Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Vinny” come from?

Vinny is an English diminutive of Vincent, which derives from Latin Vincentius, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning conquering or victorious.

Ancestry of “Vinny”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishVincent—
2FrenchVincent—
3LatinVincentius—
4Latinvincēns—
5Latinvincō—
6Proto-Italicwinkōto conquer, to overcome
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwi-n-k-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanweyḱ-to enter in; to settle; settlement
9Proto-Indo-Europeanwey-to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wey- →