semper fidelis – Always Faithful
semper fidelis
Always faithful (or always loyal)
(Motto of the United States Marine Corps)
In the US, semper fidelis is frequently shortened to semper fi.
It is a common motto for Western towns, families, schools, and military units.
The earliest definitively recorded use of semper fidelis is as the motto of the French town of Abbeville (1369). It has also been used by other towns and many prominent families in England, France and Ireland have used semper fidelis as their motto from the 13th century or even earlier.
The earliest recorded use of semper fidelis by a military unit is by the Duke of Beaufort’s Regiment of Foot, raised in south-western England in 1685. This is apparently linked to its use as a motto by the city of Exeter since no later than 1660. Afterwards, various military organizations used semper fidelis as their motto.
