Virginia
vur-JIN-yuh
A feminine name tied to virginity, purity, and the Virgin Mary, with later literary and colonial associations.
Meaning
Virginia is the feminine form of the Roman name Virginius, connected to the Latin root virgo, meaning “virgin” or “maiden.” In Christian usage, it was understood as a name associated with the Virgin Mary, and more generally with chastity or purity. The excerpts also note that its literary and colonial fame was reinforced by Sir Walter Raleigh’s naming of Virginia and by later fictional use of the name Virginie.
Origin
Latinfeminine
Fun fact
The name’s popularity was helped along not just by saints and Latin roots, but by Raleigh’s choice of Virginia for the American colony in honor of the Virgin Queen.
Confidence: mixed. Sources: History of Christian Names, Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland.