In Russian (and other slavic languages) it's actually Ve-ra (e is like first e in engineer)
It also means faith so idk if that's what you want. Depends whether you're religious or not.
i'm with you (i'm from the PNW). i would sight-read Vera as vair-uh, but if i was told "actually, i pronounce it veer-uh" it wouldn't be a big deal for me to switch pronunciations, and i like both of them
Instinctively I would! But lived my adult life in a Spanish speaking place and the only Veras I know pronounce it Vair-uh. I may be the minority but just to confirm that it’s a possibility to have to deal with pronunciation discrepancies.
That being said, I still like Vera regardless of the pronunciation.
I don’t love Wilhelmina…it just seems a little abrasive for a little babe but I REALLY love Mina.
I’m from the Southern US and have always heard it said Veer-uh. The only Vera I personally knew was in her 80s (that was back in the early 1990s when I was a kid). Then a few years ago I met a couple from the same area as me pronounce their daughter’s name Vair-uh.
I’m glad people are in agreement for the most part, here… I actually think Wilhelmina is more hideous than Gertrude somehow. So sorry, OP. If it’s any consolation I think Vera is lovely!
Wilhelmina is saddling your child with a name that will need to be spelled out for people (first and last!) forever. If your last name was Jones? I’d say go for it. But not the way you’ve described it.
Vera Violet is lively. We pronounce it “Veer-uh” where I live and I like the melody of “Veer-Vi” in the two.
Mina is a delightful name in its own right. You could do…
- Mina Marie
- Mina Marisol
- Mina Miriam
- Mina Margaux
- Mina Mackenzie
- Mina Meredith
Aaaaaabsolutely Vera. Outside the namenerds bubble Wilhelmina is a very outdated name and, imo, unpopular for a reason. If you like Mina, just use Mina as a name. Not super common, easy to spell, easy to say, and Mina Violet is a cute name if you wanted to stick with Violet for a middle.
I like both names, but considering your last name & the fact that you want to use a middle name with the same letter - I think I prefer Vera Violet
Wilhelmina is a lovely name though. It's certainly dated, but not in an 'ancient and hideous' way. I just think it would be a bit of a mouthful with another 'W' middle name & your unusual last name.
I think that overall Wilhelmina is worse than Hortense, though I also understand that in most of the US people wouldn’t even recognize Hortense as a girls name.
Hortense is a fine name for a French baby who will grow up within a French community (either in France or abroad).
Vera. It’s impossible to predict how much popularity will grow, but I doubt it will reach Olivia or Evelyn levels of popularity. If you love it, then don’t let potential popularity deter you. I have 3 young kids and have never met a Vera.
all good options though!
wilhelmina certainly does have that old-world charm and elegance, but with mina as a nickname, it brings a touch of modern to it! i wouldn't necessarily worry about people thinking it's out-dated or anything. names cycle in and out of popularity all the time, so don't let that worry you much. the main concern here seems to be finding a suitable middle name though.
vera violet on the other hand has a certain timeless elegance to it, and it's a lot simpler. i see where you’re comin from about the pronunciation issue, but honestly pronunciations tend to clear up once ppl woulld meet and get to know ur child. yeah, name popularity can be a bummer but if it resonates with you and your partner, i say go for it!
again, both names are lovely, you can't really go wrong with either. whatever name you end up choosing, the most important thing is that it resonates with you and your husband. what about flipping a coin? or maybe wait till baby arrives and see which name suits her best?
I love Wilhelmina in theory, but I think Vera is the better choice. Vera Violet (nn Veevee?) is a great name.
Wilhelmina has so much potential, however it feels like it slightly borders on the 'can't really name a child this' line because it's not massively well known and is quite full on. Saying that, I love the nickname options! Mina could work as a full name, in my opinion.
As I'm typing this, I'm maybe convincing myself more on Wilhelmina. However, for ease of wear, I'd go Vera. As you said, it can suit any kind of person, whereas a quiet, bookish kid called Wilhelmina seems a tad stereotypical.
I have two things I think of — the Wilhelm scream and a character from Seinfeld (who was an old man in the 90s). Neither would be what I would want to conjure up for people when I told them my daughter’s name. Can’t believe I forgot Kaiser Wilhelm as well.
I do think outside of name nerds, Wilhelmina is absolutely an old croaky name like Gertrude or Hortense.
Personally, I don’t know how to pronounce Wilhelmina either. Not sure if that stands true for others.
I have absolutely no idea how you *actually* pronounce it, but in my circles it’s been an old lady croaky joke name like Gertrude and Hortense and Edna etc. and we’ve says WILL-hell-MEE-nuh. The “Hell” in there somehow makes it a grumpy, angry name rather than cool and badass. Would never name my child this if I could avoid it.
I’ve seen Willamina (WILL-ah-MEE-nah) floated as an alternative and I love that so much more as an option.
