Given name · also German, Welsh
Winifred
“peaceful friend”·“fair; white-skinned”
Winifred is used as a given name. Interpretations include “peaceful friend” and “fair; white-skinned”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Original WelshGwenfrewi
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “peaceful friend” and “fair; white-skinned”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Welsh.
How it developed
In English usage, Winifred developed from the Welsh form Gwenfrewi.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Winifred through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 46,200
- 1,106 boys · 45,094 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 1,640 babies
- 2025
- 284
- #923 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +43%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 284 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 923 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 42.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,593 in 1918. In 2025, Pennsylvania had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (20). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 12,409 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Winifred’s family of names
Winifred has a short form in Freda. In English usage, Winifred developed from the Welsh form Gwenfrewi. Winifred has a related form in Winnie.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Winifred has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Irish roots to each of them.
7 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 28
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Winniediminutive · English
- Winnifredvariant · English
- Wynnievariant
- Wynneshort form
- Fredashort form · English
- Winclipped form · English
- Winniefredvariant
- Winnefredvariant
Show 20 moreShow fewer
- Winefredvariant
- Winafredvariant
- Winnetdiminutive · English
- Wynefredvariant
- Wynefrydvariant
- Wynafridvariant
- Wynifridvariant
- Wynafredvariant
- Wynifredvariant
- Winnifridvariant
- Winnafredvariant
- Winifrydavariant
- Winifrydvariant
- Winefridevariant
- Winfredavariant
- Winfriedavariant
- Winifredavariant
- Winifridevariant
- Winefridvariant
- Winifridvariant
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Winifred
- Jacqueline BissetEnglish actressborn 1944
- Mary BeardEnglish classicist (born 1955)
- Winifred WagnerWife of Siegfried Wagner (1897–1980)
- Winifred McNairEnglish tennis player (1877–1954)
- Winifred HoltbyBritish writer (1898–1935)
- Clemence DaneEnglish novelist (1888-1965)
- Winifred AtwellTrinidad and Tobago musician (1914–1983)
- Winifred AspreyAmerican computer scientist and mathematician (1917–2007)
- Winifred Edgerton MerrillAmerican mathematician (1862–1951)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Winifred, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Elvira
“a-truthful woman; one who can be trusted”
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Inez
“one who is pure; chaste”
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“determined protector” · “one who is protected”
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“a king”
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>99% girls