Guinevere

In the famous medieval legends, the titular King Arthur had a tragic wife. She had an affair with another man only to end Camelot. Her name was Guinevere.

Guinevere is the Norman French form of the Welsh Gwenhwyfar, meaning "white phantom." That Gothic meaning puts Guinevere in the same company as Delilah and Ophelia. It has been used in England from the fourteenth century but did not enter regular use until the late Victorian Era.

In the United States, Guinevere has been used for at least five girls as early as 1912. However, it did not begin to rise until the late 1990s. Guinevere entered the top 1000 girls' names for the first time in 2021. Hence, while Guinevere sounds like a vintage name via Arthurian legend, it is actually modern in usage. Even in England, Guinevere has yet to become more common. 

Guinevere makes for a stylish update for Jennifer, the Cornish form. The name can also serve as an alternative to the rising Genevieve and Gwendolyn via its structure and nicknames. 

NICKNAMES:

Gwen, Gwennie, Vivi

VARIANTS:

Guenièvre, Gwenevere, Jennifer

STYLES:

Artistic, Exotic

SISTERS:

Melisande, Persephone, Ophelia, Elowyn, Beatrix, Thomasina, Imogen, Lorelei

BROTHERS:

Evander, Atticus, Barnaby, Phineas, Leonardo, Giovanni, Maximilian, Raphael

ALTERNATIVES:

Corisande, Ginevra, Gwenllian, Gwyneth, Isolde, Minerva, Valentine, Winifred

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Guinevere." Names, Behind the Name, 7 Dec. 2022, https://www.behindthename.com/name/guinevere. Accessed 18 May 2023.

Nickerson, Eleanor. "Guinevere." Names of the Week, British Baby Names, 1 Jun. 2018, https://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2018/01/name-of-the-week-guinevere.html. Accessed 18 May 2023.

"Tag: guinevere." Girl Names, Nancy's Baby Names, 2023, https://www.nancy.cc/baby-name/guinevere/. Accessed 18 May 2023.

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