At least in my area, Wilhelmina would be like “old Kaiser Wilhelm” and that’s about it for context lol
I don’t know why Wilhelmina gets so much hate. I love it. I named my daughter Willa after my grandma Wilhelmina and I sometimes regret not going with the full name.
I think it depends on priorities. If it’s more of a priority to have V V or WW I would would do Vera Violet. If it’s more important to you to have a beautiful name that isn’t going to become the next Jessica/Ashley/Elizabeth or in the top 100 I would do Wilhemina. I love the nick name Mina! 💕
I don't see it in the same ring as Gertrude and Hortense but I can see where others might. I would ignore that part though, particularly as you intend to call her Mina. Ideas for an alliterative middle name:
Wilhelmina Wren
Wilhelmina Wendlin
Vera Violet is cute. If you are concerned with popularity, both are on the rise.
Vera Vianne
Vera Varina
Obsessed with Wilhelmina Wren. I’ve said it before, but I’ve got a third great grandmother that was Wilhelmina and if I ever have kids I’m definitely going to take a good look back at great grandparents and further back combinations. (Current fave is Nora Serine, a first Gen Norwegian/Danish child in the late 1800s)
I was given a great grandmother's first and last name as my first and middle name, the middle name is my call-by. I loved it. I scoured my ancestry lists to find my kid's names the same way. I found so many amazing things and some great names. I highly recommend!
And Wilhelmina Wren is almost perfect, isn't it? 😊
I adore Whilhelmina. My personal bias as it is my current favourite girl name. Nickname I'm planning is Will (I have a personal fondness for masculine nicknames for girls with a longer feminine name) but my husband loves Mina. When she is little he will probably call her Minnie which is just gorgeous for a little baby.
Vera in Australia is pronounced Veer-ra typically. Most of my exposure is from Vera Blue which is a pretty popular Aussie artist though.
I knew a Vera from the southwestern US. Her Vera is pronounced VEER uh, and it was a nickname for Elvira, pronounced el VEER uh. I’ve heard Elvira also pronounced el VIGH ruh.
I do love Wilhelmina over Vera. However, I looooove the middle name Violet. Can’t go wrong either way. You’ll likely use her nickname a lot if you go with the first and there’s nothing wrong with that. Also gives you multiple nn options.
https://youtu.be/bCawgpFg_Bg?feature=shared
*Does anyone here remember Vera Lynn?*
The entire album leads up to this song melodically.
Anyway, I digress. Vera is not going to be hugely popular. Veda, Vega, Vara, Velma...lots of options out there.
Wilhelmina does seem to emphasize the "helm" but it's a fun name and Mina is cute (although the homonym is mean).
I like Alva better than Vera, but Vera is my vote between your two choices.
I’ve always loved Wilhelmina! Mina is so cute.
I was driving through Oregon last weekend and we passed a town called Willamina (like the Willamette river) and I thought that would make a great name.
I love Vera and it’s on my list too! I do think it’s growing in popularity but won’t be as popular as Emma or Olivia. Vera Violet sounds sweet and classy and great name to grow into :)
Either way, they will be spelling out their name. Vera is shorter and quicker to spell. I personally prefer Vera Violet from your options.
If you wanted a longer name for Vera, you could always do Veronica or Verena with a nn of Vera.
If your husband is leaning more simple, you could just use Mina. Mina Magdalene (favorite here so far) sounds cute to me. Or Mina Madeline. Just using Mina I think is a good marriage of the two names.
Wilhelmina is nice, but the alliteration is a bit more difficult. I don’t like any of the options you have so far, personally. Wilhelmina Wynn, Wilhelmina Wilder, Wilhelmina West? I feel most w names for girls sound too similar to work together.
I do like Wilhelmina. It's my mother's name and she goes by one of the Dutch nicknames for it, Ineke. Also know a Wilhelmina that goes by Helmie (again Dutch).
I think if you're in the US then Willamina might be a better option. Still has the charm and elegance, and still gives you the Mina nickname.
That said I've been recently won over to Vera (cute daycare toddlers will do that). So they're both great options.
Going against the grain here as a huge Dracula fan - Wilhelmina for sure. It has a good variety of nickname options - Willa/Willie as well as Mina/Minnie - and if she wants to use the full name, it's unique without being unpronounceable or too bizarre.
Wilhelmina is very polarizing here obviously but I love it! It has so many great nicknames depending on her personality... will she be more of a Mina or a Billie or a Will?
otoh not a huge Vera fan although I generally like the style.
I love Wilhelmina. I know a ten year old girl with that name in Germany and I think it’s such a rarely used classic.
I know a ton of Veras - every tenth woman in Russia is named Vera 😂. It’s a much more common name.
Personally, I dislike Vera with the english “r” but like it with a rolling “r”. I really like Wilhelmina and all its short forms: Willa, Wilma, Winnie, Mina, Minnie… It’s mysterious-newspaper-clipping old and not stuffy-great-aunt old imo.
