Names  - Origins 

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WADE: Old English for "advancer" or "river crossing." This may turn out to be the sort of child who walks on water. Relatives: Wadley, Wasdsorth. Namesakes: Wade Boggs, Virgina Wade, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

WAKEFIELD: Old English for "wet field." Relatives: Wake, Wakeley, Wakeman. Namesakes: Dan Wakefield, "The Vicar of Wakefield."

WALDO: From the Old German for "ruler" and Old English for "mighty." Relatives: Waldemar, Waldorf, Walfred. Namesakes: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Waldo Frank, Waldorf Astoria.

WALKER: Middle English for "cloth worker." This child is destined to write prize-winning books about the South. Namesakes: Walker Percy, Walker Evans, Alice Walker.

WALLACE: Old English for "Welshman." A great choice for a girl. But be forewarned, Wally is a British colloquialism for a wimp. Relatives: Wallis, Wallas, Wally, Wallie, Walsh, Welsh, Welch, Wallach. Namesakes: Wallace Stevens, Wallace Beery, Wallace Stegner, George Wallace, Wallis Simpson, "Wally Cleaver."

WALTER: From the Old German for "powerful warrior." An impressive list of namesakes bodes well for a child named Walter. Relatives: Walt, Wally, Walther, Watson, Watkins, Gautier, Gauthier, Ualtar. Namesakes: Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Walter Scott, Walter Cronkite, Walter Reed, Walter "Red" Smith, Walter Winchell, Walt Disney, Barbara Walters.

WALTON: Old English for "dweller by the wall." Relative: Waller. Namesakes: Bill Walton, Fats Waller, "John Boy Walton."

WANDA: From the Old German for "wanderer." Relatives: Wenda, Wandis, Wendeline, Wendy. Namesake: Wanda Landowska.

WARD: From the Old English for "to guard." A person is called a ward who is under guard or protection. Relatives: Wardell, Warden, Wardley, Warfield, Warford, Warley, Warmond, Warton, Warwick. Namesakes: Ward Bond, Douglas Ward, Dionne Warwick, Marsha Warfield.

WARNER: From the Old German for "defending army." Relative: Werner. Namesakes: Werner Ehrhardt, Werner von Braun, Sylvia Townsend Warner, John Warner, David Warner, Time Warner.

WARREN: From the Old German for "watchman" and Middle English for "game keeper." A splendid choice that refuses to submit to lightweight nicknames. Relatives: Wareine, Warin, Warrener. Namesakes: Warren G. Harding, Warren Beatty, Jennifer Warren, Robert Penn Warren, Earl Warren, Warren Burger.

WASHINGTON: Old English for "from the estate of the wise one." Some might question whether our nation's capital was aptly named. Namesakes: Washington Irving, George Washington.

WATSON: Old English for "son of Walter." Relatives: Watkins, Watt. Namesakes: James Watson, Watkins Glen, "Dr. Watson."

WAVERLY: Old English for "from the tree-lined meadow." Sir Walter Scott wrote some thirty books under a pseudonym, and the first of these was the novel Waverly. Namesakes: Viscount John Waverly, Waverly Place (N.Y.)

WAYLAND: Old English for "from the path land." Relatives: Waylon, Way. Namesakes: Waylon Jennings, Way Bandy.

WAYNE: Old English for "wagon maker." Wayne too plain? Try Wainwright. Relatives: Wagner, Waggoner, Wain, Wainwright. Namesakes: Wayne Gretzky, John Wayne, Jonathan Wainwright.

WEBSTER: Old English for "weaver." An expedient selection for a future philologist. Relatives: Weber, Webley, Webb. Namesakes: Noah Webster, Daniel Webster, W.E.B. Du Bois.

WELLS: Old English for "from the springs." These rather formal-sounding names hint at a family estate in the country. Relatives: Welles, Weller, Welborne, Welby, Weldon, Welford, Welton. Namesakes: H.G. Wells, Orson Welles, Wells Fargo, Wells College.

WENDELL: Old German for "wanderer." You can have Wendell on her birth certificate but call her Wendy. Namesake: Wendell Willkie.

WENDY: Old English for "fair" and a pet form of Gwendolyn. Peter Pan's girlfriend. Relatives: Wendie, Wendee, Gwendolyn. Namesake: Wendy Wasserstein.

WEST: From the Old English. This name demands a navy-blue blazer and an old school tie. Relatives: Weston, Westbrook, Westby, Westcott, Weston, Wes, Wesley, Westleigh. Namesakes: Adam West, Morris West, Anthony West, Edward Weston, John Wesley, Westbrook Pegler.

WETHERBY: Old English for "ram's meadow." A well-grounded name for a little Aries. Relatives: Wetherell, Wetherly.

WHEATON: Old English for "wheat town." Before you fall in love with this name, keep in mind there is a breed of dog called the Wheaton terrier. Relatives: Wheatley, Wharton. Namesakes: Edith Wharton, Phillis Wheatley, Wheaton College.

