it. It comes from the verb εὑρίσκω, meaning to find, and describes a completed act of discovery — something already found, not something still being searched for.
The word is traditionally connected to Archimedes (c. 287–212 BCE), who reportedly shouted it after discovering the principle of water displacement while stepping into a bath. He had been trying to determine whether a gold crown was pure or diluted with silver. That story tied the word to scientific discovery long before California existed.
For the 1849 delegates, the meaning was immediate and local: James Marshall had found gold at Sutter's Mill on January 24, 1848. California's population exploded from around 14,000 in 1848 to over 250,000 by 1852. I have found it described exactly what hundreds of thousands of prospectors were hoping to shout.
History of California's State Motto
California's Constitutional Convention met in Monterey in the fall of 1849, months before Congress formally admitted California to the Union. Delegate Caleb Lyon proposed the central design concept for the Great Seal; Army officer Major Robert S. Garnett drafted the visual design. The convention adopted the seal — with Eureka at the top — on October 2, 1849.
For 114 years, Eureka appeared on the state seal and state flag without any statute formally designating it as the state motto. In 1957, some legislators moved to replace it with In God We Trust, the same phrase adopted as the U.S. national motto in 1956. The motion failed.
In 1963, the California legislature formally adopted Eureka as the official state motto through Statutes, Chapter 1237. The California Government Code now confirms it in the description of the state seal.
"Eureka" on the California State Seal
Eureka appears at the top of California's Great Seal, above the central figure of Minerva. The seal shows Minerva with a grizzly bear at her feet, a gold miner in the foreground, ships in San Francisco Bay, the Sierra Nevada in the background, and 31 stars along the upper arc.
Government documents, official letterhead, and state buildings use the seal with the motto visible. The California Government Code formally ties the motto to the seal description under California Government Code § 400.
California State Motto Facts
- California is the only U.S. state with a motto in ancient Greek.
- "Eureka" appeared on the state seal in 1849 but was not officially adopted by statute until 1963.
- In 1957, legislators tried to replace it with "In God We Trust" — the motion failed.
- Caleb Lyon proposed the Great Seal design including Eureka at the 1849 Constitutional Convention.
- The Gold Rush drew over 300,000 people to California between 1848 and 1855.
- California skipped territorial status and became the 31st state directly on September 9, 1850.
Can You Match All 50 State Mottos?
Some questions show the original motto — Latin, Italian, Chinook — and ask which state it belongs to. Others give you the English translation and ask you to work backward. Both directions are harder than they look.
Take the State Mottos QuizQuick Answers
What is California's state motto?
What language is California's motto in?
What does "Eureka" mean?
When did California officially adopt "Eureka" as its motto?
Did California ever try to change its motto?
Where does California's motto appear?
Sources
- California State Capitol Museum — Motto: Eureka
- California State Library — State Symbols
- California Government Code
California State Symbols
Show more (2)
Related States
Compare all 50 states by population, land area, statehood date, and more.
Themed lists - states sharing the same bird, oldest symbols, flags with bears, and more.
Side-by-side comparison of population, area, income, taxes, climate, and more.
Top 20 most common surnames per state - with origins, meanings, and heritage context. Is yours on the list?
You Might Also Like
Pertica Plant
The Maine state fossil is the Pertica plant (Pertica quadrifaria), adopted in 1976. Found in the Devonian Trout Valley Formation of northern Maine.
American Mastodon
The Michigan state fossil is the American mastodon (Mammut americanum), adopted in 2002. Remains are found statewide in glacial lake beds and peat bogs.
Petrified Wood (Teredo)
The North Dakota state fossil is Teredo petrified wood, adopted in 1967. Shipworm-bored fossil wood occurs throughout western North Dakota's Badlands.
State Flags with Human Figures
Virginia's Virtus, Massachusetts's Native American, New York's Liberty and Justice — 8 US state flags feature human figures with historical meaning.
State Flags with Ships and Boats
Oregon's flag shows a British ship leaving and an American ship arriving. Pennsylvania has a ship in its shield. All 5 US state flags with ships listed.
Dating to Engagement Time by State 2026
Utah couples get engaged after just 15 months of dating, the fastest in the U.S. Massachusetts averages 36 months. National average is 25 months.
Weird Laws by State
See weird laws by state, including strange, outdated, local, and surprising laws with plain-English notes on what each law means.
State Capitals Named After Presidents
Only 4 of 50 U.S. state capitals are named after presidents: Lincoln, Madison, Jackson, and Jefferson City. Washington state's capital is Olympia.