Semper fidelis

Semper Fidelis

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Semper fidelis

Semper Fidelis is Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
for "Always Faithful". Well known in the USA as the motto

Motto

A motto is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used....
of the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing Military power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver Marine Air-Ground Task Force....
, this phrase, often shortened to Semper Fi in Marine contexts, has served as a slogan for many families and entities, in many countries, dating at least as far back as the 14th century. Within the groups below, users are listed in chronological order according to when they are believed to have adopted the motto; however, in many cases dates of adoption are not well established.

motto was widely used in Great Britain and Ireland.

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Encyclopedia

Semper Fidelis is Latin

Latin

Motto

United States Marine Corps

Families and individuals

The motto was widely used in Great Britain and Ireland. B. Burke (1884, p.1180) lists the following families as using the motto Semper Fidelis in Great Britain and Ireland in their coats of arms

Coat of arms

A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, in European tradition, is a design belonging to a particular person and used by them in a wide variety of ways....
: Barbeson, Bonner, Broadmead, Carney, Chesterman, Dick, Dickins, Duffield, Edge, Formby, Garrett, Haslett, Houlton, Kearney, Lynch, Lund, Marriott, Nicholls, Pollexfen, Smith, Steele, Steuart, Stirling and Wilcoxon. A disproportionate number of these families were Scottish or Irish. A more recent adoption is by Senator Joe Doyle

Joe Doyle

Joe Doyle was a member of long-standing public representative of Fine Gael in the Dublin South East constituency. He served variously as a Dublin City Council, D?il ?ireann and Seanad ?ireann, becoming Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1998?1999....
, in arms granted by the Chief Herald of Ireland in 1999. Some of the more notable families from Burke's list are:

Lynch family (Ireland): Semper Fidelis is the family motto of the Lynch Family. The Lynches were one of the Tribes of Galway
Tribes of Galway

The Tribes of Galway were fourteen merchant families who dominated the political, commercial, and social life of the city of Galway in western Ireland between the mid-13th and late-19th centuries....
who were fourteen merchant families who dominated the political, commercial, and social life of the city of Galway
Galway

Galway is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the only city in the province of Connacht in Republic of Ireland. The city is located on the west coast of Ireland....
in western Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
between the 13th and 16th centuries. Members of the 'Tribes' were considered Old English gentry, and distinguished themselves from the Gaelic peoples who lived in the hinterland of the city. The Lynches were descended from William Le Petit who was one of the Norman
Normans

The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. They descended from Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of mostly Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock....
knights who settled in Ireland following the grant of Ireland as a fiefdom by Pope Adrian IV
Pope Adrian IV

Pope Adrian IV , born Nicholas Breakspear or Breakspeare, was Pope from 1154 to 1159.Adrian IV is the only England who has occupied the papal chair....
to King Henry II of England
Henry II of England

Henry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France....
in the early 12th century. Semper Fidelis appears on the Lynch Family coat of arms. Although the earliest traceable reference to its doing so is James Hardiman
James Hardiman

James Hardiman , also known as S?amus ? hArgad?in, was a librarian at National University of Ireland, Galway. The now bears his name. Hardiman is best remembered for his Hardiman's_History_of_Galway and Irish Minstrelsy , one of the first published collections of Irish poetry and songs....
's history of Galway published in 1820, the history of the family makes it likely that the motto was in use by the 14th or 15th century.
Edge family (England): The Edge family of Strelley
Strelley

Strelley refers to more than one location*Strelley, Nottingham both a village and a housing estate*Strelley, Western Australia...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire is an Counties of England in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. The county town is traditionally Nottingham, though the council is now based in West Bridgford, a suburb of Greater Nottingham ....
, were using the motto "Semper fidelis" by, at the latest, 1814 (see UK National Archives document reference DD/E/209/32-34). The arms were granted in 1709 but it is not recorded whether the motto formed part of the initial grant.
Stewart family (Scotland; also spelled Steuart especially in older sources): "Semper Fidelis" is the family motto of the Stewart family of Ballechin
Ballechin

Ballechin is an estate in Logierait parish, Perthshire, Scotland located 3 miles west north-west of Ballinluig junction. The main residence on the estate was Ballechin House....
in Perthshire. J. Burke (1836, pp.149-150) records that the family goes back to an illegitimate son of James II of Scotland (1430-1460), and the motto is recorded by Burke and by Robson (1830). However they do not report the date of its first use.

