List of Virginia state symbols
This is a list of symbols of the United States Commonwealth of Virginia. Most of the items in the list are officially recognized symbols created by an act of the Virginia General Assembly and signed into law by the governor. The state nickname, The Old Dominion, is the oldest symbol. However, it, as well as Virginia's other nicknames, are not official. The nickname "Mother of Presidents" is also historic, as eight Virginians have served as President of the United States, including four of the first five: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson. Additionally, the nickname "Mother of States" comes from being the first state settled in the United States. As well, Sam Houston, president of the Republic of Texas, Fulwar Skipwith, the president of the Republic of West Florida, and Joseph Jenkins Roberts, the first president of Liberia were from Virginia.
The state motto and seal have been official since Virginia declared its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Virginia is one of only two states to have the same plant for state flower and state tree, the Flowering Dogwood. Most of the symbols were made official in the late 20th century.
Insignia
| Type | Symbol | Description | Year | Image | Source |
| Flag | Flag of Virginia | Defined as:First made in 1833, it was not adopted until 1861. The flag was last updated in 1950. | 1950 | ||
| Motto | Sic semper tyrannis | Proposed by George Mason to be included in the State Seal in 1776. Translated from Latin as "Thus Always to Tyrants", meaning that tyrants will eventually be overthrown. A joke dating back to the Civil War states that the motto means "Get your foot off my neck", referencing the seal. The motto is included in the legislature for the state seal. | 1776 | ||
| Nicknames | Old Dominion | A popular legend states that Charles II referred to Virginia as the Old Dominion for their loyalty to the English crown. The Colony of Virginia's motto, En dat Virginia quintam '' refers to the claim of Virginia as England's 5th Dominion, after England, France, Scotland, and Ireland. Virginia has a public university called Old Dominion University. | Traditional | ||
| Nicknames | Mother of Presidents | 8 United States presidents have been born in Virginia: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson. | Traditional | ||
| Nicknames | Mother of States | Since it's settlement in 1606, Virginia has been carved into eight more states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. | Traditional | ||
| Seal | Seal of Virginia | Defined as:The seal was called for during the convention of 1776, and designed by George Wythe. The seal is prominently featured on the state flag. | 1776 | ||
| Slogan | Virginia Is for Lovers | Stylized in all caps as "Virginia is for Lo❤ers". The slogan was designed by the Martin Agency in 1969, who had initially used the slogan separately as "Virginia is for History lovers", "Virginia is for Beach lovers", and "Virginia is for Mountain lovers". After the ads were found to be too limiting, they were merged into the current slogan. The slogan is popular within both United States and Virginia culture, used in Virginia's license plates and welcome signs, and as a slogan for the Virginia Department of Elections and Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. The slogan was added into the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame in 2009, and was named as one of the top ten advertising campaigns of all time by Forbes. | 1969 |