Wanda is a female

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

origin. It probably derives from the tribal name of the

Wends Wends ( ang, Winedas ; non, Vindar; german: Wenden , ; da, vendere; sv, vender; pl, Wendowie, cz, Wendové) is a historical name for Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It refers not to a homogeneous people, but to various people ...

.Campbell, Mike
"Meaning, Origin, and History of the Name Wanda."
''Behind the Name.'' Accessed on August 12, 2010. The name has long been popular in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

where the legend of

Princess Wanda Princess Wanda (reputedly lived in 8th century Poland) was the daughter of Krakus, legendary founder of Kraków. Upon her father's death, she became queen of the Poles, but committed suicide to avoid an unwanted marriage to a German. Wanda legen ...

has been circulating since at least the 12th century.Kruszewska, Albina I. & Coleman, Marion M
"The Wanda Theme in Polish Literature and Life."
''American Slavic and East European Review,'' Vol. 6, No. 1/2 (May, 1947), pp. 19-35. The American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies. Accessed on August 12, 2010. In 1947, Wanda was cited as the second most popular name, after Mary, for Polish girls, and the most popular from Polish secular history. The name was made familiar in the English-speaking world by the 1883 novel ''Wanda'', written by

Ouida Ouida (; 1 January 1839 – 25 January 1908) was the pseudonym of the English novelist Maria Louise Ramé (although she preferred to be known as Marie Louise de la Ramée). During her career, Ouida wrote more than 40 novels, as well as s ...

, the story line of which is based on the last years of the

Hechingen Hechingen ( Swabian: ''Hächenga'') is a town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated about south of the state capital of Stuttgart and north of Lake Constance and the Swiss border. Geography The town lies at the foot of t ...

branch of the Swabian

House of Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern (, also , german: Haus Hohenzollern, , ro, Casa de Hohenzollern) is a German royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) dynasty whose members were variously princes, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern, Brandenbu ...

."Ouida's 'Wanda'."
''The New York Times,'' August 13, 1883. Retrieved August 12, 2010. In the United States, Wanda attained its highest popularity in the year 1934, peaking then at No. 47 on the list of names most frequently given to female infants. The name is popularly interpreted as meaning "wanderer.""Wanda - Name Meaning & Origin."
''Think Baby Names.'' Accessed on August 12, 2010.

Namesakes

*Wanda Barzee (born 1945), American criminal convicted of the Kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart * Wanda Coleman (1946-2013), American poet * Wanda Cowley (born 1924), New Zealand children's writer * Wanda Hazel Gág (1893–1946), American author and illustrator of the children's book ''Millions of Cats'' *

Wanda Gertz Major Wanda Gertz (13 April 1896 – 10 November 1958) was a Polish woman of noble birth, who began her military career in the Polish Legion during World War I, dressed as a man, under the pseudonym of "Kazimierz 'Kazik' Żuchowicz". She subse ...

(1896–1958) * Wanda Guenette (born 1962), Canadian volleyball player *

Wanda Hawley Wanda Hawley (born Selma Wanda Pittack; July 30, 1895 – March 18, 1963) was an American actress during the silent film era. She entered the theatrical profession with an amateur group in Seattle, and later toured the United States and Can ...

(1895-1963), American silent film-era actress *

Wanda Hendrix Dixie Wanda Hendrix (November 3, 1928 – February 1, 1981) was an American film and television actress. Early life Hendrix's father was a logging foreman, and she was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She was performing in a school play in Ja ...

(1928–1981), American film actress *Wanda Hutchinson (born 1951), American R&B singer (

the Emotions ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

) *

Wanda Jackson Wanda LaVonne Jackson (born October 20, 1937) is an American singer and songwriter. Since the 1950s, she has recorded and released music in the genres of rock, country and gospel. She was among the first women to have a career in rock and roll, ...

(born 1937), American rockabilly singer *

Wanda Jakubowska Wanda Jakubowska (10 November 1907 – 25 February 1998) was a Polish film director. Although she directed as many as 15 films over 50 years, Jakubowska is best known for her work on the Holocaust. Her 1948 film ''The Last Stage'' was an early an ...

