Winifred

Meaning of Winifred

Winifred, pronounced WIN-uh-fred in English and VEE-ni-frayt in German, traces back to the medieval Welsh name Gwenfrewi, a fusion of gwen, “white, blessed,” and frewi, “peace”—a meaning often summarized in the Latin shorthand pax beata, “blessed peace.” Through the cult of the seventh-century martyr Saint Winifred, the name traveled from the shrine at Holywell to monastic rolls across Britain, then crossed the Atlantic with early English and Irish immigrants. Literary and pop-culture touchpoints keep it current: Winifred Banks rallies for women’s rights in Mary Poppins, Winifred “Winnie” Foster weighs immortality in Tuck Everlasting, and Winifred Sanderson headlines the cult film Hocus Pocus. U.S. birth data show a quiet but steady presence—hovering between ranks 600 and 900 for most of the past half-century, with a modest uptick to rank 707 in 2024—suggesting a niche appeal among parents seeking a vintage choice that signals gravitas without sacrificing charm. Diminutives such as Winnie and Freddie add contemporary flexibility, while the full form retains a stately rhythm that evokes cloister bells and library halls in equal measure.