Where does “Winifred” come from?
Winifred (English) comes from Old English Winfriþ, from Welsh Gwenfrewi, from Welsh ffrwd, from Proto-Brythonic frud, from Proto-Celtic srutom, from Proto-Indo-European srew-, from Proto-Indo-European ser- — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.
Ancestry of “Winifred”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | Winfriþ | — |
| 2 | Welsh | Gwenfrewi | — |
| 3 | Welsh | ffrwd | brook, stream; torrent, flood |
| 4 | Proto-Brythonic | frud | stream, river; flow, current |
| 5 | Proto-Celtic | srutom | stream, river; flow, current |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | srew- | to flow, stream |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ser- | to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together |