It is uncertain where this name comes from. It is of either Germanic or Slavonic origin, and appears in several old Polish folk tales (as the name of a princess.)
It is quite likely that Wanda started as a feminine form of the old Germanic boy's name Wendel (now more common as a surname and usually spelled Wendell.) Originally Wendel meant "a Wend"; the Wends were a Slavic people who lived between the Oder and the Elbe rivers in what is now Germany. They were overrun by Germainc migrants in the 12th century.
Wanda began to be used as a girl's name in the English speaking world in the late 19th century, mainly after novelist Ouida wrote a bestselling novel with a heroine of that name. It has never been a common name in the UK; in recent years, it has been associated with the popular film "A Fish Called Wanda."
It is quite likely that Wanda started as a feminine form of the old Germanic boy's name Wendel (now more common as a surname and usually spelled Wendell.) Originally Wendel meant "a Wend"; the Wends were a Slavic people who lived between the Oder and the Elbe rivers in what is now Germany. They were overrun by Germainc migrants in the 12th century.
Wanda began to be used as a girl's name in the English speaking world in the late 19th century, mainly after novelist Ouida wrote a bestselling novel with a heroine of that name. It has never been a common name in the UK; in recent years, it has been associated with the popular film "A Fish Called Wanda."