My guess...
I think several factors affected its popularity.
Queen Elizabeth's namesake was the state of
Virginia, and the word itself is so pretty that I can see it being used as a place name. Also, the fact that it means "virginity" may have inspired its usage as a sort of virtue name. Then, names linked with royals always seem popular, too.
The name I know was popular by 1800, but I don't know about before that time. My guess (only a guess) is that it was around pre-Revolution.
BTW, this name was recently ruined for me by a very bad person.
Michelle