Feminine Names

gender
usage
Velda f English
Meaning unknown, possibly a derivative of the Old German element walt meaning "power, authority".
Velia f Italian
From the Roman family name Velius, which possibly means "concealed" in Latin.
Vellamo f Finnish Mythology
From Finnish velloa "to surge, to swell". This was the name of a Finnish goddess of the sea, the wife of Ahti.
Velma f English
Probably a variant of Wilma, the spelling with an e perhaps due to the influence of Selma 1. This name has been in use since the 19th century.
Velta f Latvian
Derived from Latvian velte meaning "gift, tribute". The Latvian playwright Aspazija used it for a character in her play Zaudētās Tiesības (1894).
Velvela f Yiddish (Rare)
Feminine form of Velvel.
Velvet f English
From the English word for the soft fabric. It became used as a given name after the main character in Enid Bagnold's book National Velvet (1935) and the movie (1944) and television (1960) adaptations.
Věnceslava f Czech
Feminine form of Věnceslav.
Vendela f Swedish
Swedish feminine form of Wendel.
Vendula f Czech
Diminutive of Václava.
Vendulka f Czech
Diminutive of Vendula.
Venera 1 f Russian, Bulgarian, Albanian
Form of Venus, from the genitive form Veneris.
Venera 2 f Italian
Derived from the Latin name Veneranda, from venerandus meaning "venerable, worthy of veneration". This was the name of a 2nd-century saint who was martyred in Rome or Sicily.
Venetia f English (Rare), Greek
From the Latin name of the Italian region of Veneto and the city of Venice (see the place name Venetia). This name was borne by the celebrated English beauty Venetia Stanley (1600-1633), though in her case the name may have been a Latinized form of the Welsh name Gwynedd. Benjamin Disraeli used it for the heroine of his novel Venetia (1837).
Venka f Esperanto
Means "victorious", from Esperanto venki "to conquer", ultimately from Latin vincere.
Venla f Finnish
Finnish feminine form of Wendel.
Ventsislava f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Ventseslav.
Vénus f Roman Mythology (Gallicized, Portuguese-style)
French and European Portuguese form of Venus.
Vênus f Roman Mythology (Portuguese-style)
Brazilian Portuguese form of Venus.
Venus f Roman Mythology
Means "love, sexual desire" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of love and sex. Her character was assimilated with that of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. As the mother of Aeneas she was considered an ancestor of the Roman people. The second planet from the sun is named after her.
Venuše f Czech
Czech form of Venus.
Věra f Czech
Czech form of Vera 1.
Vera 1 f Russian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian, Georgian
Means "faith" in Russian, though it is sometimes associated with the Latin word verus "true". It has been in general use in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.
Vera 2 f Albanian
Derived from Albanian verë meaning "summer".
Verbena f Various (Rare)
From the name of the verbena plant, which is derived from Latin verbena meaning "leaves, twigs".
Verdandi f Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Verðandi meaning "becoming, happening". Verdandi was one of the three Norns, or goddesses of destiny, in Norse mythology. She was responsible for the present.
Vered f Hebrew
Means "rose" in Hebrew, originally a borrowing from an Iranian language.
Verena f German, Late Roman
Possibly related to Latin verus "true". This might also be a Coptic form of the Ptolemaic name Berenice. Saint Verena was a 3rd-century Egyptian-born nurse who went with the Theban Legion to Switzerland. After the legion was massacred she settled near Zurich.
Vérène f French (Rare)
French form of Verena.
Verica f Serbian, Croatian
Serbian and Croatian diminutive of Vera 1.
Veriko f Georgian
Georgian diminutive of Vera 1.
Veritas f Roman Mythology
Means "truth" in Latin, a derivative of verus "true". The Roman goddess Veritas was the personification of truth.
Verity f English
From the English word meaning "verity, truth", from Latin verus "true, real". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Verna f English
Feminine form of Vernon, sometimes associated with the Latin word vernus "spring". It has been in use since the 19th century.
Verochka f Russian
Russian diminutive of Vera 1.
Verona f Various
From the name of the city in Italy, which is itself of unknown meaning.
