Vlasta f & m Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, SloveneOriginally 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.
Vlastimir m SerbianDerived from the Slavic element
volstĭ (Serbian
vlast) meaning "power, rule, sovereignty" combined with
mirŭ meaning "peace, world". This was the name of a 9th-century prince of Serbia.
Vojislav m SerbianDerived from the Slavic elements
vojĭ "warrior, soldier" and
slava "glory, fame". Stefan Vojislav was an 11th-century ruler of Serbia.
Voldemort m LiteratureInvented by author J.K. Rowling, apparently based on French
vol de mort meaning
"flight of death" or
"theft of death". This is the name of the primary villain in Rowling's
Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997. The books explain that he created his name by anagramming his birth name Tom Marvolo Riddle into
I am Lord Voldemort.
Voltaire m HistoryPen name of François-Marie Arouet (1694-1778), a French philosopher and writer, the author of
Candide. It is not known how Arouet devised his name. He may have reversed the syllables of Airvault, a town where his family owned property; it may have been an anagram of the Latin spelling of his surname
Arovet and
LI standing for
le jeune "the young"; or it may have come from French
volontaire "determined".
Vonahe'e f CheyenneMeans
"medicine bundle woman" in Cheyenne. A medicine bundle is a collection of sacred items used in religious ceremonies.
Vratislav m Czech, SlovakDerived from the Slavic elements
vortiti (Czech
vrátit) meaning "to return" and
slava meaning "glory". This was the name of two dukes of Bohemia (the second later a king).
Vukašin m SerbianDerived from Serbian
vuk meaning
"wolf". This was the name of a 14th-century Serbian ruler.
Vulcan m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)From the Latin
Vulcanus, possibly related to
fulgeo meaning
"to flash", but more likely of pre-Latin origin. In Roman mythology Vulcan was the god of fire. He was later equated with the Greek god
Hephaestus.
Vyasa m HinduismMeans
"arranger, compiler" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of a sage who is the traditional author of the
Mahabharata and the Puranas. According to the text itself, he was a son of
Satyavati and
Parashara. His birth name was
Krishna Dvaipayana, while
Vyasa was his title.
Vytautas m LithuanianFrom the Lithuanian root
vyd- "to see" or
vyti "to chase, to drive away" combined with
tauta "people, nation". This was the name of a 15th-century Grand Duke of Lithuania, revered as a national hero in that country.
Wace m Old NormanNorman form of
Wazo. This name was borne by a 12th-century Norman poet from the island of Jersey.
Wadud m ArabicMeans
"lover, affectionate" in Arabic, from the root
ودّ (wadda) meaning "to love". In Islamic tradition
الودود (al-Wadūd) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Wærmund m Anglo-SaxonFrom Old English
wær "aware, cautious" and
mund "protection", making it a (partial) cognate of
Veremund. This was the name of a legendary ancestor of the Mercians according to the
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
Wafa f ArabicMeans
"loyalty, faithfulness" in Arabic, a derivative of
وفى (wafā) meaning "to fulfill, to live up to a promise".
Wahunsenacawh m PowhatanMeaning unknown. This name was borne by a 17th-century chief of the Powhatan people. He was also known as Powhatan, as a result of confusion between his name and his birthplace.
Wairimu f KikuyuFrom Kikuyu
irimũ meaning
"ogre, giant". In the Kikuyu origin legend Wairimu is of one of the nine daughters of
Mumbi.
Wakana f JapaneseFrom Japanese
和 (wa) meaning "harmony, peace" and
奏 (kana) meaning "play music, complete", as well as other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.
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.
Waldebert m GermanicGermanic name composed of the elements
walt "power, authority" and
beraht "bright". This was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint from Luxeuil (called
Valbert or
Gaubert in French).
Waldo 1 m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the Anglo-Scandinavian given name
Waltheof. Its present use in the English-speaking world is usually in honour of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American transcendentalist, poet and author. His name came from a surname from his father's side of the family.
Waldo 2 m GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names containing the Old Frankish element
wald or Old High German element
walt meaning
"power, authority" (Proto-Germanic *
waldaz). This was the name of an 8th-century abbot of Reichenau. It was also borne by the 12th-century French merchant Peter Waldo, who founded the religious order of the Waldensians.
Walid m ArabicMeans
"newborn" in Arabic, derived from
ولد (walada) meaning "to give birth". This was the name of the Umayyad caliph who conquered Spain in the 8th century.
