 The state nickname is its oldest symbol , though it has never been made official by law . Virginia was given the title " Dominion " by King Charles II of England at the time of The Restoration , because it had remained loyal to the crown during the English Civil War , and the present moniker , " Old Dominion " is a reference to that title . Charles ' supporters were called Cavaliers , and " The Cavalier State " nickname was popularized after the American Civil War to romanticize the antebellum period . Sports teams from the University of Virginia are called the Cavaliers . The other nickname , " Mother of Presidents " , is also historic , as eight Virginians have served as President of the United States , including four of the first five . 
