Gender Feminine
Pronounced Pron. GWIN-ə-vir(English)  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

From the Norman French form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar meaning "white phantom", ultimately from the old Celtic roots *windos meaning "white" (modern Welsh gwen) and *sēbros meaning "phantom, magical being" [1]. In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir Lancelot.

The Cornish form of this name, Jennifer, has become popular in the English-speaking world.

Related Names

Other Languages & CulturesJenifer(Cornish) Jennifer, Jenny(Dutch) Jennifer, Gwenevere, Jen, Jena, Jenae, Jenelle, Jenessa, Jeni, Jenifer, Jenn, Jenna, Jenni, Jennie, Jenny(English) Gaynor(English (British)) Jenny(Finnish) Guenièvre(French) Jennifer, Jenny(German) Dzsenifer(Hungarian) Jenný(Icelandic) Ginevra(Italian) Jenny(Norwegian) Jenifer, Jennifer, Jenny(Spanish) Yenifer(Spanish (Latin American)) Jennifer, Jennie, Jenny(Swedish) Gaenor, Gaynor(Welsh) Gwenhwyfar(Welsh Mythology)

Popularity

People think this name is

classic   mature   formal   upper class   natural   wholesome   refined   strange   complex   serious  

Images

Queen Guinevere by William Morris (1858)Queen Guinevere by William Morris (1858)

Categories

Sources & References

  1. Matasović, Ranko. Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic. Brill, 2009, page 325.
Entry updated June 9, 2023