Updated October 2026
Across 2 pages
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English surname and place-name
"Wynn's channel or stream"
Winslet is one of a legion of surnames newly considered fair game as first names. The inspiration may be British star Kate, but she's not the only reason parents are attracted to Winslet, one of…
English
"Woden's day"
Made famous by the iconic and macabre character Wednesday Addams, this name has the spooky and Halloween-inspired feel that some parents might be looking for. The character has appeared in various…
Variation of Wilhelmina, German
"resolute protection"
Classic Wilhelmina is still the dominant form of this name, but the more intuitive, streamlined Willamina is rising alongside it. The phonetic spelling eliminates some of Wilhelmina's bulk, taking it…
Scottish diminutive of William, German, English
"resolute protection; from Wylye"
The Wylie spelling (with that feminine Y) is much more common among girls than Wiley, but both have been climbing the ranks. Could Wiley be the next Riley?
"riverbank with a winch"
Windsor may have male references, such as Britain's royal House of Windsor and a tie's windsor knot, but this name also has a definite feminine feel, as in Windsor Rose. That seems appropriate, as…
Slavic or German
"shepherdess; wanderer"
Rarely heard, and when it is, usually attached to a witch. Historically, though, Wanda was a legendary eighth century queen of Poland, and in literature it is the central character of Ouida's…
Surname name
Wrigley is a fast-rising name for boys and girls right now in the US. You're unlikely to hear it outside of Chicago, though, as most of these parents are huge fans of the Chicago Cubs, who play at…
English word name
"wave"
Wave is used as a name in its own right, but on girls, it's most often seen as a nickname for Waverly. It lends a beachy, bohemian air to the classy English surname.
"whimsical or fanciful"
Whimsy is a new entry to the ever-expanding word name lexicon, sister for Pixie and Bliss. While it has an undeniable offbeat English aristocratic charm (maybe we're thinking of Dorothy Sayers'…
German
"charming friend"
Native-American feel via similarity to Winona.
"ruler"
Where's Walda? Out of the running.
Variation of Winfrith, English
"peaceful friend"
Oprah's almost mononymic first name is too closely tied to her personality (and brand) for us to recommend it as a baby name in good faith. Her surname, however, is definitely name-worthy. Winfrey…
Maori
"Christmas orchid"
With the rise of all those other popular feminine W names, like Winnie, Willa and Winona, why not consider the lovely Winika? Win and Winnie are likely nicknames and it is associated with a dainty…
"agreeable, lighthearted"
A sweet, modern descriptive name, with a wholesome and winning feel, Winsome means "appealing, fresh, simple, innocent" or "cheerful and lighthearted." Some may find it a little too cutesy, but with…
"strong protection"
An ancient saint's name belonging to an 8th century English missionary. Variants include Walpurga and Walpurgis.
Diminutive of Winifred or Winslet
Win might be an upbeat short form for a girl named Winifred or the new-fangled Winslet, or can stand on its own. The Welsh name Wynn feels more complete and sounds the same.
"undulating"
Short for Waverly or a fresh twist on Navy, Wavy is a quirky and interesting new word name option.
Female version of William
Sometimes heard in Scotland, where its heyday was in the times of Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott, this feminization of William was notably borne by Williamina Fleming, an astronomer who is famous…
American diminutive of Winifred, Welsh
"blessed peacemaking"
Winnet is a long-forgotten nickname for Winifred that was used in the US in the 18th and 19th centuries. These days, it's more often found in South Africa.
Witten is an uncommon feminine name with Germanic origins, likely derived from an Old German surname that referred to someone from Witten, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The place name…