The Old Dominion It is worth recording how Virginia received the name of the " Old Dominion." She remained loyal to Charles I throughout the civil war in England which ended in the beheading of the king.  She was true also to Charles II when he was a fugitive and declared an outlaw. While in exile, he sent Governor Berkeley his commission as Governor of Virginia, and that ruler was immensely pleased.  The king, to show his appreciation of the loyalty of his colony, made public declaration that Virginia added a fifth country to his kingdom, making it consist of England, Scotland, France, Ireland, and Virginia, and he devised as an addition to the motto of the English coat of arms, "En dat Virginia quintam" ("Lo! Virginia gives the fifth"). While Cromwell was turning things topsy-turvy in England, a great many of the best families among the Royalists emigrated to Virginia, where they were received with open arms by Governor Berkeley and the owners of the plantations. From this arose the name " Old Dominion," which is often applied to Virginia.    Source:  A New History of the United States, The Greater Republic by Charles Morris, LL.D., W. E. Scull, 1899.