German Names that Start With W
By Nameberry
Updated Tue Oct 01 2024
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- Willa
Origin:
Feminine variation of WilliamMeaning:
"resolute protection"Description:
Willa has become increasingly fashionable, with its combination of Willa (born Wilella) Cather-like pioneer strength and the graceful beauty of the willow tree.
- Wilbur
Origin:
English, GermanMeaning:
"wild boar"Description:
Clunky yet cuddly, Wilbur is a stylish name in the UK where it currently sits in the Top 600, as cool as Rupert or Wilfred. Its merits are starting to be rediscovered in the US, where it was last truly popular more than a century ago. A recent year saw it given to 42 boys.
- Walter
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"army ruler"Description:
Walter was seen as a noble name in the Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Walter Scott era, but it then spent decades in baby name limbo. Now quite a few independent-minded parents are looking at it as a renewable, slightly quirky, classic, stronger and more distinctive than James or John, second only to William among the handsome classic boy baby names starting with W.
- Wilhelmina
Origin:
German and Dutch, feminine variation of WilhelmMeaning:
"resolute protection"Description:
Wilhelmina might once have been condemned as a clunky relic best left in the past, but a steadily increasing number of parents are dusting it off for their 21st century babies. A reasonably popular choice in the 19th century, but out of favor by the 1950s, in the last decade, Wilhelmina has attracted more attention, and was given to around 110 babies in a recent year.
- Wolfgang
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"traveling wolf"Description:
A name with plenty of grandeur, but a playful nickname, Wolfgang blends sophistication, wildness, and gothic imagery. While it may feel surprising in this century, it does have an allure for those who want a name associated with dark academia, Halloween, history, intellect, wolves, and art.
- Walden
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"valley of the Welsh"Description:
Walden is a recent entrant to the en-ending boys' names trend, a name that summons up placid images of Thoreau's two-year stay contemplating nature near Walden Pond.
- Wilma
Origin:
Diminutive of WilhelminaMeaning:
"resolute protection"Description:
In the US, Wilma is appears to be eternally fossilized in Bedrock as Fred Flintstone's wife, but in Sweden it's a Top 10 hottie. It did have its moment in the US--from 1912 to 1940 it was a Top 100 name. One notable namesake: track and field star Wilma Rudolph.
- Wolf
Origin:
Animal name or diminutive of Wolfgang, GermanMeaning:
" traveling wolf"Description:
Wolf is a name with a split personality. It can be seen as one of the fierce animal names, like Fox and Bear and Puma, with a touch of the werewolf, or it can be viewed as a quieter, Wolf Blitzer kind of name, fairly common in German (where is pronounced Vulf) and Jewish families, sometimes as a short form of Wolfgang, or even Wolfram or Wolfhart.
- Walt
Origin:
German, diminutive of WalterDescription:
A straightforward, down-to-earth nickname many Walters, from Whitman to Disney, have chosen to go by.
- Wendell
Origin:
German, EnglishMeaning:
"wanderer; to travel, to proceed"Description:
This name has hardly been used since Wendell Willkie ran for president in 1940, and it may not quite be ready for revival yet. Still, clunky grandpa names like Lionel, Douglas, Benedict, Carl, and Melvin have received more attention in recent years, so Wendell can't be ruled out just yet.
- Waldo
Origin:
German, pet form of names such as WaldemarMeaning:
"to rule"Description:
Its jaunty o-ending makes this name more appealing than most of its Germanic brothers, and we hope we're beyond the constant response to his name being "Where's Waldo?" The weighty reputation of writer and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson adds a measure of backbone to the name.
- Wilda
Origin:
Variation of the word wild or GermanMeaning:
"to strive"Description:
Wilda (or Wylda) has two widely divergent images. Pronounced vill-da, it feels like a cousin of Hilda: a sturdy and none-too-attractive prairie settler. But you can also think of her as wild-ah, as in the feminine of wild and wilder.
- Wilfrid
Origin:
Spelling variation of Wilfred, EnglishMeaning:
"desires peace"Description:
Wilfrid is a distinguished masculine name of Anglo-Saxon origin, combining the elements "will" (determination or desire) and "frid" (peace), creating the meaningful combination "desires peace" or "peaceful resolution." This traditional name was borne by several saints and bishops in medieval England, contributing to its historical significance.
- Wilhelm
Origin:
German variation of WilliamMeaning:
"resolute protection"Description:
This dignified German form of William belonged to two German Emperors and Kings of Prussia, as well as a host of other important historical figures. These include composer (Wilhelm) Richard Wagner, philosophers Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz, and physicist Wilhelm Roentgen, who discovered the X-ray. It now sounds rather dated in Germany, however, having dropped out of the Top 20 there in the late 1920s and continuing to decline since.
- Winola
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"charming friend"Description:
Native-American feel via similarity to Winona.
- Werner
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"protecting army"Description:
Formal name lacking any sparkle or sheen.
- Wylda
Origin:
Variation of the word wild or GermanMeaning:
"to strive"Description:
The German name for girls Wylda was introduced to the world by British filmmaker/artist, director of Fifty Shades of Gray Sam Taylor-Wood and her actor husband, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who named their daughter Wylda Rae. Is that Wylda, which rhymes with Hilda, and might be found inhabiting a sod hut on the Kansas prairie in 1901? Or Wylda, sister of Wilder, destined for a future as a hell-raising singer in a rock band?
- Walther
Description:
Walther is a masculine name of Germanic origin, representing a variant spelling of Walter. The name derives from the Old German elements 'wald' meaning 'rule' or 'power' and 'hari' meaning 'army,' thus signifying 'ruler of the army' or 'powerful warrior.' This spelling with 'th' rather than 't' maintains a more traditional Germanic form. Walther has remained relatively uncommon in English-speaking countries, though it enjoys more popularity in German-speaking regions. The name carries an air of classical strength and nobility, and is associated with historical figures like the German poet Walther von der Vogelweide. Modern bearers may appreciate the name's distinguished history and slightly uncommon nature.
- Wendell
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"to travel, to proceed"Description:
Old man's name just conceivable for a girl--makes a new spin on Wendy.
- Walton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"fortified town"Description:
Slightly more modern than Walter, but only just.
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