Why Are They Called the British Virgin Islands?

The Virgin Islands name comes from the legend of Saint Ursula and her eleven thousand virgin companions.

Transcript

Why are they called the British Virgin Islands? I'm Chris, a skipper, and I run SailChecker. The name goes back to Christopher Columbus, who named the island group in 1493 after the legend of Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgin companions. The story of Saint Ursula and her companions is a legend. That's where the name comes from. The islands are a British overseas territory. British distinguishes them from the neighboring US Virgin Islands. But the territory's official name is simply Virgin Islands without British. For sailing itineraries, charter, and travel information, have a look at our BVI guide. It's at SailChecker.com under British Virgin Islands.