Verónica f Spanish, Galician, Portuguese (European)
Spanish, Galician and European Portuguese form of Veronica.
Verònica f Catalan
Catalan form of Veronica.
Verônica f Portuguese (Brazilian)
Brazilian Portuguese form of Veronica.
Veronica f English, Italian, Romanian, Late Roman
Latin alteration of Berenice, the spelling influenced by the ecclesiastical Latin phrase vera icon meaning "true image". This was the name of a legendary saint who wiped Jesus' face with a towel and then found his image imprinted upon it. Due to popular stories about her, the name was occasionally used in the Christian world in the Middle Ages. It was borne by the Italian saint and mystic Veronica Giuliani (1660-1727). As an English name, it was not common until the 19th century, when it was imported from France and Scotland.
Véronique f French
French form of Veronica.
Věroslava f Czech
Feminine form of Věroslav.
Verðandi f Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Verdandi.
Verusha f Russian
Russian diminutive of Vera 1.
Verusya f Russian
Russian diminutive of Vera 1.
Vesa 2 f Albanian
From Albanian vesë meaning "dew".
Vesela f Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian весел (vesel) meaning "cheerful".
Veslemøy f Norwegian
Means "little girl" from Norwegian vesle "little" and møy "girl". This name was created by Norwegian writer Arne Garborg for the main character in his poem Haugtussa (1895).
Vesna f Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Slavic Mythology
Means "spring" in many Slavic languages. This was the name of a Slavic spirit associated with the springtime. It has been used as a given name only since the 20th century.
Vesper m & f Roman Mythology, Dutch (Modern)
Latin cognate of Hesperos. This name was used by the British author Ian Fleming for a female character, a love interest of James Bond, in his novel Casino Royale (1953). She also appears in the film adaptations of 1967 and 2006.
Vespera f Esperanto
Means "of the evening", derived from Esperanto vespero "evening", ultimately from Latin vesper.
Vesta f Roman Mythology
Probably a Roman cognate of Hestia. Vesta was the Roman goddess of the hearth. A continuous fire, tended by the Vestal Virgins, was burned in the Temple of Vesta in Rome.
Veta f Macedonian
Short form of Elisaveta.
Veva f Spanish, Portuguese
Short form of Genoveva.
Vi f English
Short form of Violet.
Vianne f English (Rare)
Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of Vi and Anne 1 or a short form of Vivianne.
Viatrix f Late Roman
Earlier form of Beatrix.
Vibeke f Danish, Norwegian
Danish form of Wiebke. It was borne by an influential mistress of Christian IV of Denmark (17th century).
Vibiana f Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Vibianus.
Vic m & f English
Short form of Victor or Victoria.
Vicenta f Spanish
Spanish feminine form of Vincent.
Vicki f English
Diminutive of Victoria.
Vickie f English
Diminutive of Victoria.
Vicky f English
Diminutive of Victoria.
Victoire f French
French form of Victoria.
Victória f Portuguese
Portuguese variant form of Victoria.
Victòria f Catalan
Catalan form of Victoria.
Victoria f English, Spanish, Romanian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Means "victory" in Latin, being borne by the Roman goddess of victory. It is also a feminine form of Victorius. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from North Africa.... [more]
Victorina f Late Roman
Feminine form of Victorinus.
Victorine f French
French feminine form of Victorinus.
Vida 2 f Slovene
Slovene feminine form of Vid. Lepa Vida ("beautiful Vida") is a character in Slovene tradition and later romantic poetry (notably by France Prešeren).
Vida 3 f Persian
Means "visible" in Persian.
Vida 4 f Lithuanian
Feminine form of Vidas.
Vidya f Hinduism, Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil
Means "knowledge, science, learning" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Saraswati.
Vienna f English (Modern)
From the name of the capital city of Austria, Vienna.
Vienne f Various (Rare)
From the French name for Vienna, the capital city of Austria.
Vieno f & m Finnish (Rare)
Means "gentle" in Finnish.
Viera f Slovak, Belarusian
Slovak form of Vera 1, as well as an alternate transcription of Belarusian Вера (see Vera 1).
