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$Title{Names for Girls:  V}
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Editors of Consumer Guide
Harder, Kelsey}
$Subject{Names Girls V}
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The Ultimate Baby Name Book


Names for Girls:  V


Val (see Valerie)

Valaree (see Valerie)

Vale (see Valerie)

Valeda (see Valentina)

Valencia (see Valerie)

Valenda (see Belinda)

Valentia (see Valentina)

Valentina          Feminine form of Valentine, Latin "courageous"; also,
                   a form of Valerie.
      Variations:  Valeda, Valentia, Valentine, Valida, Velora

Valentine (see Valentina)

Valeria (see Valerie)

Valerie            Latin valere, "strong."  This French form of an ancient
                   Latin family name became popular in England in the
                   late-nineteenth century and enjoys some popularity today
                   on both sides of the Atlantic.
    Famous names:  Valerie Bertinelli (actress)
                   Valerie Harper (actress)
                   Valerie Perrine (actress)
 Other spellings:  Valery, Valoree, Valory
        Nickname:  Val
      Variations:  Valaree, Vale, Valencia, Valeria (Italian), Vally, Valora,
                   Walli (German)

Valery (see Valerie)

Valida (see Valentina)

Valinda (see Belinda)

Vally (see Valerie)

Valma (see Wilma)

Valora (see Valerie)

Valoree (see Valerie)

Valory (see Valerie)

Van (see Vanessa)

Vanda (see Wanda)

Vanessa            Greek phanessa, "butterfly."  This name is believed to
                   have been invented by Jonathan Swift for Esther Vanhomrigh.
                   The Van- comes from her surname, and Essa is a nickname for
                   Esther.  But the name may also have older roots.  Samuel
                   Barber, who claims he got the name from a book of babies'
                   names, won a Pulitzer Prize for his opera Vanessa.
    Famous names:  Vanessa Bell (painter)
                   Vanessa Redgrave (actress)
  Other spelling:  Venessa
      Variations:  Phanessa, Van, Vania, Vann, Vanna (Italian), Vanny

Vania (see Jane, Vanessa)

Vann (see Vanessa)

Vanna              Form of Vanessa.
     Famous name:  Vanna White (TV game-show hostess)

Vanny (see Vanessa)

Vanora (see Guinevere)

Vara (see Barbara)

Varenka (see Barbara)

Varina             Slavic "stranger"; also, a variation of Barbara.  Like its
                   English counterpart, Barbara, this is a popular Slavic
                   name.  The wife of Jefferson Davis, Varina Davis, was the
                   first lady of the Confederate States of America.

Varinka (see Barbara)

Vashti             Persian "beautiful one."

Veda               Sanskrit "knowledge."
       Variation:  Vedis

Vedis (see Veda)

Velinde (see Belinda)

Velma              Form of Wilhelmina.  Velma Banky was Valentino's
                   leading lady in many silent-screen romances.

Velora (see Valentina)

Velvet             Middle English from Latin velvetum, "a soft fabric."  The
                   1945 movie National Velvet is based on Enid Bagnold's
                   sentimental novel about a young horsewoman; it starred
                   Elizabeth Taylor.
      Variations:  Iolanthe, Velvina, Velvor, Viola, Violante, Violetta,
                   Yolanda, Yolande

Velvina (see Velvet)

Velvor (see Velvet)

Venessa (see Vanessa)

Vera               From the Latin verus, "truth"; also, a form of Veronica.
     Famous name:  Vera Frankle (reporter)
      Variations:  Vere, Verena, Verene, Verina, Verine, Verity, Verla

Vere (see Vera)

Verena (see Vera)

Verene (see Vera)

Verina (see Vera)

Verine (see Vera)

Verity (see Vera)

Verla (see Vera)

Vern (see Laverne)

Vernadine (see Bernadette)

Veronica           Variation of Bernice.  According to legend, St. Veronica
                   wiped the brow of Jesus as he carried his cross to Calvary.
                   The imprint of his face was miraculously imprinted on the
                   cloth.
    Famous names:  Veronica Hamel (actress)
                   Veronica Lake (actress)
       Nicknames:  Vonnie, Vonny, Ronnie, Ronny
      Variations:  Vera, Veronika, Veronique (French)

Veronika (see Veronica)

Veronike (see Bernice)

Veronique (see Bernice, Veronica)

Vesta              Latin "virgin."  Vesta was the Roman goddess of the hearth
                   in whose temple a perpetual flame was kept burning by
                   priestesses known as Vestal Virgins.