Cities

Exeter

The City of Exeter

Exeter

Exeter Exeter was the most south-westerly Roman fortified settlement in Roman Britain and has existed since time immemorial. Exeter Cathedral, founded in 1050 is Anglicanism....
, in Devon

Devon

Devon is a large Counties of England in South West England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name, rarely used inside of the county but often indicating a shire....
, England

England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
, has used the motto since at least 1660, when it appears in a manuscript of the local chronicler, Richard Izacke. Izacke claimed that the motto

Motto

The Crown

Throughout the Commonwealth realms, the Crown is an abstract metonymy concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government....
. According to Izacke, it was Queen Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I was List of English monarchs and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the House of Tudor....
who suggested that the city adopt this motto (perhaps in imitation of her own motto, Semper eadem, "Ever the same"); her suggestion is said to have come in a letter to "the Citizens of Exeter," in recognition of their gift of money toward the fleet that had defeated the Spanish Armada

Spanish Armada

The Spanish Armada was the Habsburg Spain fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Alonso de Guzm?n El Bueno, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, leading to the Drake-Norris Expedition of 1589, also known as the English Armada....
. John Hooker

John Hooker

John Hooker may refer to:*John Hooker *John Lee Hooker, American blues musician...
's map of Exeter of around 1586 shows the city's coat of arms without the motto, suggesting that the city's use of the motto is no older than this. However the city archives do not hold any letter relating to the motto, and Grey (2005) argues that the Elizabethan origin of the motto may be no more than a local myth, since it is not recorded in contemporary chronicles, and that it may have been adopted at the Restoration of the Stuart monarchy to compensate for the city's less than total loyalty to the crown during the English Civil War

English Civil War

The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Roundhead and Cavalier. The First English Civil War and Second English Civil War civil wars pitted the supporters of Charles I of England against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the Third English Civil War saw fighting between supporters...
.

The motto is also used by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
HMS Exeter
HMS Exeter

Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Exeter after the city of Exeter in Devon.* was a 70-gun third-rate launched in 1680. She was damaged in an explosion in 1691 and was hulked....
, which is named after the City of Exeter.
The motto has been used by various Exeter-based units of the British Army, see below.
There is a Masonic Lodge
Masonic Lodge

A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge in Books of Constitutions, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry....
in Exeter, called "Lodge Semper Fidelis."

Lviv

The motto "Semper fidelis" is applied to the Ukrainian

Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south....
city of Lviv

Lviv

Lviv is a major city in western Ukraine.It is regarded as one of the main Ukrainian culture. In 2001, it had 725,000 inhabitants, of whom 88 per cent were Ukrainians, 9 per cent Russians and 1 per cent Poles....
(in Latin

Latin

Polish language

Polish , an official language of Poland, has the largest number of speakers of any West Slavic languages. Polish-speakers use the language in a uniform manner through most of Poland, and it has a regular orthography....
) in 1658 by Pope

Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City. The current pope is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected April 19, 2005 in Papal conclave, 2005....
Alexander VII

Alexander VII

Alexander VII may refer to:* Pope Alexander VII* Alexander VII of Pskov...
in recognition of the city's key role in defending Europe

Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
from Muslim

Muslim

:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits "....
invasion

Invasion

An invasion is a Offensive consisting of all, or large parts of the armed forces of one geopolitics entity aggressively entering territory controlled by another such entity, generally with the objective of either conquering, liberating or re-establishing control or authority over a territory, altering the established government or gaining c...
. That same year, the Sejm

Sejm

The Sejm is the lower house of the Poland parliament.Before the 20th century, the term "Sejm" referred to the entire three-Chambers of parliament Polish parliament, comprising the lower house , the upper house and the monarch....
(parliament) of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

The Polish?Lithuanian Commonwealth was one of the largest and most populous countries in 16th and 17th-century Europe, formed by a Union of Lublin of Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1569....
passed the Semper fidelis Poloniae ["Ever Faithful to Poland"] Act (as most people construed the Latin phrase).

Curiously, both Leopolis and Exeter, in addition to sharing the same motto, featured a three-turreted castle on their coats-of-arms. This is apparently a coincidence.

Today, in Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
, the motto is referenced mainly in connection with the Polish-Ukrainian War

Polish-Ukrainian War

The Polish-Ukrainian War of 1918 and 1919 was a conflict between the forces of the Second Polish Republic and West Ukrainian People's Republic for the control over Eastern Galicia after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary....
of 1919, following the collapse of Austro-Hungary in the wake of World War I

World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
, and more especially in connection with the Polish-Bolshevik War that followed.

