Girl Names That Start With W
W is having a moment. For decades it was mostly the home of Wendy and Whitney, but today’s parents have embraced nature-rich W names like Willow, Wren and Winter, and grand vintage picks like Wilhelmina and Winifred. This list gathers 90+ girl names that start with W, with the meaning and origin of each.
A lot of W names come from Old English and Welsh, where gwen (white, blessed) turns up again and again. Keep exploring with girl names that start with V and Y, the boy names that start with W, or our list of nature names for girls.
Popular W names for girls
The W names you are most likely to see on today’s US birth announcements.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Willow | The willow tree | English |
| Wren | The small songbird | English |
| Winter | The cold season | English |
| Waverly | Meadow of quivering aspens | English place name |
| Wynter | Variant of Winter | Modern American |
| Willa | Resolute protector (from Wilhelmina) | German/English |
| Whitney | White island | English surname |
| Winnie | Blessed peace (from Winifred) or fair (from Gwen) | English |
| Wendy | Popularized by J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan (1904) | English literary |
| Wilder | Wild, untamed | English surname |
| Wrenley | Wren meadow (modern blend) | American |
| Wrenna | Little wren (modern) | American |
| Westlyn | West lake (modern blend) | American |
| Whitley | White meadow | English surname |
Vintage W names worth reviving
Many of these were favorites in 1900 and are just starting to come back. Browse vintage girl names and grandma names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Wilhelmina | Will-helmet, resolute protector | German/Dutch |
| Winifred | Blessed peace (Welsh Gwenfrewi) | Welsh/English |
| Wilma | Short for Wilhelmina | German |
| Wanda | Wanderer, or from the Vandals | Polish |
| Winona | Firstborn daughter | Dakota (Sioux) |
| Wilda | Wild | Germanic/English |
| Wava | Uncertain; popular in the early 1900s | American |
| Wilhelmine | Resolute protector | German |
| Willene | Feminine of William | American Southern |
| Wallis | Welshman, foreigner | English surname |
| Wendeline | Wanderer | Germanic |
| Winnifred | Variant of Winifred | English |
| Willette | Little Will, resolute protector | American |
Nature and word names beginning with W
W offers trees, flowers, birds and weather. See also flower names for girls.
| Name | Nature link | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Wisteria | Cascading purple flowering vine | Romantic, Southern |
| Wildflower | Any uncultivated flower | Free-spirited |
| Wisdom | Knowledge, good judgment | Virtue name |
| Whisper | A soft voice | Dreamy |
| Wynn | Joy (Old English); fair (Welsh gwyn) | Crisp, unisex |
| West | The direction; the frontier | Minimal, western |
| Wilde | Untamed; Oscar Wilde | Literary |
| Winslow | Wine’s hill | Surname, preppy |
| Waverley | Walter Scott’s 1814 novel | Literary |
| Whimsy | Playful fancy | Quirky |
| Winsome | Charming, attractive | Sweet, old-fashioned |
| Woodlyn | Of the woods (modern) | Earthy |
| Wildrose | The wild rose | Cottage garden |
Welsh W names (the Gwen family)
Welsh names often begin with Gw-, but several start with W. See Welsh girl names for more.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Wynne | WIN | Fair, white, blessed (gwyn) |
| Wenna | WEN-a | Cornish saint; from gwen, “white, blessed” |
| Wenonah | weh-NO-na | Firstborn daughter (variant of Winona) |
| Wyn | WIN | Fair, blessed |
| Wenda | WEN-da | Fair, from gwen |
| Wendolyn | WEN-do-lin | Variant of Gwendolyn, “white ring” |
W names from around the world
Real W names in Polish, Chinese, German, Arabic and more. Explore Polish girl names and Chinese girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Wiktoria | Victory | Polish (vik-TOR-ya) |
| Weronika | True image | Polish |
| Wioletta | Violet | Polish |
| Wanessa | Polish form of Vanessa | Polish |
| Wiesława | Great glory | Polish |
| Wei | Great; rose (薇) | Chinese |
| Wen | Culture, literary (文) | Chinese |
| Wanjiru | Of the Anjiru clan | Kikuyu (Kenya) |
| Wangari | Leopard (clan name) | Kikuyu |
| Widad | Love, affection | Arabic |
| Warda | Rose | Arabic |
| Wafa | Faithfulness | Arabic |
| Wiebke | Little warrior (from Wiborg) | North German |
| Wilja | Will, desire | Dutch/Finnish |
| Wakana | Young greens (若菜) | Japanese |
| Wairimu | From the Airimu clan | Kikuyu |
| Wambui | From the Ambui clan | Kikuyu |
| Wanjiku | From the Anjiku clan | Kikuyu |
| Waleria | Strength, health | Polish |
| Władysława | Rules with glory | Polish |
| Wasima | Graceful, pretty | Arabic |
| Wijdan | Deep feeling, emotion | Arabic |
| Wiam | Harmony, love | Arabic |
| Wan | Gentle, graceful (婉) | Chinese |
| Wulan | Moon | Indonesian (Javanese) |
| Wailani | Heavenly water | Hawaiian |
| Waiola | Living water | Hawaiian |
| Wikitoria | Victory | Māori |
| Wenche | Norwegian pet form of Wendel-, “wanderer” | Norwegian |
Gender-neutral W names
Surname-style names that work for any child. More in cool girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Weslyn | West meadow (modern) | American |
| Wallace | Foreigner, Welshman | Scottish surname |
| Winslet | Wine’s slope | English surname |
| Wesley | West meadow | English surname |
| Whitman | White man, fair-haired | English surname |
| Wyatt | Brave in war | English |
| Wilson | Son of Will | English surname |
| Wheeler | Wheel maker | English occupational |
| Waylon | Land by the road | English |
| Webster | Weaver | English occupational |
| Walker | Cloth fuller | English occupational |
Literary and mythological W names
Names borrowed from books, legends and folklore. See mythology girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | Woden’s day | Wednesday Addams; the nursery rhyme |
| Wendla | Wanderer | Spring Awakening (Wedekind, 1891) |
| Wynonna | Firstborn daughter | Country singer Wynonna Judd |
| Walburga | Ruler of the fortress | 8th-century English saint |
| Waltraud | Strong ruler | Germanic; a Valkyrie in Wagner’s Ring |
Tips for choosing a W name
- Watch the W-surname combo. Willow Wilson is cute; Wren Walker might be one W too many.
- Pick your level of vintage. Willa and Winnie are gentle; Wilhelmina and Winifred are full-on grand.
- Seasonal names. Winter and Wren suit winter babies; see names that mean snow for more.
- Nicknames to consider. Wilhelmina can be Mina, Billie or Willa; Winifred becomes Winnie or Freddie.
- Try W in the middle. Wren and Wynne work beautifully as one-syllable middle names.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular girl name that starts with W?
Willow and Wren are the most-used W names for US girls right now; Willow ranks in the SSA top 50, and Wren has climbed fast since 2015.
What are some vintage girl names that start with W?
Wilhelmina, Winifred, Wilma, Wanda, Winona and Wilda were all popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
What does Winona mean?
Winona comes from the Dakota word for “firstborn daughter.” It is a traditional birth-order name in Dakota culture.
Is Wendy a real name?
Wendy existed occasionally before 1904, but J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan made it widely popular. The name is linked to Gwendolyn and to the phrase “fwendy,” a child’s way of saying “friend.”
What is a unique W name for a girl?
Waverly, Wisteria, Wenna, Wiebke, Walburga and Wendla are distinctive but pronounceable.