Vígdís f Old Norse
Derived from the Old Norse elements víg "war" and dís "goddess".
Vigdís f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Vígdís.
Vigdis f Norwegian
Norwegian form of Vígdís.
Vigga f Danish
Feminine form of Viggo.
Viivi f Finnish, Estonian
Finnish and Estonian form of Vivi.
Vija f Latvian
Means "garland, wreath" in Latvian.
Vijaya m & f Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Hindi
Means "victory" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form विजय and the feminine form विजया, both of which occur as names or epithets in Hindu scripture. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century BC king of Sri Lanka.... [more]
Vikki f English
Diminutive of Victoria.
Viktória f Hungarian, Slovak
Hungarian and Slovak form of Victoria.
Viktoría f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Victoria.
Viktoria f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Greek, Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Belarusian
German, Scandinavian and Greek variant of Victoria. It is also an alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Виктория or Ukrainian Вікторія (see Viktoriya) or Belarusian Вікторыя (see Viktoryia), as well as the usual Georgian transcription.
Viktorie f Czech
Czech form of Victoria.
Viktoriia f Russian, Ukrainian
Alternate transcription of Russian Виктория or Ukrainian Вікторія (see Viktoriya).
Viktoriya f Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Belarusian
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Victoria, as well as an alternate transcription of Belarusian Вікторыя (see Viktoryia).
Viktorya f Armenian
Armenian form of Victoria.
Viktoryia f Belarusian
Belarusian form of Victoria.
Vilde 1 f Norwegian
Short form of Alvilde.
Vilemína f Czech
Feminine form of Vilém.
Vilhelmiina f Finnish
Finnish feminine form of William.
Vilhelmina f Swedish (Rare), Lithuanian
Swedish and Lithuanian feminine form of William.
Vilja f Finnish, Estonian
Possibly from the Finnish word vilja meaning "cereal, grain" or the Swedish word vilja meaning "will, intent".
Vilmantė f Lithuanian
Feminine form of Vilmantas.
Viltė f Lithuanian
Short form of Viltautė.
Vimala f Tamil
Feminine form of Vimal.
Vina f Indonesian
From Sanskrit वीणा (vīṇā) meaning "lute".
Vincente f French
French feminine form of Vincent.
Vincenza f Italian
Italian feminine form of Vincent.
Vinh m & f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (vinh) meaning "glory".
Vinka f Croatian
Croatian feminine form of Vincent.
Vinnie m & f English
Diminutive of Vincent and other names containing vin.
Vinyet f Catalan
Means "vineyard" in Catalan. It is from a devotional title of the Virgin Mary, Mare de Déu del Vinyet, meaning "Mother of God of the Vineyard". This is the name of a sanctuary in Sitges, Spain.
Viola f English, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak
Means "violet" in Latin. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night (1602). In the play she is the survivor of a shipwreck who disguises herself as a man named Cesario. Working as a messenger for Duke Orsino, she attempts to convince Olivia to marry him. Instead Viola falls in love with the duke.
Violet f English
From the English word violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.
Violetta f Italian, Russian, Hungarian
Italian, Russian and Hungarian form of Violet.
Violette f French
French form of Violet.
Viona f English (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Fiona influenced by Viola.
Viorela f Romanian
Feminine form of Viorel.
Viorica f Romanian
Derived from Romanian viorea (see Viorel).
Vira f Ukrainian
Ukrainian cognate of Vera 1.
Virág f Hungarian
Means "flower" in Hungarian.
Virgee f English
Diminutive of Virginia.
Virgen f Spanish (Latin American)
Means "virgin" in Spanish, used in honour of the Virgin Mary.
Virgie f English
Diminutive of Virginia.
Virginia f English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Greek, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of the Roman family name Verginius or Virginius, which is of unknown meaning, but long associated with Latin virgo "maid, virgin". According to a legend, it was the name of a Roman woman killed by her father so as to save her from the clutches of a crooked official.... [more]
Virginie f French
French form of Virginia.
Virginija f Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Virginia.
Virgo f Astronomy
Means "maiden, virgin" in Latin. This is the name of a constellation and the sixth sign of the zodiac.
