Virginia State Symbols

Virginia symbols include the cardinal, dogwood, Sic Semper Tyrannis motto, Old Dominion nickname, and American foxhound.

Abbreviation Guide

Richmond

Capital

1788

Statehood

Symbols

Overview

The cardinal and dogwood are Virginia's most familiar official state symbols, but they carry extra historical weight here — tied to colonial natural history and the oldest continuously settled English colony in America. The Sic Semper Tyrannis motto, Old Dominion nickname, American foxhound, and George Washington's Rye Whiskey designation give Virginia's list a founding-era depth few other states can match.

Best-known symbol pair Cardinal and Dogwood

Oldest in this guide Sic Semper Tyrannis, 1776

Named product George Washington's Rye Whiskey

Virginia State Symbols — Complete List

Category	Official Symbol	Adopted
State Flag	Virginia State Flag	1861
State Bird	Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis	1950
State Flower	Dogwood Cornus florida	1918
State Tree	Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida	1956
State Motto	Sic Semper Tyrannis Latin	1776
State Nickname	The Old Dominion	—
State Seal	Great Seal of Virginia	1776
Coat Of Arms	Virginia State Coat of Arms	1776
State Bat	Virginia big-eared bat Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus	2005
State Dog	American foxhound Canis lupus familiaris	1966
State Beverage	Milk	1982
State Spirit	George Washington's Rye Whiskey	2017
State Colors	Red, White, and Blue	—
State Fossil	Chesapecten Scallop Chesapecten jeffersonius	1993
License Plate Slogan	Virginia Is For Lovers	1969
State Soil	Pamunkey Soil Series	—

Map of Virginia

Virginia is a state in the South United States, with its capital city in Richmond.

Full interactive map

What Does Virginia Mean?

Virginia is named for Queen Elizabeth I of England, the Virgin Queen. The colony's English name long predates Virginia statehood and helps explain why the Old Dominion nickname still matters.

Virginia became one of the original states after independence. Its symbol set keeps returning to that older Commonwealth identity through the motto, flag seal, cardinal-and-dogwood pairing, George Washington's Rye Whiskey, and the American foxhound.

Virginia's postal abbreviation is VA, and residents are Virginians. The state is formally a commonwealth, a usage it shares with only a few U.S. states.

Key Meaning and Background

Origin: Named for Queen Elizabeth I of England, often called the Virgin Queen.
Statehood: Virginia was one of the original states after American independence.
Commonwealth: Virginia uses Commonwealth in its formal state style.

Usage Examples and Context

State: Refers to Virginia, a Mid-Atlantic and Southern commonwealth with Tidewater, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Appalachian regions.
People: People from Virginia are called Virginians.
Nickname: Old Dominion points back to Virginia's colonial and royal history.

Nicknames and Short Forms

The Old Dominion: Virginia's long-running nickname tied to its colonial status and older English history.
Abbreviation: VA; older short form Va.

Newest and Oldest Symbols

Oldest listed Virginia State Coat of Arms, 1776

Older symbols tend to anchor the state's public identity: flag, bird, flower, motto, or nickname.

Newest listed George Washington's Rye Whiskey (2017), Virginia big-eared bat (2005)

Recent designations often show how states keep adding wildlife, foods, breeds, and cultural traditions.

What Virginia's Symbols Say About the Commonwealth

The state motto and state flag put Virginia's revolutionary language at the center. Virtus over the fallen tyrant is not soft symbolism; it is the Commonwealth turning political theory into a seal.

The Northern Cardinal, dogwood flower, and flowering dogwood tree give Virginia a public nature image that is unusually tight because one species is both flower and tree.

The newer symbols widen the old story without breaking it. George Washington's Rye Whiskey ties the list to Mount Vernon, the American foxhound to Washington-era breeding and countryside sport, and the Virginia big-eared bat to Appalachian cave conservation.

Quick Answers

Does Virginia have a national park?

Yes. Shenandoah National Park is Virginia's national park, managed by the National Park Service.

What is the Virginia state abbreviation?

The Virginia postal abbreviation is VA — the two-letter USPS code used on addresses and forms since 1963.

What is Virginia's most famous state symbol?

The blue Virginia state flag and its seal are among the most recognizable because they carry the motto Sic Semper Tyrannis and the figure of Virtus.

What is Virginia's state bird?

Virginia's state bird is the Northern Cardinal, adopted in 1950.

What is Virginia's state flower?

Virginia's state flower is the dogwood, adopted in 1918. The flowering dogwood is also Virginia's state tree.

What does Sic Semper Tyrannis mean?

Sic Semper Tyrannis means Thus Always to Tyrants, and Virginia adopted it with the state seal in 1776.

How many official state symbols does Virginia have?

Virginia's state symbols list here includes the flag, cardinal, dogwood flower and tree, motto, nickname, colors, milk, George Washington's Rye Whiskey, American foxhound, and Virginia big-eared bat.