Alabama is known by several nicknames, including Yellowhammer State, Heart of Dixie, and Cotton State. The Yellowhammer nickname comes from Confederate soldiers in Alabama who were called by that name due to yellow cloth on their uniforms resembling the colors of a small bird known as a yellowhammer. The yellow hammerhead was officially designated the state bird of Alabama in 1927. The state has also been called the Cotton State, but this nickname has fallen out of use.
In 1819, Alabama became the 22nd US state; since then, it has been nicknamed Yellowhammer State, Heart of Dixie and Cotton State. The Yellow Hammer nickname comes from the American Civil War, when a group of soldiers in Alabama were called by that name due to bits of yellow cloth that adorned their uniforms. These yellow highlights resembled the colors of a small bird known as a yellowhammer. The nickname’s popularity grew over time and was eventually applied to every Confederate soldier in the state. After the war, Alabama became unofficially known as the state of Yellowhammer.
“Yellowhammer” is another name for the yellow flicker, a member of the woodpecker family. It is unrelated to the Eurasian bird of the same name. Males of this species have yellow markings under their wings and tail and look a bit like a hammer as they peck at underground ants and other insects.
During the Civil War, a fresh company of cavalry soldiers from Huntsville, Alabama was joining up with Confederate units in Kentucky. Veteran soldiers in their war-worn garb eyed the clean, new Alabama Company uniforms and bright yellow flourishes on the collars and sleeves. A veteran soldier yelled, “Yellow hammer, yellow hammer, flicker, flicker!” when Huntsville’s men passed, and were soon known as the Yellowhammer Company. At the end of the war, all Confederate soldiers in Alabama were called Yellow Hammers. The yellow hammer continued to be an important symbol for Confederate veterans after the Civil War and Alabama became known as the Yellow Hammer State.
In 1927, the yellow hammerhead was officially designated the state bird of Alabama by an act of the legislature. The nickname remains popular in Alabama culture. As of 2011, the yellow hammer name entered a wide variety of businesses in the state. One of the traditional cheers of the University of Alabama Rammer Jammer references the yellow hammer.
Yellowhammer State’s nickname is not an official designation – the state has never declared an official nickname. Until 2002, the phrase “Heart of Dixie” appeared on state license plates due to Alabama’s central location in the southeastern United States. The state has also been called the Cotton State, referring to the past importance of the crop to the Alabama economy. The latter nickname has fallen out of use as other crops and industries have gained prominence in the state.
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