Virna f Italian
As an Italian name it owes its usage primarily to the actress Virna Lisi (1936-2014). Her name was invented by her father.
Virtudes f Spanish
Means "virtues" in Spanish.
Virva f Finnish
Possibly derived from Finnish virvatuli meaning "will o' the wisp". In folklore, will o' the wisp is a floating ball of light that appears over water.
Virve f Estonian, Finnish
From Estonian virves meaning "sprout, shoot" or virve meaning "ripple, shimmer".
Visitación f Spanish
Means "visitation" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the visit of the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth.
Višnja f Croatian, Serbian
Means "sour cherry" in Croatian and Serbian.
Vissenta f Sardinian
Sardinian feminine form of Vincent.
Vita 2 f Ukrainian, Belarusian
Ukrainian and Belarusian short form of Viktoriya.
Vitalia f Italian (Rare)
Feminine form of Vitale.
Vitalija f Lithuanian
Lithuanian feminine form of Vitalis (see Vitale).
Vitaliya f Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian feminine form of Vitalis (see Vitale).
Vítězslava f Czech
Feminine form of Vítězslav.
Vitória f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Victoria.
Vittoria f Italian
Italian form of Victoria.
Viveca f Swedish
Swedish form of Vibeke.
Viveka f Swedish
Swedish form of Vibeke.
Vivi f Danish, Swedish, Norwegian
Scandinavian diminutive of names beginning with Vi, as well as Olivia and Sofia.
Vivian m & f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From the Latin name Vivianus, which was derived from Latin vivus "alive". Saint Vivian was a French bishop who provided protection during the Visigoth invasion of the 5th century. It has been occasionally used as an English (masculine) name since the Middle Ages. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name, in which case it is either an Anglicized form of Bébinn or a variant of Vivien 2.
Viviana f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Late Roman
Feminine form of Vivianus (see Vivian). Saint Viviana (also known as Bibiana) was a Roman saint and martyr of the 4th century.
Viviane f French, Portuguese
French form of Viviana, as well as a Portuguese variant. It is also the French form of Vivien 2.
Vivianne f French
Variant of Viviane.
Vivien 2 f Literature, Hungarian
Used by Alfred Tennyson as the name of the Lady of the Lake in his Arthurian epic Idylls of the King (1859). Tennyson may have based it on Vivienne, but it possibly arose as a misreading of Ninian. A famous bearer was British actress Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), who played Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.
Vivienne f French
French form of Viviana.
Viviette f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Vivienne. William John Locke used this name for the title character in his novel Viviette (1910).
Viyan f Kurdish
Means "desire" in Kurdish.
Vjekoslava f Croatian
Feminine form of Vjekoslav.
Vjera f Croatian, Serbian
Croatian and Serbian cognate of Vera 1.
Vjollca f Albanian
Derived from Albanian vjollcë meaning "violet", referring to both the flower and the colour.
Vladana f Serbian, Czech
Feminine form of Vladan.
Vladěna f Czech
Feminine form of Vladan.
Vladimíra f Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Vladimira.
Vladimira f Slovene, Croatian
Feminine form of Vladimir.
Vladislava f Russian, Czech
Feminine form of Vladislav.
Vladlena f Russian
Feminine form of Vladlen.
Vladyslava f Ukrainian
Ukrainian feminine form of Vladislav.
Vlasta f & m Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene
Originally a short form of names beginning with the Slavic element volstĭ meaning "power, rule, sovereignty". Descendants of this word include Czech vlast "homeland" and Serbo-Croatian vlast "power". It is sometimes masculine in Czech and Serbian.
Vlastimila f Czech
Feminine form of Vlastimil.
Vlatka f Croatian
Feminine form of Vlatko.
Voestaa'e f Cheyenne
Means "white bison calf woman" in Cheyenne, derived from vóésta "white bison calf" and the feminine suffix -e'é. Because white bison calves were rare they were considered sacred.
Voirrey f Manx
Vocative form of Moirrey.
Vojislava f Serbian
Feminine form of Vojislav.
