This is a very good question that has been asked here and elsewhere
before but not adequately answered. Everybody knows that Walter Ralegh
named the place for the queen, but has anybody found a source (his or
another's) that explicitly states as much and gives a date? Ralegh wrote
quite a bit, and the answer may be concealed somewhere in one of his
books or in some obscure British archival source. What everybody knows
ain't always so.

Brent Tarter
The Library of Virginia
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Please visit the Library of Virginia's Web site at
http://www.lva.virginia.gov

-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Judith Bailey Gabor
Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 3:52 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VA-HIST] Virginia: the term

Last month, I inquired as to the date of the first use of the term
VIRGINIA. 

Not a peep from anyone.  Maybe the question is trivial because it is
assumed that all listers know the answer.

The first mention I have found was a Thomas Harriot report from 1586,
published in 1588. 

In 1587, John White's granddaughter was named Virginia Dare - supposedly
for the virgin queen.

Any ideas on this topic?

Thanks, Judith Bailey Gabor

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