Virginia and West Virginia: Both the states were settled by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1584. He named this new land after the English monarch of the time, Queen Elizabeth I. But how did he get 'Virginia' out of Elizabeth?
Elizabeth I was crowned in 1559 and died in 1603. During her 44 years as queen, she never married and she earned the nickname of the "Virgin Queen." That is how the Virginia's got their name, but whether the monarch was true in her virginity is a matter of much debate and speculation.