# Union Jack **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 8, 2001, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-jack/71661 "2001-07-08T02:54:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-jack/71661/1 "2001-07-08T02:54:33Z")
Why is the British flag called the Union Jack? The American flag is the Stars and Stripes, the Australian flag the Southern Cross, and the everlasting Confederate flag the Stars and Bars. All these nicknames derive from the flags’ appearances. But what does “Union Jack” derive from? ---
**Author:** ![fandango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5ac83/32.png) [@fandango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fandango)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-jack/71661/2 "2001-07-08T03:02:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rilchiam \* > \*\*Why is the British flag called the Union Jack? The American flag is the Stars and Stripes, the Australian flag the Southern Cross, and the everlasting Confederate flag the Stars and Bars. All these nicknames derive from the flags’ appearances. But what does “Union Jack” derive from? \*\* ‘Union’ refers to the United Kingdom. A ‘jack’ I believe is the shield that hangs on an Admiral’s ship. Technically the British flag is not a jack, but who cares? Incidentally, anyone know the origin of the Jolly Roger name? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-jack/71661/3 "2001-07-08T03:24:42Z")
From the “Flags of the World” FAQ at [http://www.fotw.stm.it/flags/faq.html:](http://www.fotw.stm.it/flags/faq.html:) > [@](#): > > jack. A small flag designating nationality, flown from the bow of a naval vessel while in port. From [http://www.fotw.stm.it/flags/gb.html#use:](http://www.fotw.stm.it/flags/gb.html#use:) > [@](#): > > Whilst the Union Flag has never been officially adopted by law as the national flag of the UK, it has become so by usage (which can count for a lot in the British constitutional / legal system) and, as you say, the government has stated it is the correct flag for use by > British citizens. > > Afloat though, the Union Flag has been reserved by the government for specific, military purposes. It is the official jack of the Royal Navy (strictly speaking the only time it should be called the Union Jack - but again usage differs) and it is the flag of rank for an admiral of the fleet. These are the reasons why it is illegal for a civilian ship to fly it. Similarly civilian ships may not fly the English Cross of St George, as that is the flag of an admiral. As far as I know, the Cross of St Andrew and the Red Dragon flag have no military significance so the Scots and Welsh ought to be able to fly their national flags afloat. FOTW actually references Cecil on the subject of the Jolly Roger: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_292.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_292.html) ---
**Author:** ![Azazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Azazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azazel)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-jack/71661/4 "2001-07-08T03:28:19Z")
The link below does a good job of showing how the three flags of St. Andrew (Scotland), St. George (England), and St. Patrick (Ireland), were combined to form the Union Jack of the United Kingdom. [This site is in Japanese, but the pictures explain it](http://www4.plala.or.jp/tomoka/ito/unionjack.htm) ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-jack/71661/5 "2001-07-08T08:24:37Z")
… and [this site](http://www.freescotland.com/reason.html) explains “the real reason Westminster fears Scottish independence”. ---
**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-jack/71661/6 "2001-07-08T22:38:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rilchiam \* > the Australian flag the Southern Cross The Australian flag is never referred to as the southern cross. The southern cross is a constellation, a representation thereof is on the flag, but the flag has only ever been refered to as the Australin flag (complete with Union Jack canton). The Eureka flag (the Oz equivalent of the confederate flag in many ways) consists of only the southern cross) ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/union-jack/71661/7 "2001-07-09T01:57:16Z")
Thank you all for the info! **Gaspode** , my apologies. I honestly thought your flag _was_ called the Southern Cross. My bad.