Winifred means holy peacemaking or blessed reconciliation — from the Welsh Gwenfrewi. Saint Winifred is one of Wales's patron saints — a spring erupted where her head fell. Hocus Pocus' Winifred Sanderson is the most iconic Halloween witch. Three syllables of Welsh-saintly springs, Bette-Midler-level witchcraft, and the name that bridges holy peacemaking with Halloween chaos.
Winifred comes from the Welsh Gwenfrewi meaning holy peacemaking. Saint Winifred is one of Wales's patron saints — a spring erupted where her head fell. Hocus Pocus' Winifred Sanderson is the most iconic Halloween witch.
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First recorded
Earliest known use: Welsh saint; Hocus Pocus (1993).
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Today
Winifred remains a beloved choice, ranking #1227 in the US. 45,915 babies have been named Winifred since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, SSA data
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How popular is Winifred?
1918peak year
Today, Winifred is rarely chosen — ranked well outside the top 1,000 (around #1227), with only about 202 babies given the name per year. But it wasn't always this way. At its peak in 1918, 1,593 babies were given the name (ranked #145 nationally). Its strongest stretch was the 1920s. Winifred has been trending upward in recent years. In all, around 45,915 babies have been registered as Winifred since 1880.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Winifred's Life Path 6 is the nurturer's number — holy-peace nurturing. People named Winifred tend to be strong, vintage, and gifted at being both Wales's patron saint and Halloween's greatest witch.
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