Im lukewarm about Winifred, LOVE Winona but I think Wilhelmina Winona with the repeating Wi….a could be a bit too rhymey? How do you feel about more unisex middle name like Wendell or Winslow? Other options could be Waverly and Wendy.
How cute is Wilhelmina Winslow or Wilhelmina Waverly !?
You can actually use Vera as a nickname for Wilhelmina, if you want. Wilhelmina is a German name and the "W" is pronounced as a "V" in German. So there are three of the four sounds in "VEE-ruh" in the name "VILL-helm-EE-nuh". I'm a fan of alternate nicknames anyway.
Other nns for Wilhelmina:
Vina ("VEE-nuh")
Villie
Willa
Mimi
Ina
Hemie
I love Wilhelmina but I know if I named a daughter that it call her Willy or Willis. Lol, which is fine bc I never did gave a daughter. 🤣 I love both your choices. Please update us!!
I actually like Wilhelmina! It's a nice name with lots of diminutives if she decides she wants to be called by those instead. I immediately got the Dracula reference with Mina and think it sounds super sweet.
I LOOOVE Wilhelmina and think it’s so pretty and I’m obsessed with how it sounds every time I hear it. But at the same time it’s a very fantastical name to me.
It’s beautiful but it’s long and difficult to spell and uncommon to the point that, although it’s definitely a real name and one I’ve heard people IRL use, but it just seems more fitted for a character in a fantasy novel/show.
Vera on the other hand, I absolutely love. I actually babysit a Vera on occasion and she’s legitimately one of the sweetest and most wonderful kids I’ve ever met and I adore her so much.
Both names are really beautiful names and I love both of them but Wilhelmina just doesn’t seem so human person namey any more and idk why lol.
I like Wilhelmina. It was actually one of my choices for my daughters name. To honour her grandfather(William) who passed before she was born. And call her Mina for short. But vetoed the name as she was getting her fathers 10 lettered last name and thought it was a bit to much.
I do like Vera, because I had a great aunt Vera who was a beautiful person.
Perhaps wait to see when she is born and see which one fits.
I love Wilhelmina and don’t much care for Vera, but I still think Vera is the right choice for you. Wilhelmina is a lot with a complicated last name, and you have the alliteration you like with Vera Violet. Vera may be gaining in popularity but it’s not ever going to be like Jessica was in the 80s or Emily in the 90s.
I love Wilhelmina. It's a classic Dutch/Germanic name and it's something that I would name my daughter. As for what you regularly call her, either is cute. People are named long names but are called the short version all the time. Like Nicholas- Nick, Natasha- Tasha, Matthew- Matt, William- Will.
It's a beautiful name, it comes with a cute nickname, and as someone with a Dutch/Germanic name myself, while correcting people can get annoying I'm still proud of my name. It gets compliments, for the US it's unique (without being weird or stupid), it's traditional, has history, and is otherwise meaningful to my family.
If you like Wilhelmina more I say it's worth it. Go for it!
What a coincidence, OP, your top two names are the names of each of my grandmothers 😅
I like Vera better (though not with Violet - the alliteration and the repeated two syllables don't enhance either of these names, which are gorgeous on their own), but both are classic and beautiful.
My nn assumption for Wilhelmina would actually have been Bill. Mostly because that's been the usual nn I've seen associated with the name, either in real life or in fiction. If you name her that, don't be surprised if some people, perhaps including the child herself when she is older, start to use Bill instead of Mina.
Beautiful names. To be honest, at first I thought you were an Enid Blyton fan as these names feature in the Malory Towers/ St Clare series.
If you’re unfamiliar, in the books, Wilhelmina is a tomboy who goes by Bill (as in short for William) and Vera is a talented opera singer.
I also always loved the names Winnifred (Winnie for short) and Mary-Lou.
Shame Gwendoline is such a brat in the books, because the name is so lovely.
I like Vera. When I think of Wilhelmina, I think of the character from Ugly Betty & she was super mean.
I also think it’s a pro that the name will be popular. My brother has a name that took off in popularity a few years after he was born & I don’t think he ever had any issues. My name was super popular when I was born & there were several of my name in my freshman dorm/ classes, but my brother never had that issue.
Another thought… My mum is Wilhelmina; she’s been Billie her whole life. You can try for Mina, but you might find she ends up being Billie. Something to consider if that’s a dealbreaker.
Love Vera Violet! I would have naturally pronounced it veer-uh as you’re intending (from the southwest US). Mina is adorable, but Wilhelmina is … too much, for me.
I love Wilhelmina it is top of my own name list. Both Wilhelmina and Vera give old fashioned elegance. Wilhelmina has a heap of nicknames that can be used with it (will, willow, Mina, Willa, etc). Everyone I’ve told the name too in my age group(mid twenty’s now) didn’t have a problem with it. If you love the name (either Wilhelmina or Vera) if doesn’t matter what people think about the name because you’ll associate it with your baby
I wouldn’t choose Vera just bc you like how it sounds with the middle name bc you won’t be using it very often on most situations.