In Ukraine, the phrase is much less used, in reference to the survival of the Ukrainian Church

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church , also known as the Ukrainian Catholic Church, is one of the successor Church body to the Baptism of Kiev by Grand Prince Vladimir the Great of Kiev , in 988....
through the period of Soviet

Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
persecution.

St. Malo

"Semper fidelis" is the motto of the town of St. Malo, in Brittany

Brittany

Brittany is a former independent Celtic nations monarchy and duchy, now incorporated into France. It is also, more generally, the name of the cultural area whose limits correspond to the historic province and independent duchy....
, France

France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
; the date of its adoption is not known, but it appears to have been in use in the 17th century , replacing an earlier motto, Cave canem.

White Plains

"Semper Fidelis" is the motto of the city of White Plains

White Plains, New York

The City of White Plains is the county seat of Westchester County, New York. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound....
, in New York

New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
, United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
.

Martial

The Devonshire Regiment and antecedents

The 1st (Exeter and South Devon) Rifle Volunteer Corps, raised in Exeter in 1852, was using the motto on its cap badge by 1860 at the latest; the Illustrated London News

Illustrated London News

File:Illustrated London News - front page - first edition.jpgThe Illustrated London News was a magazine founded by Herbert Ingram and his friend Mark Lemon, the editor of Punch ....
reported its use in its 7th January 1860 issue . The motto was continued by The Devonshire Regiment

The Devonshire Regiment

The Devonshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army.The regiment began its military career in 1685 and was amalgamated into The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment in 1958....
of the British Army

British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
, the 11th of foot, on its formation from the South and North Devon militias in 1881. The motto was further continued on the badges of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment

Devonshire and Dorset Regiment

The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, usually just known as the Devon and Dorsets, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1958 by the amalgamation of two county regiments:...
when the Devonshires were amalgamated into them in 1958. This use of the motto evidently derives from these regiments' close connection with the city of Exeter, where they had a base from their foundation (see the Illustrated London News article referenced above) until their disappearance by amalgamation in 2007.

The West Nova Scotia Regiment

Semper fidelis is the motto of The West Nova Scotia Regiment

The West Nova Scotia Regiment

The West Nova Scotia Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces, twenty fourth in the order of precedence. It has seen active service in both the Great War and World War II....
(of the Canadian Forces

Canadian Forces

The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces." This singular institution consists of thre...
), formed in 1936. It inherited the motto from The Lunenburg Regiment, formed in 1870.

Cadetcorps of the Dutch Royal Military Academy

Semper fidelis is the motto of the cadets corps from the Dutch Royal Military Academy. The corps was founded in 1879.

11th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army

Semper fidelis is also the motto of the the 11th Infantry Regiment, which was founded in May of 1861 by President Abraham Lincoln. It served as part of the Army of Ohio and later in the Indian wars, Spanish-American war, 1916 Mexican Border war, World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam war. Today it trains young Army officers at Fort Benning, Georgia.

The United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps adopted the motto Semper Fidelis in 1883, on the initiative of Colonel Charles McCawley

Charles McCawley

Charles Grymes McCawley was the eighth Commandant of the Marine Corps.McCawley served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War....
(January 29 1827 – October 13 1891), the 8th Commandant of the Marine Corps

Commandant of the Marine Corps

File:FlagCMC.PNGThe Commandant of the Marine Corps is the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff....
.

There were three mottos prior to Semper Fidelis including "Fortitudine" (meaning "with courage") antedating the War of 1812, "Per Mare, Per Terram" ("by sea, by land"; presumably inherited from the British Royal Marines

Royal Marines

The Royal Marines are the marine and amphibious warfare infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service....
, whose motto it already was), and, up until 1843, there was also the motto "To the Shores of Tripoli

Marines' hymn

The "Marines' Hymn" is the official hymn of the United States Marine Corps. It is the oldest official song in the Military of the United States....
". "Semper fidelis" signifies the dedication and loyalty that individual Marines have for "Corps and Country", even after leaving service. Marines frequently shorten the motto to "Semper Fi".