(1907–1998) *

Wanda Klaff Wanda Klaff (6 March 1922 – 4 July 1946) was a Nazi concentration camp overseer. Klaff was born in Danzig to German parents as Wanda Kalacinski. She was executed for war crimes. Early life Wanda Kalacinski was the daughter of railway wor ...

(1922–1946), German Nazi concentration camp overseer executed for war crimes *

Wanda Kosakiewicz Wanda Kosakiewicz ( uk, Ванда Козакевич; 1917–1989), French theatre actress in the 1940s, was one of Jean-Paul Sartre's love interests and Olga Kosakiewicz's sister. Sartre wrote that she was one of the reasons that his friendship ...

1917-1989, French stage actress and love interest of both Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus. Sartre dedicated his ''The Roads to Freedom'' trilogy to her. *

Wanda Krahelska-Filipowicz Wanda Krahelska-Filipowicz (15 December 1886–1968), code name “Alinka”” or “Alicja”, was a leading figure in Warsaw’s underground resistance movement throughout the years of German occupation during World War II in Poland, co-fou ...

(1886-1968), World War II anti-Nazi Polish leader *

Wanda Lyzwinska Wanda is a female given name of Polish origin. It probably derives from the tribal name of the Wends.Campbell, Mike"Meaning, Origin, and History of the Name Wanda."''Behind the Name.'' Accessed on August 12, 2010. The name has long been popular i ...

(c. 1953) *

Wanda Landowska Wanda Aleksandra Landowska (5 July 1879 – 16 August 1959) was a Polish harpsichordist and pianist whose performances, teaching, writings and especially her many recordings played a large role in reviving the popularity of the harpsichord in ...

(1877–1959) *

Wanda Malecka Wanda Malecka (1800 – 22 October 1860) was a Polish editor, translator Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminolog ...

(1800–1860) *

Wanda Panfil Wanda is a female given name of Polish origin. It probably derives from the tribal name of the Wends.Campbell, Mike"Meaning, Origin, and History of the Name Wanda."''Behind the Name.'' Accessed on August 12, 2010. The name has long been popular ...

(born 1959) *

Wanda Piłsudska Wanda Piłsudska (7 February 1918 – 16 January 2001) was a daughter of Józef Piłsudski, and a psychiatrist by profession. Life Wanda Piłsudska, of the Piłsudski coat of arms, was the elder daughter of Józef Piłsudski and Aleksandra ...

(1918-2001) *

Wanda Rijo Wanda Rijo Contreras (born November 26, 1979) is a female former powerlifting, weightlifter from the Dominican Republic. She twice competed at the Summer Olympics: 2000 and 2004. Rijo won the only gold medal for the Dominican Republic at the 19 ...

(born 1979), Dominican Republic weightlifter *

Wanda Rutkiewicz Wanda Rutkiewicz (née Błaszkiewicz) ( 4 February 1943 – 12–13 May 1992) was a Polish mountain climber and computer engineer. She was the first woman to reach the summit of K2 and the third woman (first European woman) to summit Mount Ev ...

(1943-1992), Polish mountain climber *

Wanda Stopa Wanda Elaine Stopa (May 5, 1900 – April 25, 1924) was a Polish-American lawyer and murderer who committed suicide the day after committing her crime. Life Stopa was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1900 but emigrated to the United States with her ...

(1900–1924), Polish-American attorney and murderer. *

Wanda Sykes Wanda Yvette Sykes (born March 7, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. She was first recognized for her work as a writer on '' The Chris Rock Show'', for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999. In 2004, ''Entertai ...

(born 1962), American actress, comedian, and writer. *

Wanda Tinasky Wanda Tinasky, ostensibly a bag lady living under a bridge in the Mendocino County area of Northern California, was the pseudonymous author of a series of playful, comic, and erudite letters sent to the '' Mendocino Commentary'' and the '' Anders ...

(pseudonym) * Wanda Toscanini Horowitz (1907–1998) *

Wanda Vazquez Garced Wanda is a female given name of Polish origin. It probably derives from the tribal name of the Wends.Campbell, Mike"Meaning, Origin, and History of the Name Wanda."''Behind the Name.'' Accessed on August 12, 2010. The name has long been popular i ...

(born 1960), Governor of Puerto Rico *

Wanda Ventham Wanda Ventham (born 5 August 1935) is an English actress with many roles on British television since beginning her career in the 1950s. She played Colonel Virginia Lake in the 1970s science-fiction television series ''UFO'' and had a recurring ...

