Cornish/Welsh · Girl name
Jennifer
“fair, white + smooth or phantom”
About the name Jennifer
Jennifer is a Cornish form of Guinevere, from the Welsh Gwenhwyfar, made of gwen, meaning fair or white, and a second element usually read as smooth or phantom. Guinevere is the wife of King Arthur in Arthurian legend, and Cornwall, with its Arthurian associations, kept the Jennifer form in local use for centuries. The name spread beyond Cornwall after George Bernard Shaw used it for Jennifer Dubedat, a central character in his play The Doctor’s Dilemma. Bearers include the actresses Jennifer Jones, Jennifer Lawrence and Jennifer Aniston. Jenny and Jen are the usual short forms.
- Meaning
- fair, white + smooth or phantom
- Origin
- Cornish/Welsh
- Gender
- Girl
- Pronunciation
- JEN-ih-fer(3 syl.)
Middle names for Jennifer
- Jennifer Rose
- Jennifer Anne
- Jennifer Louise
- Jennifer Grace
- Jennifer Lynn
Questions about Jennifer
- What does Jennifer mean?
- Jennifer is a Cornish name meaning "fair, white + smooth or phantom".
- How do you pronounce Jennifer?
- Jennifer is pronounced JEN-ih-fer, with emphasis on the first syllable.
- What are variants of Jennifer?
- Variants of Jennifer include Jenifer, Jenefer.
More names like this: Welsh baby names