How to say it
vir · GIN · ia
/vərˈdʒɪn.jə/
Feminine
Virginia
Maiden
What it means
From the Latin Verginius, later tied to virgo, 'maiden' or 'virgin.'
Virginia comes from the Roman family name Verginius, later linked to the Latin virgo, 'maiden.' It is the name of the first English child born in the Americas, Virginia Dare, and of the US state honoring the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I. Writer Virginia Woolf lends it literary weight. Ginny is the short. Said vur-JIN-yuh.
Popularity over time
peaked at #6 in 1921, currently #526 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Ginny.
- Pop culture
Writer Virginia Woolf; the US state.
Spelling variants
- Virginie
- Virgina
Names with the same feeling
See Virginia from another angle
By style