babynames.com tells me that Jennifer is Welsch, and yet my Latin teacher tells us that the "fer" comes from the same root as "christopher" in the sense of a protector, and then the "jenni" comes from "gens, gentis", meaning "clan, race, nation".
So does Jennifer mean Protectoress of the Clan, or White Wave (Welsch)?
2006-09-16 14:34:13 · 8 answers · asked by Derek Southerby 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
No gens, gentis meaning?
2006-09-16 14:42:15 · update #1
The name is Welsh, a variation on "Guinevere." Your Latin professor is engaging in a kind of folk etymology--inventing a plausible origin on a word whose actual history he doesn't know. (He's also got the origin of the name Christopher wrong, accoring to www.behindthename.com .)
2006-09-16 14:55:31 · answer #1 · answered by Mekamorph 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Origin:
Welsh
Meaning:
White spirit
2006-09-17 02:21:52 · answer #2 · answered by Ä l ɐ ҳ ä 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A well known baby name origins site (see below) says that Jennifer's meaning is "fair spirit", as it is a form of Gwenhwyfar, an English name.
2006-09-16 21:37:58 · answer #3 · answered by sleepylilme 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means White Wave, and it´s Cornish form of Welsch....
2006-09-16 22:08:03 · answer #4 · answered by Kathya 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jennifer
from Welsh Gwenhwyvar (fem.), from gwen "fair, white" + (g)wyf "smooth, yielding." Most popular name for girls born in America 1970-1984; all but unknown there before 1938.
2006-09-17 14:18:43 · answer #5 · answered by Caesar 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jennifer - of Welsh origin and it means "Fair."
2006-09-16 21:38:30 · answer #6 · answered by KnowhereMan 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is of Welsh origin, and its meaning is "fair one."
2006-09-16 21:37:06 · answer #7 · answered by jennifer500 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
may be CHISTOPHER's DAUGHTER
2006-09-16 21:36:19 · answer #8 · answered by bindu kiran 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