Vendela is the middle name of Swedish singer Wiktoria Johansson (better known simply as Wiktoria), who has participated in Melodifestivalen numerous times.
― Anonymous User 1/12/2024
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Even though I've been into Swedish culture and names for a long time and have been speaking Swedish for years as well, this name is actually relatively new to me. I had known about the Finnish Venla but didn't like it much and still don't, because it sounds like venlafaxine and I just can't get over that association. The first time I heard Vendela spoken it sounded to me like two syllables (VEND-la), which reminded me of our Polish word for charcuterie, so I thought it was weird, and it gave me a really old lady-ish vibe, kind of similar to Wanda since I guess the names are sort of distantly related etymologically. But then I've heard of several young girls with this name and was exposed to it a bit more and over time it grew on me a bit. Still not something I love, but I can say it's definitely cool. And I like how it's very distinctly Swedish, but would also work in other cultures no problem, so it probably makes Vendela a really good choice for people who have some Swedish ancestry or are Swedish but live abroad, and want to give their child a very Swedish name that is also usable elsewhere and not something stereotypically Scandinavian like Ingrid or Elsa.
In Sweden, the name Vendela is often related to the lavender flower. Lavender is called "lavendel" in Swedish. The origin of the word vandal comes from the Germanic verb wand "to wander". Therefore, Vendela means wanderer.
― Anonymous User 2/23/2019
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Vendela Maria Kirsebom is a Norwegian-Swedish model and actress living in Nesodden, Norway. Kirsebom was born in Stockholm, Sweden, to a Norwegian mother and a Turkish father. At the age of 13, she was discovered in a Stockholm restaurant by Eileen Ford. At 18, she graduated from the Rudolf Steiner School and moved to Italy to pursue a modeling career under the guidance of Ford Models. Contracted with Elizabeth Arden, she moved to the United States to work as Almay's spokesperson.