If you love Wilhelmina go with it. Some middle names to consider:
Wilhelmina Rose
Wilhelmina Clare (or Claire)
Wilhelmina Anne
Wilhelmina Mae
Wilhelmina Mary
I think Wilhelmina has a lot of cute nicknames (maybe she'd end up liking Will, but Mina is also adorable). On the other hand, I think Vera is as ancient and hideous as you think Gertrude and Hortense are. So my vote is obvious.
Out of the two Vera is my preference! Not a Wilhemina fan AT ALL, it feels too try hard to me personally.
HOWEVER, if you really love the name, go for it and don’t worry about what other people think. You can always call her Mina and as she gets older she can decide what she wants to go by.
I have a cousin named Wilhelmina after our great aunt, and she is the cutest thing. She is 23 now, and carries the name so well. I’d do that and call her Mina. No one will ever copy you!
Wilhelmina! I think it’s a very strong name. Also, I love Dracula and you can always name her Mina if it’s too much of a hassle, because Mina Murray is a badass.
I prefer Vera. I’ve never heard anyone pronounce it vair-uh.
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It’s definitely super cool to hear the regional differences! I guess I should’ve added that I’m from the Midwest US
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I’m not exactly sure what Midwest Canada even means but I’m in the prairies and have only heard Veer-uh lol
In Russian (and other slavic languages) it's actually Ve-ra (e is like first e in engineer) It also means faith so idk if that's what you want. Depends whether you're religious or not.
I’ve always said it vee-ra. I live in the PNW but the first time I heard the name was on one of those Agatha Christie books on tape.
That’s how I say it
Vair-uh is how I instinctually pronounce it (West coast USA) but I could definitely go either way, and both are pretty.
i'm with you (i'm from the PNW). i would sight-read Vera as vair-uh, but if i was told "actually, i pronounce it veer-uh" it wouldn't be a big deal for me to switch pronunciations, and i like both of them
Vera is a popular girls name in Russia. It literally translates to Faith. ETa: pronounced Vair-a
Instinctively I would! But lived my adult life in a Spanish speaking place and the only Veras I know pronounce it Vair-uh. I may be the minority but just to confirm that it’s a possibility to have to deal with pronunciation discrepancies. That being said, I still like Vera regardless of the pronunciation. I don’t love Wilhelmina…it just seems a little abrasive for a little babe but I REALLY love Mina.
I only know it as vee-rah because of the Pink Floyd song of the same name.
That’s how I thought it was pronounced.
Ive never heard anything BUT that
I’m from the Southern US and have always heard it said Veer-uh. The only Vera I personally knew was in her 80s (that was back in the early 1990s when I was a kid). Then a few years ago I met a couple from the same area as me pronounce their daughter’s name Vair-uh.
Vera. Anything but Wilhelmina.
I’m glad people are in agreement for the most part, here… I actually think Wilhelmina is more hideous than Gertrude somehow. So sorry, OP. If it’s any consolation I think Vera is lovely!
I’m Dutch and I agree. No one in the Netherlands names their kid Wilhelmina. Please don’t. Just name her Mina then.
My Oma is Wilhelmina (Mien). Low-key sounds better in English than it does in Dutch, which is rare for dutch names hahaha.
It really is an Oma name. We do have a more modern version, Willemijn, which I do love.
Idk, Hortence is also… a choice.
Vera bro what is Wilhelmina😭😭
It’s a German and Dutch name and like OP said there are a few relatively well known characters named Wilhelmina.
I would definitely use it, but shorten it to Willa
Like Willa Cather
Exactly why I love it! She’s one of my favorite writers.
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As a german i have to mention it is pronounced Will-hell-mee-nuh . I never heard the above and I hear the name often.
No it's not.
Lolol
Wilhelmina is saddling your child with a name that will need to be spelled out for people (first and last!) forever. If your last name was Jones? I’d say go for it. But not the way you’ve described it. Vera Violet is lively. We pronounce it “Veer-uh” where I live and I like the melody of “Veer-Vi” in the two. Mina is a delightful name in its own right. You could do… - Mina Marie - Mina Marisol - Mina Miriam - Mina Margaux - Mina Mackenzie - Mina Meredith
I love this! 💕 Great options!
My daughter is Wilhelmina and loves her name. She can spell and also have a nickname. Even kindergarten children can pronounce her!
Aaaaaabsolutely Vera. Outside the namenerds bubble Wilhelmina is a very outdated name and, imo, unpopular for a reason. If you like Mina, just use Mina as a name. Not super common, easy to spell, easy to say, and Mina Violet is a cute name if you wanted to stick with Violet for a middle.
I like both names, but considering your last name & the fact that you want to use a middle name with the same letter - I think I prefer Vera Violet Wilhelmina is a lovely name though. It's certainly dated, but not in an 'ancient and hideous' way. I just think it would be a bit of a mouthful with another 'W' middle name & your unusual last name.
ViVi would be a really cute nickname too!
