Wilhelmina

Meaning of Wilhelmina

Wilhelmina, the Latinate feminine form of the Old High German Wilhelm—constructed from the lexical elements wil, “resolute will,” and helm, “protective helmet”—entered Anglo-American use through continental royalty, most prominently Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (1890–1948), whose lengthy reign lent the name associations of steadiness and constitutional duty; pronounced wil-hel-MEE-nuh in English and vil-hehl-MEE-nah in Dutch, it permits an adaptable nickname set (Mina, Willa, Billie, Helma) that moderates its formal register without erasing its historical weight. In U.S. vital-statistics series the designation held Top-200 status until the First World War, declined steadily across the mid-twentieth century, and now occupies a quiet but measurable resurgence—hovering near rank 800 since 2018 with annual counts just above one hundred births—thereby appealing to parents who value rarity tempered by documented endurance. Etymologically coupling individual agency with protective strength, and culturally spanning regal history, Victorian literature (Mina Harker of Dracula), and modern media, Wilhelmina offers a lineage-rich yet distinctive option within contemporary naming praxis.