Wenna

Girl · Cornish

Wenna

Say it: WEN-uh

Meaning

Uncertain; possibly related to gwen 'white, fair, blessed'.

Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.

Its wave through time

No birth counts are recorded for this name in the records loaded here: it has been given to fewer than five babies a year, or not at all, since records began.

Through the ages

The Early Middle Ages400 to 800

Used by

Cornish

Famous bearers

Saint Wenna of Cornwall

Names worth a look

SenaraGirlUncertain.Early Medieval · forgotten

MorwennaGirlUncertain; often linked to Welsh morwyn 'maiden', but the Cornish saint's name is not securely explained.Early Medieval · forgotten

IaGirlUncertain.Early Medieval · forgotten

WayneBoyFrom an English surname for a wagon maker, Old English wægn 'wagon'.Victorian · peak 1947

WandaGirlName of a legendary Polish princess in Wincenty Kadłubek's chronicle; its origin is unclear, and the link with the…Revolutions · peak 1933

WendyGirlBarrie's Peter Pan (1904) made it widely known; it had appeared rarely before, possibly as a pet form of Gwendolen.…Modern · peak 1967

WendellBoyFrom a surname derived from the Germanic name element Wendel, usually connected with the Vandals (or Wends).Victorian · peak 1940

WinifredGirlAnglicized form of Welsh Gwenfrewi, influenced by Old English Wynfrith 'joy-peace'.Middle Ages · peak 1891

Where this comes from

Lives of the saints and early Christian martyrologies

Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.