She’s a literary, regal, place name with an undeniable romance. Yes, Virginia – it is your turn to be featured as Baby Name of the Day.
Thanks to Emily for the suggestion.
Virginia conjures up the American colonies, but her story is older still. She’s related to two ancient Roman family names:
- The poet Virgil‘s full name was Publius Vergilius Maro. Virgilia was the wife of fifth century BC Roman general Coriolanus, immortalized in William Shakespeare’s play;
- Flip open your copy of Livy and find this tragic tale: the counsel Verginius had a lovely young daughter called, naturally, Verginia. A higher-ranking Roman noble decided he wanted her for his own, and managed to outfox her dear daddy. Rather than surrender Verginia to the lecherous schemer, her father killed her. The story appeared in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Saverio Mercadante’s opera, Virginia.
Some associate the names with the Latin ver – spring. Others connect Virginia to virgo – maiden, which might connect to virga – young shoot.
Fast forward to the sixteenth century, and Virginia was the first English place name in the New World. Sir Walter Raleigh initially recorded it as Wingina, after the leader of the Secotan Indians. It was quickly changed to Virginia to honor Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen.
When Ananias and Eleanor Dare welcomed their daughter in the fledgling settlement in 1587, they gave her the name of their new home. Virginia Dare vanished with the rest of the settlers. The only reason we’re confident of her birth is that sole survivor, John White, was her grandfather. He’d left the colony to drum up support in England. Three years later, he returned to find little more than a mystery. The lost colony is now part of North Carolina – and American legend and lore.
Virginia was gaining in use in the early twentieth century. Then came bestselling novelist Ellen Glasgow’s 1913 novel, Virginia. The name entered the Top Ten in 1916, and stayed through 1928, peaking at #6 in 1921.
Between her Roman roots, Americana style, and fashionable V sound, Virginia could be coming back into vogue. Other 1910 favorites – like Lillian, Alice, and Ruby – are back. But Virginia dropped to #617 in 2009, her lowest ranking yet. Could the virgin association be such a killer?
Two great namesakes stand out:
- Virginia Woolf remains one of the 20th century’s most highly regarded literary figures, known for a string of 1920s novels, and the enduring essay A Room of One’s Own;
- Coroner’s assistant Philip O’Hanlon won immortality for his young daughter when he wrote to the New York Sun make an inquiry about Santa Claus on her behalf. Francis Church’s immortal response: “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” has since become the most reprinted editorial in the English language.
Nickname Ginny boasts plenty of Harry Potter style, though the red-headed heroine was Ginevra. Gina is also a possibility, as is Gigi.
But you’ll have to get over the fear that the name holds too many teasing possibilities. It is a valid concern, but the nicknames and pronunciation should put her at a distance. She’s more classic than Savannah, less expected than Ava – and far less common than either.
I’m so glad you featured this! Virginia is my grandmother’s name and my middle name and I’ve always really loved it. She goes by Ginny and was named after Virginia City, Nevada where her family was from.
How fun, Lea! Being named after Virginia City, Nevada just seems very romantic and Old West.
One of my good friends from high school just named his baby daughter Virginia. He was always the intellectual poetic type and now teaches English as a second language to university students, so the name seems fitting for him. Since he’s from the state (but not living there now), I do find it a little amusing. He and his wife are calling her Gigi.
Sssshhhh! Virginia, my grandmother’s name, is at the tippy top of my baby name list. Grandma’s nickname was the sprightly Ginna.
Neat nickname! And let’s see … it sounds like Virginia might still be your secret to keep. 🙂
When I was very young we had an elderly neighbour named Virginia, called Ginny. While she was lovely and very friendly, I’ve never been a fan of the name Virginia. The Virg- reminds me of Virgil, which sounds quite unpleasant to my ears. Ginny is nice though.
I had a family friend growing up whose name was Virginia. She was one of the most gracious, classiest women I’ve known, so the name instantly has positive associations for me. I don’t think I’d ever use it myself, but I think it would be a beautiful name on a little girl. Plus, it has absolutely splendid nicknaming possibilities.
My husband’s Grandma (I think she’s 86) is named Virginia, so I have thought about this one. I think she sometimes goes by Ginny – though that’s too close to my own name (Jennie) to work for me.
I thought about Virginia as a middle name, with my Grandma’s name as the first name. But then you get Lucy Virginia – I like the sound but it makes me think “loose virgin”. :/
I don’t really see us using it as a first name because of the teasing possibilities. Perhaps as a family middle name though.
Maybe Lucy Viriglia? Except that’s NOT your grandmother’s name, so it sort of misses the point.
I must admit, I’m intrigued by Vergilia/Virgilia … and Virginia in the middle spot is great.
Yeah, especially with my grandma-in-law still alive to notice that we misspelled her name!
I said to my husband last night: “Can we call the baby Virginia. It’s ‘name of the day’.” He said “No” because of the similarity to the female body part – which is something I hadn’t even thought about, because I was stuck on the similarity to “virgin”.
When we were little, my younger brother used to mis-pronounce Virginia and say ver-JIE-na, so the genitalia reference often pops up in my mind. Despite that, I like the name.
I want to like Virginia, but sadly, my aunt has a not so nice boss (and that’s just being polite. Words can’t even describe how I feel about her) with that name and I just can’t shake that association. Gina is cute though, I like it as a nickname for Regina.
In terms of nicknames, I know a Virginia that goes by the name “Ginger.” I love the name, but I love anything Southern and feminine.
I love Virginia! I wouldn’t be worried about teasing, I really can’t imagine it could be all that bad. I love pretty much everything about this name, especially that it has three Is, which can be dotted with hearts. I’ve always been a little jealous of girls who had heartable Is in their names, since I was jipped out of one. The only drawback for me is the nicknames, I don’t know what I would choose. I love Jenny but it’s rather blah, Virgie just doesn’t sound cute to me, Gigi is too poodle… I would probably go with Ginger/Ginny…
I love Via or just “V”
That’s a cool nickname!
One of my daughter’s best friends is Virginia, named after a great-aunt, whose nickname was Jinx! Now that’s a cool nickname! 🙂
Jinx for Virginia is really cool! The Bond Girl played by Halle Berry was Jinx for Jacinta, which I also like quite a bit.
I know a Virginia nicknamed Jenny. I’d also suggest the old-fashioned nn Virgie.