How the state of West Virginia got its name?

West Virginia got its name from its location relative to the state of Virginia, from which it was partitioned during the American Civil War. The term "West Virginia" was first proposed in the Wheeling Convention in 1861 when representatives of the northwestern counties of Virginia met to discuss their grievances with the state government in Richmond.

Virginia had seceded from the Union earlier that year, and the Unionist representatives from the western counties were opposed to the secession. They argued that the western counties had different economic and political interests from the eastern counties, and that they would be better served by forming their own state.

The Wheeling Convention passed a resolution calling for the creation of a new state, and a referendum was held in the northwestern counties in October 1861. The referendum passed, and the new state was officially admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863.

The name "West Virginia" was chosen to reflect the state's location west of the Allegheny Mountains, which divide the state from Virginia. The name was also chosen to distinguish the new state from the "Old Virginia," which was the name given to the Confederate state that continued to exist after West Virginia was admitted to the Union.

West Virginia is the only state in the United States to have been created during the Civil War. It is also the only state to have been created by the division of another state.