Virginia
Virginia was the 526th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 572 babies. Its best year was 1921, when it ranked 6th; the most babies were born in 1922 (19,144). Over the last ten years it has moved down 3 places. More babies were named Virginia in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning feminine of the Roman family name Verginius · Latin
Say it ver-JIN-yuh /vərˈdʒɪnjə/
- Rank in 2025
- #526 girls, up 55 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 572girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 192219,144 babies
- Total since 1880
- 654,968babies recorded
What does the name Virginia mean?
Virginia comes from Verginia, the feminine of Verginius, the name of a Roman family (gens). Wiktionary says the family name may be the same as Vergilius, and its origin is unknown; the familiar link with Latin virgo, maiden, came later. The American colony was named for Elizabeth I, the "Virgin Queen," which is why many English speakers hear "virgin" in the name. The American Heritage Dictionary records Virginia Dare, born in 1587, as the first child of English parents born in America; she vanished with the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island.
Verginia (Latin, “feminine of the gens name Verginius”)virgo (Latin, “maiden (later association)”)
How sure is this? Probable. The Roman family name is well attested but its meaning is not known; the 'virgin/maiden' sense comes from a later association and from the naming of the colony.
Other explanations you may read: Simply means 'virgin' or 'maiden'. The Roman name predates that reading; the link was made later, notably through the colony named for Elizabeth I..
Related names: Ginny, Ginger, Virginie, Gina.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Virginia' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., biographical entry 'Dare, Virginia', HarperCollins / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Nicknames for Virginia
The usual nicknames for Virginia are Ginny, Ginger and Ginnie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Virginia in the last five years, 9 were named Ginny, against 3 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ginny | Traditional | #3,268 | 263 |
| Ginger | Traditional | #3,308 | 235 |
| Ginnie | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Virginias go by each one.
Virginia popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 2,009 since 1895.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #526 | 572 |
| 2020 | #581 | 505 |
| 2010 | #599 | 489 |
| 2000 | #366 | 811 |
| 1990 | #215 | 1,335 |
| 1980 | #160 | 1,737 |
| 1970 | #146 | 2,331 |
| 1960 | #102 | 4,787 |
| 1950 | #43 | 8,312 |
| 1940 | #21 | 9,554 |
| 1930 | #12 | 13,197 |
| 1920 | #7 | 17,314 |
| 1910 | #29 | 2,855 |
| 1900 | #74 | 1,068 |
| 1890 | #100 | 405 |
| 1880 | #99 | 213 |
How popular is Virginia, counting every spelling?
Virginia has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #532 for girls in 2025, against #526 on the official list, because Jazlyn/Jazlynn/Jazzlyn and Kaylin/Kaylynn/Kailyn and Eileen/Aileen/Ayleen move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Virginia?
572 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Virginia (0.16 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Virginia born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 15 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Virginia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Virginia?
About 220,900 people born in the US named Virginia are alive today, with a median age of 71; half are between 56 and 80. That makes Virginia a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Virginia by state
How common Virginia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Virginia (4.2×), Alabama (3.5×), South Carolina (3.1×), Mississippi (2.6×), Tennessee (2.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in California, Oklahoma, New Jersey.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Virginia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Virginia, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Virginia · Sibling names for Virginia
Questions about the name Virginia
What does Virginia mean?
Virginia means “feminine of the Roman family name Verginius” (Latin origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Virginia?
Virginia was the 526th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 572 babies. Its best year was 1921, when it ranked 6th; the most babies were born in 1922 (19,144). Over the last ten years it has moved down 3 places. More babies were named Virginia in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Virginia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Virginia in the US.
Where is Virginia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Virginia was most common in Virginia (1.47 per 1,000 girls), followed by Alabama and South Carolina.