In the 1500s, Sir Walter Raleigh named the entire swath of uncharted land between Newfoundland and Florida after the reigning monarch in England at the time, Queen Elizabeth I.

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The Fascinating Meanings and Origins Behind 8 State Names

Many people don't realize that a large portion of North America was named Virginia before it was divided into separate English colonies.

In the 1500s, Sir Walter Raleigh named the entire swath of uncharted land between Newfoundland and Florida after the reigning monarch in England at the time, Queen Elizabeth I. Queen Elizabeth I never married and was known as the "Virgin Queen." Popular legend has it that she was wary of marriage — especially after her mercurial father, King Henry VIII, had Elizabeth's own mother executed. As time progressed and the colonial population in North America increased, colonies were formed. The colony of Virginia later became the 10th state in 1788.

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