Walker m EnglishFrom an English surname that referred to the medieval occupational of a walker, also known as a fuller. Walkers would tread on wet, unprocessed wool in order to clean and thicken it. The word ultimately derives from Old English
wealcan "to walk".
Wallace m English, ScottishFrom a Scottish and English surname that was derived from Norman French
waleis meaning
"foreigner, Celt, Welshman" (of Germanic origin). It was first used as a given name in honour of William Wallace, a Scottish hero who led the fight against the English in the 13th century.
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.
Walt m EnglishShort form of
Walter. A famous bearer was the American animator and filmmaker Walt Disney (1901-1966).
Wálter m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese variant form of
Walter, more common in South America than Europe. It is often written without the diacritic.
Walter m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Italian, GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Waltheri meaning
"power of the army", from the elements
walt "power, authority" and
heri "army". In medieval German tales (notably
Waltharius by Ekkehard of Saint Gall) Walter of Aquitaine is a heroic king of the Visigoths. The name was also borne by an 11th-century French saint, Walter of Pontoise. The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Wealdhere.
... [more] Waltheof m Anglo-SaxonOld English name derived from the Old Norse
Valþjófr. This was the name of a 12th-century English saint, an abbot of Melrose.
Wambui f KikuyuMeans
"zebra" in Kikuyu. This is one of
Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wanda f Polish, English, German, FrenchPossibly 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).
Wangari f KikuyuFrom Kikuyu
ngarĩ meaning
"leopard". In the Kikuyu origin legend this is the name of one of the nine daughters of
Mumbi.
Wangui f KikuyuFrom Kikuyu
ngũi meaning
"song leader". This is one of
Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wanjiku f KikuyuMeaning unknown. This is one of
Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wanjiru f KikuyuPossibly from Kikuyu
njĩra meaning
"way, path". In the Kikuyu origin legend this is the name of one of the nine daughters of
Mumbi.
Wapasha m SiouxMeans
"red leaf" in Dakota, from
waȟpé "leaf" and
šá "red". This was the name of several Dakota chiefs.
Wario m Popular CultureCombination of
Mario and Japanese
悪い (warui) meaning "bad, evil". This is the name of Mario's evil counterpart in Nintendo video games, first appearing 1992.
Warren m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived either from Norman French
warrene meaning
"animal enclosure", or else from the town of La Varenne in Normandy. This name was borne by the American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923) and the investor Warren Buffett (1930-).
Warwick m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from the name of a town in England, itself from Old English
wer "weir, dam" and
wic "settlement".
Washington m English, Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Brazilian)From a surname that was originally derived from the name of an English town, itself meaning
"settlement belonging to Wassa's people". The given name is usually given in honour of George Washington (1732-1799), commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and the first president of the United States.
Wassa f Anglo-SaxonMeaning uncertain. It may be a short form of a longer name such as
Wāðsige, composed of the elements
wāð "hunt" and
sige "victory".
Watson m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of Wat". A famous fictional bearer of the surname was Dr. Watson, the assistant to Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887.
Waverly f & m EnglishFrom 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] Wawatam m OjibwePossibly means
"little goose" in Ojibwe. This was the name of an 18th-century chief of the Ottawa people.
Waylon m EnglishVariant of
Wayland. This name was popularized by country music singer Waylon Jennings (1937-2002), who was originally named Wayland.
Wayne m EnglishFrom an occupational surname meaning
"wagon maker", derived from Old English
wægn "wagon". Use of it as a given name can be partly attributed to the popularity of the actor John Wayne (1907-1979). Another famous bearer is Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky (1961-), generally considered the greatest player in the history of the sport.
Wazo m GermanicOriginally a short form of names beginning with Old Frankish
waddi or Old High German
wetti meaning
"pledge" (Proto-Germanic *
wadją), or alternatively
war meaning
"aware, cautious" (Proto-Germanic *
waraz).
Wednesday f Popular CultureFrom 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.
Wen m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
文 (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 NorwegianNorwegian 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] Wendell m EnglishFrom a German and Dutch surname that was derived from the given name
Wendel. In America this name has been given in honour of the poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894) and his son the Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841-1935). The elder's middle name came from his mother's maiden name (which had been brought to America by a Dutch ancestor in the form
Wendel, with the extra
l added later).
Wendy f EnglishIn 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.
Wenilo m GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with Old Frankish
wani or Old High German
wan meaning
"hope, expectation".
Wenke f Low GermanLow German diminutive of Germanic names containing the element
wini meaning
"friend".
