Home › Baby Names Directory › Virginia

Virginia

♀ Girl

Pronounced ver-JIN-ee-ah /vərˈdʒɪn.i.ə/High

Meaning: From the Roman family name Verginius or Virginius, likely derived from Latin virgo meaning 'maiden' or 'virgin'; the name carried connotations of purity and youth in Roman cultureHigh

In 30 seconds: Virginia is a stately four-syllable Latin classic that conjures both Roman virtue and American history. With the nicknames Ginny and Gigi available, it wears its gravity lightly.
💕 Browse more names
Origin HighLatin
MeaningFrom the Roman family name Verginius or Virginius, likely derived from Latin virgo meaning 'maiden' or 'virgin'; the name carried connotations of purity and youth in Roman culture
U.S. rank (2025)#526 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births572 girls (0.03% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1922
Total births (all-time)≈ 652,944

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192218802025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Virginia derives from the Roman gens Verginia, and the Latin root virgo meaning 'maiden.' The name was already ancient by the time the first permanent English settlement in North America — the Virginia Colony, named for the Virgin Queen Elizabeth I — fixed it in American memory. The Roman legend of Verginia, a young woman killed by her father to preserve her honor, gave the name early dramatic weight in Western literature.

Virginia was a top-20 girls' name in the United States for much of the first half of the 20th century, carried by figures such as Virginia Woolf, Virginia Apgar (creator of the Apgar score), and Virginia O'Brien. It faded with mid-century naming shifts but has never disappeared, and vintage-revival trends have given it renewed appeal for parents seeking an elegant, historically rich alternative to shorter classics.

Did you know? Virginia Woolf, born Adeline Virginia Stephen, chose to go by her middle name — and in doing so gave the name a permanent association with literary modernism and feminist thought.
Overall data confidence 92%
Behind the Name — Virginia — etymology and historyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

VirginieVerginia

Nicknames

GinnyGiniGigiVirgie

Famous Bearers

  • ★Virginia Woolf (1882–1941)
    British modernist novelist and essayist, author of Mrs Dalloway and To the Lighthouse.
  • ★Virginia Apgar (1909–1974)
    American physician who created the Apgar score for assessing newborn health.

If you like Virginia…

Vivienne— shares the four-syllable Latin elegance and vintage-glamour feel
Victoria— another stately Latin virtue-name with strong historical roots
Cordelia— four-syllable classic girls' name with the same literary and antique resonance
Dorothy— fellow early-20th-century American favorite now experiencing a vintage revival

Frequently Asked

What does the name Virginia mean?

Virginia comes from Latin virgo meaning 'maiden' or 'virgin,' borne by a Roman family name and famously linked to the first American colony named for Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen.

How do you pronounce Virginia?

It is said ver-JIN-ee-ah — four syllables, stress on the second.

Is Virginia a boy or girl name?

Virginia is used almost exclusively as a girls' name.

How popular is Virginia?

Virginia was a top-20 name in early 20th-century America. It declined mid-century but remains in steady use and is attracting renewed interest in the vintage-revival trend.