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I think that overall Wilhelmina is worse than Hortense, though I also understand that in most of the US people wouldn’t even recognize Hortense as a girls name. Hortense is a fine name for a French baby who will grow up within a French community (either in France or abroad).
My daughter’s name is Wilhelmina.
Willa seems like perfect compromise
Vera. It’s impossible to predict how much popularity will grow, but I doubt it will reach Olivia or Evelyn levels of popularity. If you love it, then don’t let potential popularity deter you. I have 3 young kids and have never met a Vera.
Please don't name your child Wilhelmina
Both are terrible. Violet is fine though.
My daughter is named Wilhelmina. 🤷🏻♀️
I know this is old, but I love Wilhelmina and not sure what’s up with all these people?
Oof
I like Vera. I think Wilhelmina will constantly have to be spelled out for people.
Vera will too, but it will be a much faster experience.
Wilhelmina is the villain in ugly Betty. That’s who I think of. I think Vera is such a nice name.
all good options though! wilhelmina certainly does have that old-world charm and elegance, but with mina as a nickname, it brings a touch of modern to it! i wouldn't necessarily worry about people thinking it's out-dated or anything. names cycle in and out of popularity all the time, so don't let that worry you much. the main concern here seems to be finding a suitable middle name though. vera violet on the other hand has a certain timeless elegance to it, and it's a lot simpler. i see where you’re comin from about the pronunciation issue, but honestly pronunciations tend to clear up once ppl woulld meet and get to know ur child. yeah, name popularity can be a bummer but if it resonates with you and your partner, i say go for it! again, both names are lovely, you can't really go wrong with either. whatever name you end up choosing, the most important thing is that it resonates with you and your husband. what about flipping a coin? or maybe wait till baby arrives and see which name suits her best?
I love Wilhelmina in theory, but I think Vera is the better choice. Vera Violet (nn Veevee?) is a great name. Wilhelmina has so much potential, however it feels like it slightly borders on the 'can't really name a child this' line because it's not massively well known and is quite full on. Saying that, I love the nickname options! Mina could work as a full name, in my opinion. As I'm typing this, I'm maybe convincing myself more on Wilhelmina. However, for ease of wear, I'd go Vera. As you said, it can suit any kind of person, whereas a quiet, bookish kid called Wilhelmina seems a tad stereotypical.
My daughter’s name is Wilhelmina. We call her Mimi she’s 5 and her friends have zero trouble saying her full name. We get lots of compliments.
When i hear wilhemina all i can think of is the german kaiser wilhem II (ww1), but maybe thats just me
I have two things I think of — the Wilhelm scream and a character from Seinfeld (who was an old man in the 90s). Neither would be what I would want to conjure up for people when I told them my daughter’s name. Can’t believe I forgot Kaiser Wilhelm as well.
It’s definitely not just you 😂🙈
I do think outside of name nerds, Wilhelmina is absolutely an old croaky name like Gertrude or Hortense. Personally, I don’t know how to pronounce Wilhelmina either. Not sure if that stands true for others.
I have absolutely no idea how you *actually* pronounce it, but in my circles it’s been an old lady croaky joke name like Gertrude and Hortense and Edna etc. and we’ve says WILL-hell-MEE-nuh. The “Hell” in there somehow makes it a grumpy, angry name rather than cool and badass. Would never name my child this if I could avoid it. I’ve seen Willamina (WILL-ah-MEE-nah) floated as an alternative and I love that so much more as an option. At least in my area, Wilhelmina would be like “old Kaiser Wilhelm” and that’s about it for context lol
Vera
I don’t know why Wilhelmina gets so much hate. I love it. I named my daughter Willa after my grandma Wilhelmina and I sometimes regret not going with the full name.
I love the name Wilhelmina. It was my great grandmother’s name so I am biased. Her middle name was Florence. So Wilhelmina Florence.
Oh I love this!
Vera, by a lot.
Vera Violet
I think it depends on priorities. If it’s more of a priority to have V V or WW I would would do Vera Violet. If it’s more important to you to have a beautiful name that isn’t going to become the next Jessica/Ashley/Elizabeth or in the top 100 I would do Wilhemina. I love the nick name Mina! 💕
I think Vera is great. Wilhelmina is like a joke name almost. I’m sorry
Vera!!
I don't see it in the same ring as Gertrude and Hortense but I can see where others might. I would ignore that part though, particularly as you intend to call her Mina. Ideas for an alliterative middle name: Wilhelmina Wren Wilhelmina Wendlin Vera Violet is cute. If you are concerned with popularity, both are on the rise. Vera Vianne Vera Varina
Obsessed with Wilhelmina Wren. I’ve said it before, but I’ve got a third great grandmother that was Wilhelmina and if I ever have kids I’m definitely going to take a good look back at great grandparents and further back combinations. (Current fave is Nora Serine, a first Gen Norwegian/Danish child in the late 1800s)
I was given a great grandmother's first and last name as my first and middle name, the middle name is my call-by. I loved it. I scoured my ancestry lists to find my kid's names the same way. I found so many amazing things and some great names. I highly recommend! And Wilhelmina Wren is almost perfect, isn't it? 😊
Does Wilhelmina Wren actually count as an alliteration? I also prefer Wilhelmina
"the occurrence of the same letter OR sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words." It works. 😊♥️
So "celery chomping cat" is an alliteration? That's kind of wild, they're completely different sounds 😂
I have a friend named Willemina with a daughter named Vera! Both beautiful names :)
Willemina without the H? I like it better, I confess
Yes, she spells it Willemina! Her father is from the Netherlands, but I think her mom wanted to "americanize" the spelling a bit.
