by baby&family8 letters · From the blog
Vladimir
A traditional Slavic name. The documented word components mean "to rule" (vladeti) and "peace" or "world" (mir).
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The story behind the name.
Explore 2,780 first names with short explanations from our blog. Search for a favorite or browse from A to Z.
Names: 2,780 · Page 54 of 58
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Vladyslav
A name of Old Slavic origin. It is composed of the words "vladeti" (to rule) and "slava" (glory).
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Vojtěch
A classic dithematic name. It is composed of the Slavic words "voi" (warrior, soldier) and "tech" (solace, joy). Saint Vojtěch is known in the German-speaking world as Adalbert of Prague, although the two names are not linguistically related.
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Volker
A name from Old High German. The two name elements mean "people" (folc) and "army" (heri).
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Vollrath
Also of Old High German origin; here, the words for "people" and "counsel" (counselor) are combined.
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Von
This very short first name comes from Iceland. The Icelandic word "von" is documented to mean "hope." Since the name sounds like the preposition "von" in Germany, misunderstandings can occur in everyday life.
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Vreni
Originally a Swiss German pet form of Verena, which has long established itself as an independent first name. The older etymology of the Verena name family has not been definitively clarified; research often suggests a Coptic or Latin origin.
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Vroni
A southern German short form of Veronika. The name stems from the Macedonian-Greek Pherenike, which means "bringing victory."
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Vuk
A short name from the Serbian and Croatian linguistic area. The underlying Slavic word means "wolf".
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Wadim
A name from the Slavic linguistic area. The older etymological meaning of this name family is not definitively clear. The name is often interpreted as a Russian form tracing back to Old Norse or early Slavic roots.
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Waldemar
Traces back to Old High German or Slavic roots (related to Wladimir). The Germanic syllables mean "to rule" (walten) and "famous" (mari).
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Walter
A traditional Old High German name. It is composed of the words for "to rule" (waltan) and "army" (heri). A well-known spelling variant is Walther.
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Walther
The history of the name is attested by the Old High German words "waltan" (to rule, govern) and "heri" (army). Through poets such as Walther von der Vogelweide, the name has strong ties to the High Middle Ages. Today, it is most commonly spelled Walter.
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Wanda
The older word meaning of this name family is not definitively clarified. The name originates from the Polish linguistic area and is often associated with the East Germanic tribe of the Vandals or the Wends.
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Wanja
Originally a Russian pet form of Ivan (Иван), which in turn goes back to John. The Hebrew foundation is documented to mean "Yahweh is gracious." In Germany, Wanja is given to both boys and girls.
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Waris
A first name from the African language area, specifically from Somalia. It is widely translated as "desert flower," which became well known in part through the book of the same name by author Waris Dirie.
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Wei
Often written with the character 伟, meaning "great" or "mighty." However, because the syllable in Pinyin can also represent other characters such as 韦 (leather), this is a common interpretation rather than the sole background of the name.
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Wella
A short name whose origin is not definitively established. It can appear as a variant of Willa or trace back to an English surname. A blanket meaning cannot be determined for Wella.
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Wencke
A Low German and Frisian short form of names beginning with "Wini". The Old High German word "wini" means "friend." A common spelling variant is Wenke.
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Wendelin
An Old High German given name. It traces back to the tribal name of the Vandals.
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Wendy
This name became known primarily through the play "Peter Pan" in the English-speaking world. An older, clear etymological meaning is not definitively clarified, as it is likely a literary creation or a pet form.
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Wenzel
The German form of the Czech name Václav. The Slavic roots mean "more" and "glory."
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Wera
The Slavic spelling of the name Vera. The Russian word "вера" (wera) is documented to mean "faith" or "trust."
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Werner
An old German given name. The Old High German name elements stand for "to protect" or "to warn" (warin) and "army" (heri).
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Whitney
An English first name that originally derives from a place name. The Old English word base directly translates to "white island."
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Wiborg
A Scandinavian and Northern German name. It is composed of the Germanic words for "battle" (wīg) and "protection" or "castle" (burg).
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Wido
An Old High German name. The root word is "widu," meaning "forest" or "wood."
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Wiebke
A Frisian and Low German form that likewise derives from the Old High German word "wīg" (battle). It is also frequently spelled Wibke.
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Wigald
A name of Old High German origin, composed of the words for "battle" (wig) and "to rule" (waltan).
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Wika
Documented in the Slavic-speaking region as a short form of Viktoria. The Latin word "victoria" means "victory."
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Wilfried
Traces back to Old High German roots. The name consists of the elements "will" (willio) and "peace" or "protection" (fridu).
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Wilhelm
A classic name of Germanic origin. It is composed of "will" (willio) and "helmet" or "protection" (helm).
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Wilhelmine
The feminine form of Wilhelm. It is composed of the Old High German words for "will" and "helmet" (protection).
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Wilke
Wilke is a Low German diminutive of Wilhelm. The Old High German name elements are "willio" (will) and "helm" (protection, helmet).
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Wilko
Documented as a Frisian and Low German short form of Wilhelm or other names with the syllable "Wil-".
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Willa
A short form derived from Wilhelmine or the English William. It is frequently given in the English-speaking world.
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Willard
Willard is based on the Old High German terms "willio" (will) and "hard" (strong, brave). The documented meaning is "the brave, resolute one". In German, the name is rare, whereas in English it is a well-known traditional name.
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Willem
Willem is the Dutch and Low German form of Wilhelm. The Germanic roots are composed of the words for "will" and "helmet" or "protection".
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Willi
An established short form of Wilhelm. It is often also spelled Willy.
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William
The English form of Wilhelm, which is widely given internationally.
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Wilma
An established short form of Wilhelmine that functions today as an independent name in the German and Scandinavian language areas.
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Wim
A Dutch short form of Wilhelm; the Germanic roots mean “will” and “helmet/protection”.
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Winfried
An Old High German name composed of "wini" (friend) and "fridu" (peace, protection). It conveys stability and is an option if you are looking for a traditional German name with a clear meaning.
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Winifred
An English name with Welsh roots. The derivation is not entirely clear, but it is widely traced back to the Welsh name Gwenfrewi, which is often interpreted as "blessed peace."
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Winnie
An English short form that can be derived from Winifred or also from Winston.
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Winona
A name from the language of the Dakota, an Indigenous group in North America. It is documented to mean "firstborn daughter" and is traditionally given accordingly.
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Winston
An English given name originally derived from a place name. The Old English elements mean "joy" (wynn) and "settlement" (tun).
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Winta
A first name from the East African region originating in the Tigrinya language. The documented word meaning is "wish" or "desire."
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