Volha f Belarusian
Belarusian form of Olga.
Vonahe'e f Cheyenne
Means "medicine bundle woman" in Cheyenne. A medicine bundle is a collection of sacred items used in religious ceremonies.
Vonda f English
Variant of Wanda, reflecting the Polish pronunciation.
Vosgi f & m Armenian
Western Armenian transcription of Voski.
Voski f & m Armenian
Means "gold" in Armenian.
Voula f Greek
Diminutive of Paraskevi.
Vratislava f Czech
Feminine form of Vratislav.
Vreni f German (Swiss)
Swiss diminutive of Verena.
Vuokko f Finnish
Means "anemone (flower)" in Finnish.
Vüsala f Azerbaijani
Alternate transcription of Azerbaijani Vüsalə.
Vüsalə f Azerbaijani
Feminine form of Vüsal.
Vyara f Bulgarian
Bulgarian cognate of Vera 1.
Vytautė f Lithuanian
Feminine form of Vytautas.
Wacława f Polish (Rare)
Feminine form of Wacław.
Wafa f Arabic
Means "loyalty, faithfulness" in Arabic, a derivative of وفى (wafā) meaning "to fulfill, to live up to a promise".
Wafaa f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وفاء (see Wafa).
Wafiya f Arabic
Feminine form of Wafi.
Waheeda f Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic وحيدة or Urdu وحیدہ (see Wahida).
Wahida f Arabic, Urdu
Feminine form of Wahid.
Wahyuni f Indonesian
From Indonesian wahyu meaning "revelation", derived from Arabic وحي (waḥy).
Waimarie f Maori
Means "good luck" in Maori.
Wairimu f Kikuyu
From Kikuyu irimũ meaning "ogre, giant". In the Kikuyu origin legend Wairimu is of one of the nine daughters of Mumbi.
Wakana f Japanese
From Japanese (wa) meaning "harmony, peace" and (kana) meaning "play music, complete", as well as other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Walburga f German
Means "power of the fortress" from Old German walt meaning "power, authority" and burg meaning "fortress" (or perhaps from Old English cognates, though as an Old English name it is unattested). This was the name of an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon saint who did missionary work in Germany.
Waldeburg f Germanic
Old German form of Walburga.
Walela f Cherokee
From Cherokee ᏩᎴᎳ (walela) meaning "hummingbird".
Walentyna f Polish
Polish form of Valentina.
Waleria f Polish
Polish form of Valeria.
Wallis m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Wallace. Wallis Simpson (1895-1986) was the divorced woman whom Edward VIII married, which forced him to abdicate the British throne.
Walpurga f German
Variant of Walburga.
Waltraud f German
From the Old German elements walt "power, authority" and drud "strength". This name was borne by a 7th-century Frankish saint who founded a convent near Mons, Belgium.
Waltraut f German
Variant of Waltraud.
Wambdi m & f Sioux
Dakota form of Wambli.
Wambli m & f Sioux
From Lakota waŋblí meaning "eagle".
Wambui f Kikuyu
Means "zebra" in Kikuyu. This is one of Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wanangwa m & f Tumbuka
Means "freedom" in Tumbuka.
Wanda f Polish, English, German, French
Possibly from a Germanic name meaning "a Wend", referring to the Slavic people who inhabited eastern Germany. In Polish legends this was the name of the daughter of King Krak, the legendary founder of Krakow. It was introduced to the English-speaking world by the author Ouida, who used it for the heroine in her novel Wanda (1883).
Wanesa f Polish (Modern)
Polish form of Vanessa.
Wangari f Kikuyu
From Kikuyu ngarĩ meaning "leopard". In the Kikuyu origin legend this is the name of one of the nine daughters of Mumbi.
Wangchuk m & f Tibetan, Bhutanese
Means "mighty" in Tibetan, from དབང (dbang) meaning "power" and ཕྱུག (phyug) meaning "wealthy, possessing". This is the Tibetan name for the god Shiva.
Wangi f Indonesian, Malay
Means "fragrant" in Malay and Indonesian.