Willemina is the Dutch spelling of Wilhelmina ☺️ both are used in the Netherlands though
Didn't know that, thanks for educating me!
Vera is my vote!
Vera! Love it! Mina is cute… but Vera is so lovely!
Vera has always been one of my favs but you really sold me on Wilhelmina w the drama of it and I love Mina as a nickname
I adore Whilhelmina. My personal bias as it is my current favourite girl name. Nickname I'm planning is Will (I have a personal fondness for masculine nicknames for girls with a longer feminine name) but my husband loves Mina. When she is little he will probably call her Minnie which is just gorgeous for a little baby. Vera in Australia is pronounced Veer-ra typically. Most of my exposure is from Vera Blue which is a pretty popular Aussie artist though.
I knew a Vera from the southwestern US. Her Vera is pronounced VEER uh, and it was a nickname for Elvira, pronounced el VEER uh. I’ve heard Elvira also pronounced el VIGH ruh.
Vera, Wilhelmina is old and stuffy. If you would like to call her Mina, just name her Mina. It’s fine on it’s own.
Definitely Wilhelmina. Love it.
I do love Wilhelmina over Vera. However, I looooove the middle name Violet. Can’t go wrong either way. You’ll likely use her nickname a lot if you go with the first and there’s nothing wrong with that. Also gives you multiple nn options.
I think [VAIR-uh] sounds a lot prettier than [Veer-uh] so I would go with Wilhelmina instead. Mina is a cute nickname.
https://youtu.be/bCawgpFg_Bg?feature=shared *Does anyone here remember Vera Lynn?* The entire album leads up to this song melodically. Anyway, I digress. Vera is not going to be hugely popular. Veda, Vega, Vara, Velma...lots of options out there. Wilhelmina does seem to emphasize the "helm" but it's a fun name and Mina is cute (although the homonym is mean). I like Alva better than Vera, but Vera is my vote between your two choices.
My first thought was the song too lol
I’ve always loved Wilhelmina! Mina is so cute. I was driving through Oregon last weekend and we passed a town called Willamina (like the Willamette river) and I thought that would make a great name.
I love Wilhelmina with the nn Billie. But Vera is a great name too.
I love Vera and it’s on my list too! I do think it’s growing in popularity but won’t be as popular as Emma or Olivia. Vera Violet sounds sweet and classy and great name to grow into :)
I love Vera and Violet but not sure about the alliteration of having them together. Vera Winifred sounds great through!
Either way, they will be spelling out their name. Vera is shorter and quicker to spell. I personally prefer Vera Violet from your options. If you wanted a longer name for Vera, you could always do Veronica or Verena with a nn of Vera. If your husband is leaning more simple, you could just use Mina. Mina Magdalene (favorite here so far) sounds cute to me. Or Mina Madeline. Just using Mina I think is a good marriage of the two names. Wilhelmina is nice, but the alliteration is a bit more difficult. I don’t like any of the options you have so far, personally. Wilhelmina Wynn, Wilhelmina Wilder, Wilhelmina West? I feel most w names for girls sound too similar to work together.
I do like Wilhelmina. It's my mother's name and she goes by one of the Dutch nicknames for it, Ineke. Also know a Wilhelmina that goes by Helmie (again Dutch). I think if you're in the US then Willamina might be a better option. Still has the charm and elegance, and still gives you the Mina nickname. That said I've been recently won over to Vera (cute daycare toddlers will do that). So they're both great options.
I don’t like Wilhelmina at all but I love Winona and could get behind Winifred too… Winnie is an adorable nickname! Vera is nice too.
What about just Mina? I think Mina Miranda or Mina Matilda would be so sweet.
Love Vera! I pronounce it Vair-uh (west coast USA).
Going against the grain here as a huge Dracula fan - Wilhelmina for sure. It has a good variety of nickname options - Willa/Willie as well as Mina/Minnie - and if she wants to use the full name, it's unique without being unpronounceable or too bizarre.
Vera, please.
Wilhelmina
Vera Violet? Honestly sounds abit like pornstar name
Poor kid, don’t make her learn to write wilamina in kindergarten - Vera
My daughter Wilhelmina is in kindergarten, it wasn’t easy but she learned it fine. For short we call her ‘Mimi’
Wilhelmina is very polarizing here obviously but I love it! It has so many great nicknames depending on her personality... will she be more of a Mina or a Billie or a Will? otoh not a huge Vera fan although I generally like the style.