, (born 1935), English actress *

Wanda Wasilewska ukr, Ванда Львівна Василевська rus, Ванда Львовна Василевская , native_name_lang = , birth_date = , birth_place = Kraków, Austria-Hungary , death_date = , death_place ...

(1905–1964) *

Wanda Wiłkomirska Wanda Wiłkomirska (11 January 1929 – 1 May 2018) was a Polish violinist and academic teacher. She was known for both the classical repertoire and for her interpretation of 20th-century music, having received two Polish State Awards for promot ...

(1929-2018) *

Wanda Young Wanda LaFaye Young (August 9, 1943 – December 15, 2021), also known as Wanda Rogers, was an American singer, known for being a member of the Motown all-female singing group the Marvelettes, and after 1965, the lead singer. Early life Youn ...

(born 1943), American R&B singer (the Marvelettes)

Characters

, legendary heroine in Polish folk mythology *''

Vanda ''Vanda'', abbreviated in the horticultural trade as ''V.,'' is a genus in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. There are about 87 species, and the genus is commonly cultivated for the marketplace. This genus and its allies are considered to be among ...

'', the title and protagonist of the 1876 Antonín Dvořák grand opera *

Wanda Maximoff Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in '' The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) ...

, alter-ego of the ''Avengers'' comic-book character Scarlet Witch (1964-continuing) **

, a film character based on Scarlet Witch. *''

Wanda Wanda is a female given name of Poland, Polish origin. It probably derives from the tribal name of the Wends.Campbell, Mike"Meaning, Origin, and History of the Name Wanda."''Behind the Name.'' Accessed on August 12, 2010. The name has long been po ...

'', protagonist of the 1970 movie of the same name, written, directed and starring Barbara Loden * Wanda Firebaugh, character from the webcomic ''Erfworld'' (2007-continuing) *

Wanda Seldon This is a list of characters in Isaac Asimov's ''Foundation'' series. Through the centuries-spanning nature of the ''Foundation'' series, the lives of its various characters are limited to one or two of its nine episodes. In spite of the great su ...

, key character in the 1993 novel ''Forward the Foundation'', part of Isaac Asimov's ''Foundation'' series *Wanda, the protagonist of the 1809 stage play ''Wanda'' written by German poet

Zacharias Werner Friedrich Ludwig Zacharias Werner (November 18, 1768 – January 17, 1823) was a German poet, dramatist, and preacher. As a dramatist, he is known mainly for inaugurating the era of the so-called "tragedies of fate". Biography Werner was born at ...

and directed by

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...

*Wanda, heroine of the 1840 narrative poem ''Wanda'' by the Polish poet C.K. Norwid *Wanda, subject of the 1868 play ''Wanda, the Polish Queen'' by the Croatian dramatist

Matija Ban Matija Ban ( sr-Cyrl, Матија Бан; 6 December 1818 – 14 March 1903) was a Serbo- Croatian poet, dramatist, and playwright. He is known as one of the earliest proponents of the Serb-Catholic movement in Dubrovnik. Ban was born in near ...

*Wanda von Dunajew, protagonist of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's 1870 novel ''

Venus in Furs ''Venus in Furs'' (german: Venus im Pelz, links=no) is a novella by the Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, and the best known of his works. The novel was to be part of an epic series that Sacher-Masoch envisioned called '' Legacy of Cai ...

'' *Wanda von Chabert, the protagonist of the 1881

Guy de Maupassant Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (, ; ; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, remembered as a master of the short story form, as well as a representative of the Naturalist school, who depicted human lives, destin ...

story ''In Various Roles'' *Wanda von Szalras, heroine of ''Wanda,'' the 1883 novel and stage play by

(Maria Louise Ramé) *Wanda, the protagonist of the 1928 novel ''Wanda (Der Dämon)'' by Nobel Prize-winning novelist

Gerhart Hauptmann Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann (; 15 November 1862 – 6 June 1946) was a German dramatist and novelist. He is counted among the most important promoters of literary naturalism, though he integrated other styles into his work as well. He rece ...