Wangui f Kikuyu
From Kikuyu ngũi meaning "song leader". This is one of Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wanjiku f Kikuyu
Meaning unknown. This is one of Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wanjiru f Kikuyu
Possibly from Kikuyu njĩra meaning "way, path". In the Kikuyu origin legend this is the name of one of the nine daughters of Mumbi.
Wâpanacâhkos f Cree
Means "morning star, Venus" in Cree.
Warda f Arabic
Means "rose" in Arabic, ultimately a borrowing from an Iranian language.
Wardah f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وردة (see Warda).
Washti f Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew form of Vashti.
Wassa f Anglo-Saxon
Meaning uncertain. It may be a short form of a longer name such as Wāðsige, composed of the elements wāð "hunt" and sige "victory".
Wati f Indonesian, Malay
From a suffix meaning "woman" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit.
Wattana f & m Thai
Means "development" in Thai.
Waverly f & m English
From the rare English surname Waverley, derived from the name of a place in Surrey, itself possibly from Old English wæfre "flickering, wavering" and leah "woodland, clearing".... [more]
Wayan m & f Balinese
From Balinese wayah meaning "old, mature", ultimately from Sanskrit वयस् (vayas) meaning "energy, strength, age". This name is traditionally given to the first-born child.
Wedad f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وداد (see Widad).
Wednesday f Popular Culture
From the name of the day of the week, which was derived from Old English wodnesdæg meaning "Woden's day". On the Addams Family television series (1964-1966) this was the name of the daughter, based on an earlier unnamed character in Charles Addams' cartoons. Her name was inspired by the popular nursery rhyme line Wednesday's child is full of woe.
Wei m & f Chinese
From Chinese (wēi) meaning "power, pomp", (wēi) meaning "high, lofty, towering" or (wěi) meaning "great, robust, extraordinary". As a feminine name it can come from (wēi) meaning "small" or (wēi) meaning "fern". This name can be formed by other Chinese characters besides those shown here.
Wen m & f Chinese
From Chinese (wén) meaning "literature, culture, writing", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation. A famous bearer was the 2nd-century BC Emperor Wen of Han (posthumous name).
Wenche f Norwegian
Norwegian variant of Wenke. A famous bearer is the Norwegian singer Wenche Myhre (1947-), known as Wencke in some countries so as to avoid pronunciation confusion.
Wendel m & f Dutch (Rare), German (Rare), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Old short form of Germanic names beginning with the element wentil meaning "a Vandal". The Vandals were a Germanic tribe who invaded Spain and North Africa in the 5th century. Their tribal name, which may mean "wanderer", has often been confused with that of the Wends, a Slavic people living between the Elbe and the Oder.... [more]
Wendi f English
Variant of Wendy.
Wendy f English
In the case of the character from J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904), it was created from the nickname fwendy "friend", given to the author by a young friend. However, the name was used prior to the play (rarely), in which case it could be related to the Welsh name Gwendolen and other names beginning with the element gwen meaning "white, blessed". The name only became common after Barrie's play ran.
Wenke f Low German
Low German diminutive of Germanic names containing the element wini meaning "friend".
Wenonah f Literature
Variant of Winona. This spelling of the name was used by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for the mother of Hiawatha in his 1855 epic poem The Song of Hiawatha.
Wera f Polish
Polish form of Vera 1 or a short form of Weronika.
Werknesh f Amharic
Alternate transcription of Amharic ወርቅነሽ (see Worknesh).
Weronika f Polish, Sorbian
Polish and Sorbian form of Veronica.
Whetū f & m Maori
Means "star" in Maori.
Whitney f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "white island" in Old English. Its popular use as a feminine name was initiated by actress Whitney Blake (1925-2002) in the 1960s, and further boosted in the 1980s by singer Whitney Houston (1963-2012).
Wibke f German
Feminine form of Wiebe.
Widad f Arabic
Means "love" in Arabic, derived from the root ودّ (wadda) meaning "to love".
Widya f Indonesian
Indonesian form of Vidya.
Wiebke f Frisian, German
Feminine form of Wiebe.
Wiera f Polish
Polish form of Vera 1.
