Unique Girl Names that Start With W

Willow

English nature name

"willow tree"

An ancient tree that figures in literature from Shakespeare to Harry Potter and is believed to possess magical powers, Willow is a lovely name, as graceful as its inspiration. Willow's use as a given…

Wrenley

Modern invented name, English

"small songbird; wren's meadow"

Inspired by the sweet but solid bird name Wren, this longer form has been storming up the charts since 2018. Given to just 13 girls back in 2014, a decade later in 2024, it ranked in the Top 150 and…

Wren

English

"small bird"

Wren, a lilting songbird name, could be the next Robin. Wren entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2012 and is among the new wave of popular English names for girls . Wren makes a particularly…

Wrenlee

Modern Invented Name

"wren's meadow"

Wren has been red-hot for several years now, so it is no surprise that parents are branching out to longer forms. Wrenlee was the fastest-rising girl name of 2022, jumping 708 spots and following in…

Winter

Word name

Fresher, brisker and, yes, cooler than Summer or Autumn or Spring, Winter is now a full-fledged female choice, especially since Nicole Richie and Joel Madden used it for daughter Harlow's middle…

Wynter

Spelling variation of Winter

Less month, more trendy, more times needing to spell it to people. This spelling variation entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013—and doesn't appear to be going anywhere any time soon.…

Winona

Sioux Indian

"firstborn daughter"

Rode two rockets to fame, with actress Winona Ryder and singer Wynonna Judd. Winona entered the Top 1000 for the first time since 1957 this past year in 2022, following in the footsteps of trending…

Whitley

English

"white meadow"

Surname style Whitley emerged in the late 1980s as a spin on the (then) mega-popular Whitney, rising dramatically from obscurity to the Top 500 after it featured on a character in the TV sitcom, A…

Winifred

Welsh

"blessed peacemaking"

One of the few remaining unrestored vintage gems, with a choice of two winning nicknames--the girlish Winnie and the tomboyish Freddie. Winifred, the name of a legendary Welsh saint, was a Top 200…

Waverly

English

"meadow of quivering aspens"

Waverly, with its literary resonance and lilting three-syllable sound, could well become the next generation's successor to Kimberly. Its upper-crusty surname feel places it among the new stylish…

Wrenly

Variation of Wrenley, modern invention

"small songbird; wren's meadow"

Wrenley entered the charts back in 2013, inspired by rising word name Wren and names such as Hadley, Everly and Paisley. Now, it's a Top 150 choice, with spelling variations Wrenleigh and Wrenlee…

Wendy

English, Celtic, Welsh

"friend or white"

It is popularly claimed that the name Wendy was invented by Sir James Barrie in 1904 for the big sister character in his play Peter Pan , which was followed by the classic novel in 1911. Barrie…

Wilhelmina

German and Dutch, feminine variation of Wilhelm

"resolute protection"

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…

Winry

Japanese modern name, variation of Winifred

"friend of peace; blessed peacemaking"

The name of a character from Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist manga and anime series. She is a strong-willed teenage mechanic, who has consistently been ranked among the best female characters in…

Westlynn

American invented name

Westlynn and even more so Westlyn are among the hottest new names for baby girls, rising hundreds of percentage points in use every year. Over 50 baby girls were named Westlynn in 2017, and more than…

Wylie

English surname, Scottish diminutive of William

"from Wylye, from the willow clearing; resolute protection"

Similar in sound to choices like Riley, Miley, and Kylie, Wylie has been sporadically featuring in the US stats for girls since the 1920s, though it has been more consistently used since the late…

Wisdom

Word name

A bit too self-congratulatory and, understandably, exceedingly rare. Still, if you're looking for a modern virtue name for your daughter, this may be one of the best qualities to exemplify.

Wilder

Word name and surname

"wild, untamed, uncontrolled"

The name Wilder is still used more than 90 percent of the time for boys, but it's being used quietly for girls too. with 50 receiving the name in a recent year. Along with the rest of the Wild and…

Wilma

Diminutive of Wilhelmina

"resolute protection"

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…

Winslet

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…