The story
From Alexander Spotswood (British colonial Lieutenant Governor of Virginia). From Spotswood (“from Spots(wood)”) + sylvan (“pertaining to woods, forest”, from (Spots)wood) + -ia.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Spotsylvania
Today it means: a battle in the American Civil War; see Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. Full definition →