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 ...

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 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 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, 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

Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...

n House of Hohenzollern."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 Elizabeth Ann Smart was kidnapped at age fourteen on June 5, 2002, by Brian David Mitchell from her home in the Federal Heights neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. She was held captive by Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, on the outskirts ...

Wanda Coleman Wanda Coleman (November 13, 1946 – November 22, 2013) was an American poet. She was known as "the L.A. Blueswoman" and "the unofficial poet laureate of Los Angeles". Biography Wanda Evans was born in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, whe ...

(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 (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 (1928–1981), American film actress *Wanda Hutchinson (born 1951), American R&B singer ( the Emotions) * Wanda Jackson (born 1937), American rockabilly singer * Wanda Jakubowska (1907–1998) * Wanda Klaff (1922–1946), German Nazi concentration camp overseer executed for war crimes * Wanda Kosakiewicz 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 (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 (1800–1860) * Wanda Panfil (born 1959) * Wanda Piłsudska (1918-2001) * Wanda Rijo (born 1979), Dominican Republic weightlifter * Wanda Rutkiewicz (1943-1992), Polish mountain climber * Wanda Stopa (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 (born 1960), Governor of Puerto Rico * Wanda Ventham, (born 1935), English actress * Wanda Wasilewska (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 promoti ...

(1929-2018) * Wanda Young (born 1943), American R&B singer (the Marvelettes)

Characters

* Princess Wanda, legendary heroine in Polish folk mythology *'' Vanda'', the title and protagonist of the 1876 Antonín Dvořák grand opera * Wanda Maximoff, alter-ego of the ''Avengers'' comic-book character Scarlet Witch (1964-continuing) ** Wanda Maximoff, a film character based on Scarlet Witch. *'' Wanda'', protagonist of the 1970 movie of the same name, written, directed and starring Barbara Loden *

Wanda Firebaugh ''Erfworld'' was a story-driven fantasy/comedy webcomic and independently published graphic novel about a master strategy gamer summoned into and stuck inside a wargame running from December 2006 to its abrupt cancellation in October 2019. It f ...

, character from the webcomic ''Erfworld'' (2007-continuing) * Wanda Seldon, 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 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 Cyprian Kamil Norwid, a.k.a. Cyprian Konstanty Norwid (; 24 September 1821 – 23 May 1883), was a nationally esteemed Polish poet, dramatist, painter, and sculptor. He was born in the Masovian village of Laskowo-Głuchy near Warsaw. One of h ...

*Wanda, subject of the 1868 play ''Wanda, the Polish Queen'' by the Croatian dramatist Matija Ban *Wanda von Dunajew, protagonist of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's 1870 novel '' Venus in Furs'' *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 Ouida (Maria Louise Ramé) *Wanda, the protagonist of the 1928 novel ''Wanda (Der Dämon)'' by Nobel Prize-winning novelist Gerhart Hauptmann *Wanda Petronski, the child protagonist of the 1944 novel ''

The Hundred Dresses ''The Hundred Dresses'' is a children's book by Eleanor Estes, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin. In the book, a Polish girl named Wanda Petronski attends a Connecticut school where the other children see her as "different" and mock her. Plot sum ...

'' by Eleanor Estes *Wanda Cavalli, primary character in the 1952 movie '' The White Sheik'' 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, already ...

'' *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 ''A Fish Called Wanda'' is a 1988 heist comedy film directed by Charles Crichton and written by Crichton and John Cleese. It stars Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin. The film follows a gang of diamond thieves who double- ...

'' *Wanda Woodward, character in the 1990 movie '' Cry-Baby'', 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: A ...

'' 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'' 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 conn ...

*Wanda, cartoon character from '' The Fairly OddParents'' TV series (2001-2017) *Wanda MacPherson, a character from the

comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics ter ...

and 2000-2002 TV series '' Baby Blues'' *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 ent ...

'' *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'' *Wanda, the character played by Diora Baird in Episode 16, Season 6 (2009) of '' Two and a Half Men'' *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, Marge, Bart, ...

'' *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 ...

Music

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

References

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

Namesakes

Characters

Music

See also

References