Meaning and Origin of the Name Virginia

The name Virginia is a Romance and Germanic feminine given name borrowed from the archaic Roman clan name Virginius or Verginius. The meaning of Virginia is universally assumed to originate from the Latin Virgo meaning “virgin” or “maiden”.

Legend recalls Virginia was a girl of Roman decent who was murdered by her father for purpose of protecting her from being seduced by Appius Claudius Crassus, a corrupt government official.

Popularity

The popularity of Virginia somewhat dwindled over time, being the 34th greatest accepted name based on the 1990 census among American women and girls and 545th most favoured name assigned to infant girls birthed in 2007 in the United States.

Famous People Called Virginia

A few well known people with the name include one of most important modernist 20th century novelist, Adeline Virginia Woolf, British conservative party politician and member of Parliament in the House of Commons, Virginia Bottomley, and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nominee for comedy-drama “Sideways” (2004) and producer Virginia Madsen.

Useful Resources

Discover the meaning and popularity of other English girls’ names.