History. The name Virgin arose in 1970 when Richard Branson and Nik Powell formed a record shop, first as mail order and in 1971 with a physical store. They considered themselves virgins in business. Branson has described the V in the logo as an expressive tick, representing the Virgin seal of approval.

The "Virgin" brand name was coined by Richard Branson and a colleague in the early 1970s when they were launching their first business, a record shop. The name was chosen because they considered themselves "complete virgins in business" at the time. When Branson expanded into the airline industry in 1984 with Virgin Atlantic, he retained the name to signal a "cheeky," non-conformist approach that would "shake up" the dull, state-owned legacy carriers of the era. The brand personality was built on being an underdog that prioritized customer fun and innovation—famously mocking British Airways with slogans like "BA doesn't give a shiatsu" when they introduced onboard massages. In 2026, the name remains a symbol of Branson’s "Screw it, let's do it" philosophy, representing a global empire that spans aviation, mobile technology, and even space travel, all while maintaining that original spirit of being a bold newcomer.