Culture
The Hawaiian Flag: Design, Meaning, and History
The Hawaiian flag combines the Union Jack with eight stripes representing the main islands. This guide explains the design's origins, what it means, and why Hawaii is the only U.S. state with a foreign nation's flag in its state flag.
Hawaii is the only U.S. state whose flag incorporates the flag of a foreign nation. In the upper left canton sits the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom. Eight horizontal stripes of white, red, and blue fill the rest of the field. The design dates to the early nineteenth century and the Kingdom of Hawaii, and it carries the history of a sovereign nation's diplomacy, ambitions, and relationships with the world's great powers.
What the flag looks like
The Hawaiian flag is rectangular, with the Union Jack (the British flag) in the top left corner. The rest of the flag consists of eight horizontal stripes alternating white, red, and blue, running from top to bottom. This combination is unique: no other American state flag and no other national flag combines the British Union Jack with stripes in this pattern.
Why it has the Union Jack
The presence of the Union Jack reflects the diplomatic relationship between the Kingdom of Hawaii and Great Britain during the reign of Kamehameha I. British naval officers, most notably Captain George Vancouver, visited Hawaii several times in the 1790s and developed a close relationship with Kamehameha. Vancouver offered Kamehameha British protection, and Kamehameha briefly placed Hawaii under British protection in 1794, though Britain never formally acknowledged this.
At least one British officer, Captain Alexander Adams, is said to have advised on the flag design around 1816. By incorporating the Union Jack, Kamehameha signaled Hawaii's alliance with and respect for Britain, while the stripes acknowledged the growing American commercial presence in the islands. The design communicated neutrality and diplomatic sophistication: Hawaii was a sovereign kingdom dealing with multiple great powers on its own terms.
What the eight stripes represent
The eight horizontal stripes represent Hawaii's eight main islands: Hawaiʻi (the Big Island), Maui, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Niʻihau, and Kahoʻolawe. Earlier versions of the flag had different numbers of stripes, reflecting the political status of islands at the time. The eight-stripe version became standard as the Kingdom consolidated control of all the main islands.
History of the flag
The flag was designed and adopted during the reign of Kamehameha I, probably between 1816 and 1820. It flew over the Kingdom of Hawaii through the reigns of eight monarchs, from Kamehameha I through Queen Liliʻuokalani. When the kingdom was overthrown in 1893 and Hawaii passed through republic and territorial status before statehood in 1959, the flag was retained as Hawaii's official banner throughout.
Today the flag flies at the Hawaii State Capitol and all state government buildings. It is used by the State of Hawaii and also by Hawaiian sovereignty and independence groups, who fly it as the flag of the Kingdom of Hawaii to symbolize their position that the kingdom's sovereignty was never legitimately transferred to the United States. The same flag can thus carry different political meanings depending on who is flying it and why.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Hawaiian flag have the Union Jack?
What do the eight stripes on the Hawaiian flag represent?
Is the Hawaiian flag still used today?
We research each guide against primary sources: the Hawaii Tourism Authority and Mālama Hawaii, the National Park Service, the State of Hawaii and its Division of State Parks, the National Weather Service, and the U.S. Census. For culture, language, and history we lean on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Bishop Museum, and the scholarship of Mary Kawena Pukui. We send readers to those sources rather than speaking over them. When rules, prices, or conditions change, we update the page.