*Wanda Petronski, the child protagonist of the 1944 novel '' The Hundred Dresses'' by Eleanor Estes *Wanda Cavalli, primary character in the 1952 movie ''

The White Sheik ''The White Sheik'' ( it, Lo sceicco bianco) is a 1952 Italian romantic comedy film directed by Federico Fellini and starring Alberto Sordi, Leopoldo Trieste, Brunella Bovo and Giulietta Masina. Written by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaia ...

'' directed by Federico Fellini *Wanda Von Kreesus, the main character in the 1973-1980 adult comic strip ''

Wicked Wanda ''Oh, Wicked Wanda!'' was a British full-colour, satirical adult comic strip, written by Frederic Mullally, and drawn by Ron Embleton. The strip regularly appeared in '' Penthouse'' magazine from 1973 to 1980. In the 1960s, Ron Embleton, alread ...

'' *Wanda Nevada, heroine of the 1979 movie '' Wanda Nevada'' played by Brooke Shields *Wanda Gershwitz and Wanda the goldfish, characters in the 1988 movie '' A Fish Called Wanda'' *Wanda Woodward, character in the 1990 movie ''

Cry-Baby ''Cry-Baby'' is a 1990 American teen musical romantic comedy film written and directed by John Waters. It was the only film of Waters's over which studios were in a bidding war, coming off the heels of the successful '' Hairspray''. The film s ...

'', played by Traci Lords *Wanda, a key character in Todd McFarlane's 1992-continuing ''

Spawn Spawn or spawning may refer to: * Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals Arts, entertainment, and media * Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise ** '' Spawn: ...

'' comic-book series, as well as the 1997 movie and 1997-99 TV series *Wanda, the main controllable character in the 1993 video game'' Mario & Wario'' *Wanda, a popular recurring character in the 1990-94 TV series ''

In Living Color ''In Living Color'' is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran on Fox from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Keenen Ivory Wayans created, wrote and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in ...

'' played by actor Jamie Foxx *Wanda, the nickname of the Wandering Swordsman, a member of the Ancient Alliance of Askara, in the 1997 video game

Tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...

*Wanda, cartoon character from ''

The Fairly OddParents ''The Fairly OddParents'' is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. The series follows the adventures of Timmy Turner, a 10-year-old boy with two fairy godparents named Cosmo and Wanda who grant him ...

'' TV series (2001-2017) *Wanda MacPherson, a character from the comic strip and 2000-2002 TV series ''

Baby Blues ''Baby Blues'' is an American comic strip created and produced by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott since January 7, 1990. Distributed by King Features Syndicate from 1995 until January 2022, and distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication as of Janu ...

'' *Wanda, the main character in the 2005 video game ''

Shadow of the Colossus ''Shadow of the Colossus'' is a 2005 action-adventure game developed by Japan Studio and Team Ico, and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It takes place in a fantasy setting and follows Wander, a young man who ...

'' *Wanda, the human name given to the protagonist in the 2008 Stephenie Meyer novel '' The Host'' *Wanda Dollard, a character on the 2004-2009 TV series ''

Corner Gas ''Corner Gas'' is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Re-runs still air on CTV, CTV2, CTV Comedy Channel, Much, MTV, E! and are streaming on Crave and Amazon Prime. The seri ...

'' *Wanda, the character played by Diora Baird in Episode 16, Season 6 (2009) of ''

Two and a Half Men ''Two and a Half Men'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS for twelve seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. Originally starring Charlie Sheen in the lead role alongside Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones, t ...

'' *Wanda Slater, the character

Wilhelmina Slater Wilhelmina Vivian Slater (born Wanda Slater) is a fictional character in the American dramedy series ''Ugly Betty''. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Vil ...

's actual name in the 2006-2010 TV series ''Ugly Betty'' *Wanda Powell, a fictional character in ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

'' *Wanda, part of the singing duo Wayne and Wanda on ''

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a s ...

Music

* ''Kinda Fonda Wanda'' a song by Neil Young on his album

Everybody's Rockin' ''Everybody's Rockin'' is the 13th studio album by Canadian / American musician Neil Young, released on August 1, 1983. The album was recorded with the Shocking Pinks (a band made up just for the occasion), and features a selection of rockabilly s ...

References

{{given name Polish feminine given names Slavic feminine given names English feminine given names Feminine given names

Namesakes

Characters

Music

See also

References