There has been a bit of a debate over the years as to how La Verkin got its name. The Daughters of Utah Pioneers monument in town erected in 1949 states that La Verkin is “Indian for Beautiful Valley.”
However, many conclude that is more likely a corruption of the Spanish “La Virgen.” Another theory is that it could possibly be an error in the transcription of the term “beaver skin.” For instance, pioneer leader John D. Lee called La Verkin Creek the “Levearskin river” in a diary entry in 1852.
There is also a debate as to whether there is a space between the “La” and “Verkin” with it spelled each way in documentation and even signs on the landscape. Most locals will tell you that the correct way to spell the name is with the space in between. That is how it appears on the town’s welcome signs.