Virginia is of Latin origin, meaning "pure" or "virginal". It was popularized during the colonial period of the United States due to the state Virginia, which was named after England's Queen Elizabeth I, also known as the Virgin Queen. The name gained further popularity in the 19th century and has remained a classic choice for girls since then. Notable individuals with this name include American actress Virginia Madsen and British author Virginia Woolf.
The name Virginia experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the years, with a total of 1601 babies named Virginia from 1900 to 2020. The name's peak occurred during World War I and its immediate aftermath, between 1915 and 1922, when there were consistently high numbers of births each year, reaching as many as 38 in 1922. However, the popularity of the name declined steadily after the 1920s, with fewer than 30 births per year from 1930 onwards, and only single-digit numbers from the late 1970s to the present day. The lowest recorded number of babies named Virginia was in 1984, with just 5 births that year.