Wiesława f Polish
Feminine form of Wielisław.
Wigburg f Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements wig "war" and burg "fortress".
Wihtburg f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wiht "creature, being" and burg "fortress". This was the name of an 8th-century saint, said to be the youngest daughter of King Anna of East Anglia.
Wikolia f Hawaiian
Hawaiian form of Victoria.
Wiktoria f Polish
Polish form of Victoria.
Wil m & f English, Dutch
Short form of William and other names beginning with Wil.
Wilburg f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements willa "will, desire" and burg "fortress".
Wilda f English
Meaning uncertain, perhaps from a German surname, or perhaps from the English word wild. It has been in use since the 19th century.
Wilfreda f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Wilfred.
Wilhelmina f Dutch, German (Rare), English
Dutch and German feminine form of Wilhelm. This name was borne by a queen of the Netherlands (1880-1962).
Wilhelmine f German
German feminine form of Wilhelm.
Willa f English
Feminine form of William.
Willemijn f Dutch
Feminine form of Willem.
Willemina f Dutch
Feminine form of Willem.
Williamina f Scottish
Feminine form of William. A famous bearer of this name was Williamina Fleming (1857-1911), a Scottish astronomer.
Willidrud f Germanic
Old German form of Wiltrud.
Willie m & f English
Masculine or feminine diminutive of William. Notable bearers include the retired American baseball player Willie Mays (1931-) and the musician Willie Nelson (1933-).
Willoughby m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "willow town" in Old English.
Willow f English (Modern)
From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.
Willy m & f English, German, Dutch
Diminutive of William, Wilhelm or Willem. It is both masculine and feminine in Dutch.
Wilma f German, Dutch, English, Swedish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish (Latin American)
Short form of Wilhelmina. German settlers introduced it to America in the 19th century.
Wilmot m & f Medieval English
Medieval diminutive and feminine form of William.
Wiltrud f German
Derived from the Old German elements willo "will, desire" and drud "strength". This name was borne by a 10th-century German saint from Bergen.
Win m & f Burmese
Means "bright, radiant, brilliant" in Burmese.
Wina f Germanic
Germanic name derived from the element wini meaning "friend" (Proto-Germanic *weniz).
Windsor m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "riverbank with a windlass" in Old English (a windlass is a lifting apparatus). This has been the surname of the royal family of the United Kingdom since 1917.
Winifred f English, Welsh
From Latin Winifreda, possibly from a Welsh name Gwenfrewi (maybe influenced by the Old English masculine name Winfred). Saint Winifred was a 7th-century Welsh martyr, probably legendary. According to the story, she was decapitated by a prince after she spurned his advances. Where her head fell there arose a healing spring, which has been a pilgrimage site since medieval times. Her story was recorded in the 12th century by Robert of Shrewsbury, and she has been historically more widely venerated in England than in Wales. The name has been used in England since at least the 16th century.
Winnie f English
Diminutive of Winifred. Winnie-the-Pooh, a stuffed bear in children's books by A. A. Milne, was named after a real bear named Winnipeg who lived at the London Zoo.
Winona f English, Sioux
Means "firstborn daughter" in Dakota or Lakota. According to folklore, this was the name of a daughter of a Dakota chief (possibly Wapasha III) who leapt from a cliff to her death rather than marry a man she hated. Numerous places in the United States have been named after her. The actress Winona Ryder (1971-) was named after the city in Minnesota where she was born.
Winslow m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "hill belonging to Wine". A famous bearer of this name was American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910).
Winter f English (Modern)
From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.
Wiola f Polish
Polish form of Viola.
Wioleta f Polish
Polish form of Violet.
Wioletta f Polish
Polish form of Violet.
Wisdom f & m English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, a derivative of Old English wis "wise".
Wisława f Polish (Rare)
Feminine form of Witosław.
Wisteria f English (Rare)
From the name of the flowering plant, which was named for the American anatomist Caspar Wistar.
Władysława f Polish
Feminine form of Władysław.
Wojciecha f Polish (Rare)
Feminine form of Wojciech.
Wongani m & f Chewa
Means "be thankful" in Chewa.