"Semper Fidelis" is also the title of the official march of the United States Marine Corps, composed by John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa was an United States composer and Conducting of the late Romanticism known particularly for American march music. Because of his mastery of march composition and resultant prominence, he is known as "The March King"....
in 1889. Sousa was director of the United States Marine Band
United States Marine Band

The United States Marine Band, colloquially known as "The President's Own", was established by an Act of Congress on July 11, 1798, and is United States?s oldest professional musical organization....
("The President
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
's Own") when a replacement for Hail to the Chief
Hail to the Chief

"Hail to the Chief " is a march primarily associated with the President of the United States. Its playing accompanies the appearance of the President at almost every public appearance....
was requested, but later rejected. Sousa considered it to be his "most musical" march. It was prominently featured in the movie A Few Good Men
A Few Good Men

A Few Good Men is a play by Aaron Sorkin, first produced on Broadway theater by David Brown in 1989. Sorkin adapted his work into a screenplay for a A Few Good Men directed by Rob Reiner, produced by Brown and starring Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore....
. Charles Burr wrote the lyrics to the march.

On the United States Marine Corps Seal, the eagle of the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor
Eagle, Globe, and Anchor

The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor is the official emblem of the United States Marine Corps. The current emblem traces its roots to the designs and ornaments of early Continental Marines as well as United Kingdom Royal Marines....
emblem holds a ribbon emblazoned "Semper Fidelis".

Canadian Forces Base Valcartier

Semper fidelis is the motto of CFB Valcartier

CFB Valcartier

Canadian Forces Base Valcartier is located 25 km north of Quebec City and is is home to 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group....
. The base was originally erected as a military camp in August 1914.

Swiss Grenadier Regiment

Semper fidelis is the motto of a Swiss

Switzerland

Switzerland is a landlocked Swiss Alps country of roughly 7.7 million people in Western Europe with an area of 41,285 km?. Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 states called Cantons of Switzerland....
Grenadier regiment formed in 1943. There was no Grenadier Regiment in 1943. The Grenadiers only formed one company in each infantry regiment.

The Republic of China Marine Corps

Semper Fidelis (Chinese:????) is the motto of the Republic of China Marine Corps

Republic of China Marine Corps

The Republic of China Marine Corps is the amphibious arm of the Republic of China Navy responsible for amphibious combat, counter-landing and reinforcement of the main island of Taiwan, Kinmen Matsu, defense of ROCN facilities, and also functions as a rapid reaction force and a strategic reserve....
since April 1, 1947.

Hungarian Government Guard

Semper Fidelis is the official motto of the Hungarian Government Guard since 28 August 1998.

Military Institute of Engineering, Brazilian Army

Semper Fidelis is the motto of the 1st company of the Brazilian Military Institute of Engineering.

Serviciul de Protectie si Paza
Serviciul de Protectie si Paza

Serviciul de Protectie si Paza is an institution of the Romanian state. It operates in the domain of national security and it is specialized in protecting the Romanian officials, the foreign officials during their stay in Romania, and their families, according to the law....

The Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located in Southeastern Europe Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian Mountains, bordering on the Black Sea....
n Protection and Guard Service, an organisation which is concerned with the national security and personal security of officials in Romania.

Submarine Force, Chilean Navy

Semper Fidelis is the motto of the Submarine Force of Chilean Navy.

Other organizations

Semper Fidelis is the sorority motto of Eta Gamma Delta
Eta Gamma Delta

Eta Gamma Delta is a Puerto Rican fraternities and sororities established on 1928.=History=On March 1928 a group of young ladies enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras founded Eta Gamma Delta Sorority....
sorority in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a Autonomy Territories of the United States of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands....

Variants

B. Burke (1884) lists a number of similar mottoes that appeared in family or city coats of arms in Great Britain and Ireland, though none was ever as popular as Semper fideles. They include:

Semper constans et fidelis (Always constant and faithful; Irton, Lynch, Mellor and Spoor families)
Semper fideles esto (Always be faithful; Steele family)
Semper et ubique fideles (Always and everywhere faithful; De Burgh family)
Semper fideles et audax (Always faithful and brave; Moore and O'More families)
Semper fideles, mutare sperno (Always faithful, I scorn to change; City of Worcester
Worcester

Worcester is a City status in the United Kingdom and county town of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some 30 miles southwest of Birmingham, 29 miles north of Gloucester, and has an estimated population of 94,300 people....
)

External links

giving supposed origin of Exeter's use of the motto.
from White's Devonshire Directory of 1850