Wenonah f LiteratureVariant 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.
Werner m German, DutchFrom an Old German name derived from the element
warin, related to
war meaning "aware, cautious", combined with
heri meaning "army". This was the name of a 13th-century boy from Oberwesel, Germany who was formerly regarded as a saint. He is no longer recognized as such by the Church. Another famous bearer was the German physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976).
Werther m German (Rare)Derived from the Old German elements
werd "worthy" and
heri "army". Goethe used this name in his novel
The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774).
Wesley m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself meaning
"west meadow" from Old English
west "west" and
leah "woodland, clearing". It has been sometimes given in honour of John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of Methodism.
Wickaninnish m Nuu-chah-nulth (Anglicized)Possibly means
"having no one in front of him in the canoe" in Nuu-chah-nulth. This was the name of a chief of the Clayoquot in the late 18th century, at the time of European contact.
Wido m GermanicOriginally a short form of names beginning with the Old Frankish or Old Saxon element
widu, Old High German
witu, meaning
"wood" (Proto-Germanic *
widuz). This was the name of two 11th-century saints, one from Belgium and one from northern Italy, both commonly called
Guido or
Guy. From early times this name has been confused with the Latin name
Vitus.
Widukind m GermanicOld Saxon name composed of the elements
widu "wood" and
kind "child". This was the name of an 8th-century Saxon leader who fought against the Franks, in the end unsuccessfully.
Wiebe m Frisian, DutchOriginally a Frisian short form of
Wigberht (and other names starting with the Old German element
wig meaning "war" and a second element beginning with
b).
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.
Wilbur m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from the nickname
Wildbor meaning
"wild boar" in Middle English. This name was borne by Wilbur Wright (1867-1912), one half of the Wright brothers, who together invented the first successful airplane. Wright was named after the Methodist minister Wilbur Fisk (1792-1839). A famous fictional bearer is the main character (a pig) in the children's novel
Charlotte's Web (1952) by E. B. White.
Wilhelm m German, Polish, GermanicGerman cognate of
William. This was the name of two German emperors. It was also the middle name of several philosophers from Germany: Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900), and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), who was also a notable mathematician. Another famous bearer was the physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845-1923).
Wilkie m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a diminutive of the given name
William.
Will m EnglishShort form of
William and other names beginning with
Will. A famous bearer is American actor Will Smith (1968-), whose full name is Willard.
Willehad m GermanicOld German or Old English name derived from the elements
willo "will, desire" and
hadu "battle, combat". This was the name of an 8th-century Northumbrian saint active in Frisia and Saxony.
Willem m DutchDutch form of
William. Willem the Silent, Prince of Orange, was the leader of the Dutch revolt against Spain that brought about the independence of the Netherlands. He is considered the founder of the Dutch royal family. In English he is commonly called William of Orange.
William m EnglishFrom the Germanic name
Willehelm meaning
"will helmet", composed of the elements
willo "will, desire" and
helm "helmet, protection". An early saint by this name was the 8th-century William of Gellone, a cousin of
Charlemagne who became a monk. The name was common among the Normans, and it became extremely popular in England after William the Conqueror was recognized as the first Norman king of England in the 11th century. From then until the modern era it has been among the most common of English names (with
John,
Thomas and
Robert).
... [more] Williamina f ScottishFeminine form of
William. A famous bearer of this name was Williamina Fleming (1857-1911), a Scottish astronomer.
Willibald m German, GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
willo "will, desire" and
bald "bold, brave". Saint Willibald was an 8th-century bishop of Eichstätt, Bavaria.
Willie m & f EnglishMasculine or feminine diminutive of
William. Notable bearers include the American baseball player Willie Mays (1931-2024) and the musician Willie Nelson (1933-).
Wilt m EnglishShort form of
Wilton. This name was borne by basketball player Wilt Chamberlain (1936-1999).
Wilton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the names of several English towns. The town names mean variously "willow town", "well town" or "town on the River Wylye" in Old English. The river name is itself of Celtic origin, possibly meaning "tricky".
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.
Winfred m EnglishMeans
"friend of peace" from the Old English elements
wine "friend" and
friþ "peace". This was the birth name of the 8th-century missionary Saint
Boniface. It became rare after the Norman Conquest, though it was revived in the 19th century.
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.
Winnie f EnglishDiminutive 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, SiouxMeans
"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).
Wisteria f English (Rare)From the name of the flowering plant, which was named for the American anatomist Caspar Wistar.