HeyName name directory

Names starting with W

Explore 51 first names starting with W, with short explanations and links to their stories on our blog.

Names: 51 · Page 1 of 2

5 letters · From the blog

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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8 letters · From the blog

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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6 letters · From the blog

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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7 letters · From the blog

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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5 letters · From the blog

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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5 letters · From the blog

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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5 letters · From the blog

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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3 letters · From the blog

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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5 letters · From the blog

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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6 letters · From the blog

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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5 letters · From the blog

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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6 letters · From the blog

Wenzel

The German form of the Czech name Václav. The Slavic roots mean "more" and "glory."

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4 letters · From the blog

Wera

The Slavic spelling of the name Vera. The Russian word "вера" (wera) is documented to mean "faith" or "trust."

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6 letters · From the blog

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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7 letters · From the blog

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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6 letters · From the blog

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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4 letters · From the blog

Wido

An Old High German name. The root word is "widu," meaning "forest" or "wood."

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6 letters · From the blog

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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6 letters · From the blog

Wigald

A name of Old High German origin, composed of the words for "battle" (wig) and "to rule" (waltan).

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4 letters · From the blog

Wika

Documented in the Slavic-speaking region as a short form of Viktoria. The Latin word "victoria" means "victory."

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8 letters · From the blog

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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7 letters · From the blog

Wilhelm

A classic name of Germanic origin. It is composed of "will" (willio) and "helmet" or "protection" (helm).

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10 letters · From the blog

Wilhelmine

The feminine form of Wilhelm. It is composed of the Old High German words for "will" and "helmet" (protection).

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5 letters · From the blog

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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5 letters · From the blog

Wilko

Documented as a Frisian and Low German short form of Wilhelm or other names with the syllable "Wil-".

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5 letters · From the blog

Willa

A short form derived from Wilhelmine or the English William. It is frequently given in the English-speaking world.

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7 letters · From the blog

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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6 letters · From the blog

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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5 letters · From the blog

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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3 letters · From the blog

Wim

A Dutch short form of Wilhelm; the Germanic roots mean “will” and “helmet/protection”.

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8 letters · From the blog

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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8 letters · From the blog

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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6 letters · From the blog

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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7 letters · From the blog

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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5 letters · From the blog

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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8 letters · From the blog

Wioletta

The Polish form of Violetta. The name derives from the Latin "viola," which is the word for the violet flower.

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4 letters · From the blog

Wita

The name is widely interpreted as a Sorbian short form of Viktoria. Another widespread interpretation traces its origin to the Slavic root "vit" (welcome). Because both naming histories exist, they should be explained separately.

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4 letters · From the blog

Wito

An Old High German short form; the documented root “witu” means “wood” or “forest”.

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8 letters · From the blog

Wladimir

A name of Slavic origin. The name elements mean "to rule" (vladeti) and "peace" or "world" (mir).

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8 letters · From the blog

Wojciech

A traditional Old Slavic name. It is composed of the documented word stems "woj" (warrior) and "ciech" (joy).

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4 letters · From the blog

Wolf

Traces directly back to the animal or is documented as a short form of names like Wolfgang.

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8 letters · From the blog

Wolfgang

A traditional Old High German name. It is composed of "wolf" and "path" (ganc = the one who walks, the one on the way).

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4 letters · From the blog

Wout

A Flemish short form of Wouter, the Dutch variant of Walter. The name traces back to Old High German roots; the word elements mean "to rule/govern" and "army".

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