Updated October 2026
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Polish variation of Hedvig, German
"war"
A sweet but spiky form of Hedwig, Jadwiga recently ranked in the Top 100 in Poland. Its popularity may owe something to Jadwiga, a 14th century ruler of Poland, who was crowned "king", not queen. The…
Hungarian variation of Hedvig
Variation of Hedda. Scandinavian from German
Heddi ultimately derives from Hedvig, which may not appeal to many American parents as a full form.
English
"god war"
Saint Osyth was a 7th century martyr who founded a monastery and was beheaded by pirates. She is usually depicted in images carrying her own head. Variations of her name include Osgyth, Osith, and…
Diminutive of Agnieszka or Jadwiga, Polish
"pure, virginal; war"
Dutch, Frisian
"war bright"
Zippy and energetic in sound with an spirited meaning, Wiebe likely started out as a diminutive of the Old English and Old Germanic names Wigberht and Wigbrand. Meaning "war bright", "war torch", it…
Polish, from English
"prosperous in war"
The Polish form of Edith.
Czech; Slovene, from German
This form of Hedwig feels more usable than the original, with its snappy sound and cool nickname Vika.
Swedish, Finnish, Germanic
"holy, healthy war"
With a hint of myth and ancient poetry about it, this spirited name ultimately comes from the Germanic Heilwig or Helwig, but feels as if it could fit into a modern setting. Pronounced HIL-leh-vee in…
Swedish
"battle; war"
Derived from the Old Norse word gunnr, Gun is a unisex name in Sweden and currently the 75th most common female name in the country. In Norse mythology, Gun (sometimes spelled Gunn) was a valkyrie.…
French from German Hedwig
Haitian writer Edwidge Danticat highlighted this sophisticated, chignon-wearing choice for literate parents.
German
An ancient German saint's name – and most famously the name of Harry Potter's snowy owl – but the combination of "head" plus "wig" feels a little too literal in English.
Italian, feminine variation of Ludovic
"famous in war"
This Olde World name with a large measure of European style makes an offbeat possibility for the bold baby namer in search of interesting Italian names for girls . Currently very popular in its…
Norwegian
"war goddess"
This strong Norwegian name war goddess name, commonly heard in both midcentury Norway and Iceland, has never ventured far beyond its native culture.
Welsh
"battle"
Anglicized form of Cadoc, a Welsh saint's name.
French
"war horse"
Destry rides again, this time as a Western flavored baby name. Derived from the French surname Destrier, from an Anglo-Norman word meaning "warhorse", this rugged name was popularized by the 1930…
"war ruler"
When you like Eric, but wish it were longer; also the name of a great early English poet.
African, Yoruba
"god of war"
Militaristic.
Greek mythology name
"war cry"
This name of the mythological sister of Mars might be used for a girl born under one of the signs ruled by the planet Mars--Aries or Scorpio. She is the personification of the war cry. Alala is…
Old English
Like Edith and Audrey, this is an Anglo-Saxon name (Ealdgyth) that has been smoothed at the edges over the centuries. One historic bearer of the name was the wife of the Welsh king Gruffudd ap…