Veronica f English, Italian, Romanian, Late RomanLatin 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.
Veronika f Russian, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, German, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Lithuanian, LatvianForm of
Veronica in several languages.
Veslemøy f NorwegianMeans
"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).
Victoria f English, Spanish, Romanian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Late Roman, Roman MythologyMeans
"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] Viktoria f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Greek, Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, BelarusianGerman, 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.
Virginia f English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Greek, Ancient RomanFeminine 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] Voestaa'e f CheyenneMeans
"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.
Walburga f GermanMeans
"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.
Waltraud f GermanFrom 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.
Wangchuk m & f Tibetan, BhutaneseMeans
"mighty" in Tibetan, from
དབང (dbang) meaning "power" and
ཕྱུག (phyug) meaning "wealthy, possessing". This is the Tibetan name for the god
Shiva.
Wihtburg f Anglo-SaxonDerived 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.
Winifred f English, WelshFrom 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.
Wisteria f English (Rare)From the name of the flowering plant, which was named for the American anatomist Caspar Wistar.
Yeong-Hui f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or
泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with
姬 (hui) meaning "beauty" or
嬉 (hui) meaning "enjoy, play". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Yeong-Suk f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" and
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Yewubdar f AmharicMeans
"beautiful beyond limits" from Amharic
ውብ (wb) meaning "beautiful" and
ዳር (dar) meaning "limit, horizon, frontier, shore".
Yolotzin f & m NahuatlMeans
"beloved heart" in Nahuatl, from
yōllōtl "heart" and the suffix
tzin "beloved, revered".
Zdislava f CzechCzech feminine form of
Zdzisław. This name was borne by the 13th-century Czech saint Zdislava Berka.
Zhansaya f KazakhFrom Kazakh
жан (zhan) meaning "soul" and
сая (saya) meaning "shadow, shade, protection, comfort" (both words of Persian origin).