Va.

Va. is an older abbreviation of Virginia, used long before the two letter postal codes. Census takers were allowed to abbreviate state names in the place of birth column, so abbreviated state names are common in the birthplace column of nineteenth century census pages.

Before 1863, Va. included what became West Virginia, and before 1792 it also included Kentucky. A person born in 1800 in what is now West Virginia will correctly show Va.