Jennifer
A female given name from Cornish.
Proper noun
- A female given name from Cornish.
- RIDGEON. Thats a wonderful drawing. Why is it called Jennifer? MRS DUBEDAT. My name is Jennifer. RIDGEON. A strange name. MRS DUBEDAT. Not in Cornwall. I am Cornish. It's only what you call Guinevere. - 1906, George...
- "Most people's sisters have decent names like Jennifer or Jane or something. What did you say hers was?" - 1960, Jerrard Tickell, The Hunt for Richard Thorpe, Doubleday, page 10:
- Jennifer. Jenny with the light brown hair. Jenny-fair, their high school French teacher had called her, and fair she had been. - 2000, Dana Stabenow, Nothing Gold Can Stay, Dutton, →ISBN, page 131:
Origin
From Cornish, from Middle Cornish Gwynnever (cognate with Welsh Gwenhwyfar), from Proto-Brythonic *Gwɨnnohuɨβar. Doublet of Guinevere. Compare Irish Fionnbharr, Fionnabhair, which may be cognate.
Forms
Related
Gaynor Ginevra Guinevere Gweniver Jen Jena Jeni Jenn Jenna Jenni Jennie Jenny Jeny