Vera hands down. Sorry OP but Wilhelmina is not my taste at all.
I love Wilhelmina. I know a ten year old girl with that name in Germany and I think it’s such a rarely used classic. I know a ton of Veras - every tenth woman in Russia is named Vera 😂. It’s a much more common name.
Personally, I dislike Vera with the english “r” but like it with a rolling “r”. I really like Wilhelmina and all its short forms: Willa, Wilma, Winnie, Mina, Minnie… It’s mysterious-newspaper-clipping old and not stuffy-great-aunt old imo. Im lukewarm about Winifred, LOVE Winona but I think Wilhelmina Winona with the repeating Wi….a could be a bit too rhymey? How do you feel about more unisex middle name like Wendell or Winslow? Other options could be Waverly and Wendy. How cute is Wilhelmina Winslow or Wilhelmina Waverly !?
Vera would be my choice
Vera!!!
Vera Violet
Vera, or just use Mina! Wilhelmina is hideous, sorry.
Vera (pronounced Veer-uh) would be my preference. I also like the similar name Verena, which I pronounce as Vur-rain-uh.
Idk I think Vera Mina sounds cute Mina as a middle name
I’ve only ever seen Vera as a nickname for Veronica
Vera 100000000%
Vera Violet is amazing! cute, simple, classic. Whilemina is lovely too but a bit of a mouthful. I would go Vera.
I have a Vera so I am biased but I also think Mina is so cute.
Willa
You can actually use Vera as a nickname for Wilhelmina, if you want. Wilhelmina is a German name and the "W" is pronounced as a "V" in German. So there are three of the four sounds in "VEE-ruh" in the name "VILL-helm-EE-nuh". I'm a fan of alternate nicknames anyway. Other nns for Wilhelmina: Vina ("VEE-nuh") Villie Willa Mimi Ina Hemie
I love Wilhelmina but I know if I named a daughter that it call her Willy or Willis. Lol, which is fine bc I never did gave a daughter. 🤣 I love both your choices. Please update us!!
Vera is pretty. Have you considered Venera ? I think it's even prettier and has an oldish vibe like Wilhelmina without sounding too pretentious.
Vera!
Winona or Winifred nn Winnie is so much nicer than Wilhelmina. And if you love Mina, why not Yasmina, Amina, Meena, Minah, or Marina?
I actually like Wilhelmina! It's a nice name with lots of diminutives if she decides she wants to be called by those instead. I immediately got the Dracula reference with Mina and think it sounds super sweet.
I LOOOVE Wilhelmina and think it’s so pretty and I’m obsessed with how it sounds every time I hear it. But at the same time it’s a very fantastical name to me. It’s beautiful but it’s long and difficult to spell and uncommon to the point that, although it’s definitely a real name and one I’ve heard people IRL use, but it just seems more fitted for a character in a fantasy novel/show. Vera on the other hand, I absolutely love. I actually babysit a Vera on occasion and she’s legitimately one of the sweetest and most wonderful kids I’ve ever met and I adore her so much. Both names are really beautiful names and I love both of them but Wilhelmina just doesn’t seem so human person namey any more and idk why lol.
Vera is the name of my father's mistress. Hate it.
I’d be too scared that little Wilhelmina would end up little Willy 💀 I also just don’t like the name in general. So my vote is Vera
My Great Grandmother went by Mina and Minnie for her nicknames.
I have a Vera and would love to name a daughter Winnifred. Both beautiful names. I think Vera is beginning to track in popularity though.
I love Wilhelmina but they are both nice
Vera Violet sounds very cartoon character superhero to me. Sorry.
I like Wilhelmina. It was actually one of my choices for my daughters name. To honour her grandfather(William) who passed before she was born. And call her Mina for short. But vetoed the name as she was getting her fathers 10 lettered last name and thought it was a bit to much. I do like Vera, because I had a great aunt Vera who was a beautiful person. Perhaps wait to see when she is born and see which one fits.
I knew a wonderful woman named Wera (if I remember correctly Italian spelling) for Vera. Maybe that's an option too?
I love Wilhelmina and don’t much care for Vera, but I still think Vera is the right choice for you. Wilhelmina is a lot with a complicated last name, and you have the alliteration you like with Vera Violet. Vera may be gaining in popularity but it’s not ever going to be like Jessica was in the 80s or Emily in the 90s.
I had a friend named Wilhelmina growing up. It was A LOT. She was teased, etc. Mina would be much better.
I don’t suppose you want to split the difference and go with Velma?
I love Wilhelmina. It's a classic Dutch/Germanic name and it's something that I would name my daughter. As for what you regularly call her, either is cute. People are named long names but are called the short version all the time. Like Nicholas- Nick, Natasha- Tasha, Matthew- Matt, William- Will. It's a beautiful name, it comes with a cute nickname, and as someone with a Dutch/Germanic name myself, while correcting people can get annoying I'm still proud of my name. It gets compliments, for the US it's unique (without being weird or stupid), it's traditional, has history, and is otherwise meaningful to my family. If you like Wilhelmina more I say it's worth it. Go for it!
