Gender Feminine
Scripts Βιργινία(Greek)
Pronounced Pron. /vəɹ.ˈd͡ʒɪn.jə/(English) /vir.ˈd͡ʒi.nja/(Italian) /biɾ.ˈxi.nja/(Spanish)  [key·simplify]

Meaning & History

Feminine form of the Roman family name Verginius or Virginius, which is of unknown meaning, but long associated with Latin virgo "maid, virgin". According to a legend, it was the name of a Roman woman killed by her father so as to save her from the clutches of a crooked official.

This was the name of the first English baby born in the New World: Virginia Dare in 1587 on Roanoke Island. Perhaps because of this, the name has generally been more popular in America than elsewhere in the English-speaking world, though in both Britain and America it was not often used until the 19th century. The baby was named after the Colony of Virginia, which was itself named for Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen. A more recent bearer was the English novelist Virginia Woolf (1882-1941).

Related Names

VariantVerginia(Ancient Roman)
DiminutivesGena, Gina, Ginger, Ginnie, Ginny, Jeana, Jeanna, Jinny, Virgee, Virgie, Geena(English)
Masculine FormsVirginio(Italian) Verginius(Ancient Roman)
Other Languages & CulturesVirginie, Gigi(French) Virginija(Lithuanian)
User SubmissionsVirgínia, Virginía

Popularity

People think this name is

classic   mature   formal   upper class   natural   wholesome   refined   strange   serious  

Name Days

Spain: May 21
Sweden: December 8

Images

Virginia Woolf (1902)Virginia Woolf (1902)

Categories

Entry updated April 5, 2022