WHIT: Old English for "white." Whitney is the most popular of the Whit names and works equally well for a boy or girl. Relatives: White, Whitey, Whitcomb, Whitby, Whitelaw, Whitfield, Whitford, Whitley, Whitlock, Whitman, Whitmore, Whitney, Whittaker. Namesakes: Whitey Ford, Whitney Houston, Whittaker Chambers, E.B. White, James Whitcomb Riley, Walt Whitman, James Whitmore, Eli Whitney.

WHOOPI: Popular exclamation for "I'm having a good time now." Relatives: Yahoo, Yippee, Wahoo. Namesake: Whoopi Goldberg.

WILHELMINA: Old German for "fierce protector." This powerful name is also a feminine variation of William. The nickname Billie takes the starch out of this one. Relatives: Willamina, Wilhemine, Wihelma, Willette, Wilmette, Wyla, Willa, Wilma, Willie, Willy, Will, Mina, Minnie, Minny, Billie, Billy, Helma, Vilma, Guillelmine, Guillemette, Vilhelmina. Namesales: Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Willa Cather, Wilma Rudolph, Billie Jean King, Billie Holliday, "Wilma Flintstone."

WILLIAM: Old German for "valiant protector." Although a popular name for centuries, Prince Charles and Princess Diana may have rekindled interest in this classic by choosing it for their firstborn son. Relatives: Willem Wilhelm, Wlson, Williams, Williamson, Will, Wills, Willie, Willy, Wiley, Wyley, Wilkie, Willkie, Wilkes, Wylkes, Willis, Wilton, Wilmer, Wilmar, Winton, Willard, Wilbur, Wilford, Wilfred, Wilfrid, Guillaume, Guillermo, Vilhelm, Vilem, Viliam, Vasili, Vasily, Uilleam, Uilliam. Namesakes: William the Conqueror, William Hurt, William Carlos Williams, Willie Mays, Will Rogers, Wilfrid Sheed, Wilfred Owen, Wilbur Wright, Willard Scott, Wilt Chamberlain, Willie Nelson.

WILSON: Old English for "son of William." This is Ronald Regan's middle name. Namesakes: Wilson Pickett, Woodrow Wilson, Lanford Wilson.

WINIFRED: From the Old German for "peaceful friend." Relatives: Winnie, Winny, Winni, Win, Winn, Wyn, Fred, Freddie, Freddy. Namesakes: Winnie Mandela, "Winnie the Pooh."

WINONA: Sioux Indian for "firstborn daughter." Relatives: Winonah, Wenona. Namesakes: Hiawatha's mother, Winona Ryder, Winona (Minn.), Wynnonah Judd.

WINSLOW: Old English for "from the friend's hill." Relatives: Winchell, Windsor, Winfield, Winfred, Wingate, Winthrop, Winton, Wynton, Winward, Winfrey. Namesakes: Winslow Homer, Wynton Marsalis, Walter Winchell, Dave Winfield, John Winthrop.

WINSTON: Old English for "from the friend's estate." England's grand old prime minister inspired many little Winstons after World War II. Relatives: Wynston, Winnie, Win. Namesakes: Winston Churchill, Winston-Salem (N.C.)

WINTER: From the Old English for the season. An off-the-beaten-track name for a girl or boy. Relatives: Wynter, Winters, Win. Namesakes: Jonathan Winters, Dana Winters.

WITT: Old English for "wise." For the baby with a sly sense of humor. Relatives: Witter, Witton, Witley, Wit. Namesake: Katarina Witt.

WOLFGANG: Old German for "advancing wolf." This perennial favorite in Germany has never established itself elsewhere. Relatives: Wolf, Wolfe, Wolfie, Wolcott, Woolsey. Namesakes: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wolfman Jack, Alexander Woolcott, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Tom Wolfe.

WOODROW: Old English for "forester." Relatives: Woodruff, Woodward, Woodie, Woody. Namesakes: Woodrow Wilson, Woody Guthrie, Woody Allen, Woody Harrelson, Bob Woodward.

WREN: Old Welsh for "chief." Aside from being a small songbird, this is an acronym for the Women's Royal Naval Service. Namesake: Christopher Wren.

WRIGHT: Old English for "craftsman." Impossible to go wrong with this name. Namesakes: Steven Wright, Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Wright, the Wright brothers.

WYATT: From the Old French for "little warrior" and Old English for "water." Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell chose this name for their son. Relative: Wyeth. Namesakes: Wyatt Earp, Andrew Wyeth.

WYLIE: Old English for "enchanting." Relative: Wiley. Namesakes: Wiley Post, Philip Wylie, "Wile E. Coyote."

WYNDAM: Old English for "the field with the winding path." Relatives: Windham, Wyn. Namesake: Windam Hill.

WYNN: Old Welsh for "fair." A subtle lifelong message from competitive parents. Relatives: Wynne, Wyn, Wynnie, Winnie, Winny, Win, Winn. Namesake: Keenan Wynn.

WYSTAN: Anglo Saxon for "battle stone" and a variation of Winston. Namesake: W(ystan) H(ugh) Auden.

~ THE BEST NAME FOR YOUR BABY: A CREATIVE GUIDE TO PROPER NAMES, by Barbara Binswanger and Lisbeth Mark. Henry Holt and Co., New York, 1990