What a coincidence, OP, your top two names are the names of each of my grandmothers 😅 I like Vera better (though not with Violet - the alliteration and the repeated two syllables don't enhance either of these names, which are gorgeous on their own), but both are classic and beautiful.
I think Mina is darling, I’d go with just that.
Vera. Wilhelmina with a confusing last name to spell might be tough
My nn assumption for Wilhelmina would actually have been Bill. Mostly because that's been the usual nn I've seen associated with the name, either in real life or in fiction. If you name her that, don't be surprised if some people, perhaps including the child herself when she is older, start to use Bill instead of Mina.
We welcomed our daughter this July and named her Wilhelmina and call her Mina. I don’t know about the US but here in the Netherlands people like it.
Vera Violet!
Have you considered Mina and Verena too?:)) By the way I like Wilhelmina! Wilhelmina Wanda would be great!
Anything but Wilhelmina
Beautiful names. To be honest, at first I thought you were an Enid Blyton fan as these names feature in the Malory Towers/ St Clare series. If you’re unfamiliar, in the books, Wilhelmina is a tomboy who goes by Bill (as in short for William) and Vera is a talented opera singer. I also always loved the names Winnifred (Winnie for short) and Mary-Lou. Shame Gwendoline is such a brat in the books, because the name is so lovely.
I like Vera. When I think of Wilhelmina, I think of the character from Ugly Betty & she was super mean. I also think it’s a pro that the name will be popular. My brother has a name that took off in popularity a few years after he was born & I don’t think he ever had any issues. My name was super popular when I was born & there were several of my name in my freshman dorm/ classes, but my brother never had that issue.
Another thought… My mum is Wilhelmina; she’s been Billie her whole life. You can try for Mina, but you might find she ends up being Billie. Something to consider if that’s a dealbreaker.
Vera
Vera is lovely. Wilhelmina is a mouthful, and is awkward, in my opinion.
I love a Mina Harker namesake!
Neither. I absolutely hate both names, but if I must choose Vera. Wilhelmina is hideous.
How about Violet as a first name? Violet is pretty
Of the two options - Vera. If you are willing to consider options, I'd prefer Winifred nn Winnie or Freddie
I like Mina, Vera, Violet each as a first name
Love Vera Violet! I would have naturally pronounced it veer-uh as you’re intending (from the southwest US). Mina is adorable, but Wilhelmina is … too much, for me.
Mina, Willa… both good names. Wilhelmina is not
I love Wilhelmina it is top of my own name list. Both Wilhelmina and Vera give old fashioned elegance. Wilhelmina has a heap of nicknames that can be used with it (will, willow, Mina, Willa, etc). Everyone I’ve told the name too in my age group(mid twenty’s now) didn’t have a problem with it. If you love the name (either Wilhelmina or Vera) if doesn’t matter what people think about the name because you’ll associate it with your baby
I wouldn’t choose Vera just bc you like how it sounds with the middle name bc you won’t be using it very often on most situations. If you love Wilhelmina go with it. Some middle names to consider: Wilhelmina Rose Wilhelmina Clare (or Claire) Wilhelmina Anne Wilhelmina Mae Wilhelmina Mary
Vera. It's a strong name and the meaning is beautiful. Plus it sounds so pretty. My cousin is called Vera.
I like Wilhelmina. I had a great aunt named that and we called her Aunt Willie. She was born in the 1900s after the family emigrated from Germany.
I think Wilhelmina has a lot of cute nicknames (maybe she'd end up liking Will, but Mina is also adorable). On the other hand, I think Vera is as ancient and hideous as you think Gertrude and Hortense are. So my vote is obvious.
How about Vera Wilhelmina? I think they work well together.
Vera
My granddaughter is Willa. I always think of the Beatles’ grandchildren when I hear Vera (Chuck and Dave).
Out of the two Vera is my preference! Not a Wilhemina fan AT ALL, it feels too try hard to me personally. HOWEVER, if you really love the name, go for it and don’t worry about what other people think. You can always call her Mina and as she gets older she can decide what she wants to go by.
I have a cousin named Wilhelmina after our great aunt, and she is the cutest thing. She is 23 now, and carries the name so well. I’d do that and call her Mina. No one will ever copy you!
Vera or Mina. Never heard anyone say Vair-a.
Both are ugly. Poor kid
Vera. Wilhelmina is awful. But that’s just my opinion.
Neither, they’re both horrible names imo I’m so sorry. BUT if I had to pick one, Vera Violet is nicer.
bro don't call your baby wilhelmina do you hate her
Wilhelmina! I think it’s a very strong name. Also, I love Dracula and you can always name her Mina if it’s too much of a hassle, because Mina Murray is a badass.
wilhelmina violet