Vi (see Violet)

Vianca (see Blanche)

Viatricia (see Beatrice)

Viatrix (see Beatrice)

Vic (see Victoria)

Vicki              Form of Victoria.
     Famous name:  Vicki Lawrence (actress)

Vickie, Vicky (see Victoria)

Victoire (see Victoria)

Victoria           Feminine form of Victor, Latin "conqueror."  St. Victoria
                   was a third-century martyr, and the name became very
                   popular in Italy in the form of Vittoria.  But it wasn't
                   until Alexandrina Victoria, the daughter of Edward, duke of
                   Kent, and Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, was
                   crowned queen of England that the name became popular in
                   the British Isles.  Like Queen Elizabeth I, Queen
                   Victoria's name is given to a historic period because of
                   the long duration of her reign during a time when Great
                   Britain was very powerful.  Although she held the title of
                   empress of India, Queen Victoria did not enjoy the
                   sovereignty of Elizabeth I, because most of the power of
                   the government had already passed to Parliament.  But
                   Victoria was honored throughout the British Empire with the
                   names of many places, including Lake Victoria in Africa and
                   a state in Australia.
    Famous names:  Victoria de los Angeles (soprano)
                   Victoria Principal (actress)
       Nicknames:  Vic, Vicki, Vickie, Vicky, Vik, Vikkie, Vikky, Vita
      Variations:  Victoire (French), Victorine (French), Viktoria
                   (German and Swedish), Vitoria (Spanish), Vittoria
                   (Italian), Tora (Swedish)

Victorine (see Victoria)

Vida               Feminine form of David, Hebrew "beloved."

Vik (see Victoria)

Vikkie, Vikky (see Victoria)

Viktoria (see Victoria)

Vila (see Elvira)

Vilhelmina (see Wilhelmina)

Vilma (see Wilhelmina, Wilma)

Vina (see Laverne)

Vinnie, Vinny (see Lavinia)

Vinya (see Laverne)

Viola              Variation of Velvet or Violet.  Viola is the heroine of
                   Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
     Famous name:  Viola Dana (actress)

Violante (see Velvet, Violet)

Viole (see Violet)

Violet             Latin viola, "violet."  While not as popular as Rose, this
                   "flower" name has enjoyed considerable popularity,
                   particularly in the late-nineteenth century when "flower"
                   and "jewel" names were favored.
    Famous names:  Violet Kemble Cooper (actress)
                   Violet Heming (actress)
        Nickname:  Vi
      Variations:  Eolande, Fialka, Iolanthe, Joletta, Toletta, Viola,
                   Violante (Spanish), Viole, Violeta (Spanish), Violete,
                   Violetta (Italian), Violette (French), Wioletta (Polish),
                   Yolanda, Yolande (French), Yolanta, Yolanthe, Yolette
                   (French)

Violeta, Violetta (see Violet)

Violete, Violette (see Violet)

Violetta (see Velvet)

Virgil (see Virginia)

Virginia           Feminine form of Virgil, Latin "virginlike."  This name
                   most likely stems from the name of a Roman family, rather
                   than the Latin word.  In North America, the colony Virginia
                   was named by Sir Walter Raleigh in honor of Elizabeth I,
                   the Virgin Queen.  The first British child born in America
                   was named Virginia Dare in the queen's honor.  The name is
                   popular in Britain and the United States, while the form
                   Virginie has long been popular in France.
    Famous names:  Virginia Mayo (actress)
                   Virginia Wade (tennis player)
                   Virginia Woolf (novelist)
       Nicknames:  Gennie, Genny, Gina, Ginger, Ginnie, Ginny
      Variations:  Virgil, Virginie (Dutch and French)

Virginie (see Virginia)

Vita               Form of Victoria.

Vitoria, Vittoria (see Victoria)

Viv (see Vivian)

Viva (see Viveca)

Viveca             Scandinavian "alive, lively."
     Famous name:  Viveca Lindfors (actress)
  Other spelling:  Viveka
       Variation:  Viva

Viveka (see Viveca)

Vivian             From the Latin vivus, "alive."  Vivian is the relatively
                   new spelling of the ancient name Viviana.  In the Arthurian
                   legend, she was the enchantress who lured Merlin.
    Famous names:  Vivien Leigh (actress)
                   Vivian Vance (comedienne)
 Other spellings:  Viviane, Vivien
       Nicknames:  Viv, Vivie
      Variations:  Viviana (Italian), Vivienne (French), Vivyan, Vyvian

Viviana (see Vivian)

Viviane (see Vivian)

Vivie (see Vivian)

Vivien, Vivienne (see Vivian)

Vivita (see Elvira)

Vivyan (see Vivian)

Vonnie, Vonny (see Veronica, Yvonne)

Vrijeda (see Bridget)

Vyvian (see Vivian)