- Jayhawks were radical abolitionist guerrillas involved in Bleeding Kansas, at which time the city of Lawrence, Kansas was razed to the ground by pro-slavery Missourians. Of them, two of the most famous are John Brown and Silas Soule.
- The Jayhawk is the mascot of the sports teams of the University of Kansas, who are also known as the Jayhawks. The Jayhawk has become an unofficial state bird of Kansas, and is a nickname used for Kansans. Today's familiar image of the crimson, royal blue, & yellow Jayhawk has evolved over the years. The earliest drawings of the bird were completely in blue, with elongated legs and a rounded beak. The next iteration took on the visage of a raven with a yellowed beak. During World War II, the Jayhawk took on a somewhat more serious look with a sharper beak and angry eyes, giving it the look of a "fighting" mascot. The image in use today appears far more jovial and welcoming, looking more like a cartoon character than before.
- The Jayhawks are a country band from Minnesota.
- The Jayhawks are a high school team from Linn County, south of Kansas City.
- The HH-60J Jayhawk is a US Coast Guard medium range recovery helicopter which is a navalized version of the UH-60 Black Hawk.
- The T-1 Jayhawk is a twin-engine jet trainer used by the US Airforce.
- The AQM-37 Jayhawk is a supersonic target drone produced by Raytheon for the US Navy.
