Wilhelmina (also: Wilhelmena, Wilhelmine, Wilhemina) is a feminine given name, the Dutch, German and Yiddish form of Wilhelm or William, which is derived from the Germanic wil, meaning "will, desire" and helm, meaning "helmet, protection". Wilhelmina was ranked in the top 1000 most popular names for girls in the United States between 1900 and 1940 but is rarely used today.[1] In many European countries, this name is once again very popular. Nicknames for Wilhelmina include, but are not restricted to, Minna, Mina, Mineke, Minnie, Willie, Willy, Willa, and Billie.
 Queen Wilhelmina was a Dutch princess and queen of the Netherlands. | |
| Gender | female |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Germanic |
| Meaning | "will helmet" or "willing to protect" |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Wilhelm, Wilma, Elma, Helmi, Minna, Velma, Vilma, Willa |
Notable persons with this name
edit- Wilhelmina van den Berg (born 1947), Dutch sprinter
- Wilhelmina von Bremen (1909–1976), German American gold medalist in the Olympics
- Vilhelmina Bardauskienė (born 1958), Lithuanian long jumper
- Wilhelmina Cooper (1939–1980), Dutch-American high fashion model and founder of Wilhelmina Models
- Wilhelmina Drucker (1847–1925), Dutch politician and writer
- Wilhelmina Feemster Jashemski (1910–2007), American classical archaeologist
- Vilhelmina Gyldenstolpe (1779–1858), Swedish court official
- Wilhelmina Hay Abbott (1884–1957), Scottish suffragist and feminist
- Wilhelmine Mimi Johnson (1890–1980), Norwegian geologist, physician
- Wilhelmine Kekelaokalaninui Widemann Dowsett (1861–1929), Native Hawaiian suffragist
- Mary Wilhelmina Lancaster (1924–2019), American Catholic nun and foundress of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles
- Wilhelmine Lohmann (1872–?), German teacher, social worker, and temperance leader
- Wilhelmina Skogh (1849–1926), hotel and restaurant owner from Sweden
- Wilhelmena Rhodes Kelly (1946–2019), African-American genealogist
- Wilhelmina Koskull (1778–1852), Swedish courtier
- Vilhelmína Lever (1802–1879), Icelandic shopkeeper and restaurateur
- Wilhelmina Reuben-Cooke (1946–2019), American attorney
- Wilhelmina Rietveld (1949–1973), Dutch-Canadian model
- Wilhelmine Williams (1878–1944), American feminist, pacifist, professor, and Latin American historian
- Nnaniki Wilhemina Tebogo Makwinja, Botswanan politician
Artists, performers, and art patrons
edit- Augusta Wilhelmena Fredericka Appel (1905–1973), American silent and early sound film actress
- Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (1912–2004), British abstract artist
- Wilhelmina Gravallius (1809–1884), Swedish writer
- Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg (born 1951), British-American actress
- Wilhelmina Frankfurt, American ballerina
- Wilhelmine Gulowsen (1848–1899), Norwegian writer
- Wilhelmina Holladay (1922–2021), American art collector and patron
- Wilhelmine Holmboe-Schenström (1842–1938), Norwegian opera singer
- Wilhelmina van der Horst-van der Lugt Melsert (1871–1928), Dutch actress
- Wilhelmina Houdini (1876–1943), American stage assistant and wife of Harry Houdini
- Wilhelmina Krafft (1778–1828), Swedish painter and miniaturist
- Amalia Wilhelmina Königsmarck (1663–1740), Swedish painter and poet
- Katherine Elizabeth Wilhelmina Sharon Beuving Langbroek (born 1965), Australian comedian, radio and television presenter
- Wilhelmina Pruit (1865–1947), American poet
- Wilhelmina Sablairolles (1818–1891), Dutch actress
- Wilhelmina Angela Schmidt (1897–1998), Dutch author, playwright and cabaret singer
- Wilhelmina Seegmiller (1866–1913), Canadian-born American author, illustrator, art teacher
- Wilhelmine Schröder (1839–1924), Swedish writer
- Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient (1804–1860), German operatic soprano
- Wilhelmina van Sluyters (1852–1926), Dutch actress
- Wilhelmena Fuller Webb (1915–2012), American writer
Royalty and nobility
edit- Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (1880–1962), Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948
- Princess Wilhelmine of Denmark (disambiguation), several Danish princesses
- Wilhelmina Amalia of Brunswick (1673–1742), empress consort of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, Queen of the Germans
- Wilhelmine of Bayreuth (1709–1758), German princess (the older sister of Frederick the Great) and composer
- Wilhelmine of Prussia, Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (1709–1758), German princess
- Wilhelmina of Prussia (1750–1820), German princess
- Princess Wilhelmina of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, (1751–1780), Princess of Nassau-Saarbrücken
- Princess Caroline Wilhelmina Sophia of Hesse-Kassel (1732–1759), German princess
- Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt (1755–1776), German princess and first wife of Paul I of Russia
- Wilhelmine of Prussia (1774–1837), German princess and later queen of the Netherlands
- Wilhelmine of Baden (1788–1836), German Grand Duchess of Hess and the Rhine
- Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth of Cambridge (1833–1897), Member of the British royal family
- Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard (born 1938), Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013
- Wilhelmina Powlett, Duchess of Cleveland (1819–1901), English historian and maid of honour to Queen Victoria
- Mariae Gloria Ferdinanda Joachima Josephine Wilhelmine Huberta, Princess of Thurn and Taxis (born 1960), German aristocrat
Fictional characters
edit- Wilhelmina Carmel from the Shakugan no Shana light novels
- Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank from the Harry Potter book series
- Wilhelmina "Willie Jack" Jacqueline from the Reservation Dogs series
- Mina Harker (born Wilhelmina Murray) from Dracula
- Wilhelmina Robinson, a character in Enid Blyton's Malory Towers
- Wilhelmina "Willie" Scott from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
- Wilhelmina Slater from Ugly Betty
- Wilhelmine, an evil witch and major antagonist in The Mighty Hercules animated series from the 1960s
- Princess Wilhelmina or "Willie" from Bruce Coville's The Dragonslayers
- Wilhelmina "Will" Vandom of the Italian comic/cartoon series W.I.T.C.H.
- Wilhelmina "Billie" Logan, the daughter of Ted Logan, from Bill and Ted Face the Music
Variants
edit- Billie (English)
- Elma (Dutch, German)
- Guilla (Spanish)
- Guillaumette (French)
- Guillaumine (French)
- Guillerma (Spanish)
- Guillermina (Spanish)
- Guilhermina (Portuguese)
- Guglielma (Italian)
- Guglielmina (Italian)
- Guilette (French)
- Helma (German)
- Helmi (Finnish, Swedish)
- Helmine (German)
- Ilma (Spanish)
- Jeltje (Dutch, Frisian)
- Jeltsje (Dutch, Frisian)
- Mien (Dutch)
- Mientje (Dutch)
- Miina (Finnish)
- Mimi (French)
- Mimmi (Finnish)
- Mina (English, German, Polish)
- Mine (German)
- Minchen (German)
- Minette (French)
- Mini (Finnish, Spanish)
- Minka (Czech, Polish, Slovakian)
- Minna (Finnish, German)
- Minnie (English)
- Velvela (Yiddish)
- Vilhelmiina (Finnish)
- Vilhelmina (Finnish, Swedish, Hungarian)
- Vilma (Czech, German, Portuguese, Slovakian, Spanish, Swedish, Finnish)
- Wilhelmiina (Finnish)
- Wilhelmine (French, German)
- Wilja (Scandinavian)
- Willa (English)
- Willamina (Scots)
- Willemijn (Dutch)
- Willemina (Dutch)
- Willene (English)
- Willie (English)
- Willy (English)
- Wilma (English, German)
See also
editReferences
edit
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