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Dewanda

♀ Girl

Pronounced dee-WAHN-duh /diˈwɑn.də/Medium

Meaning: Dewanda is a mid-century American coinage, especially in African-American families, joining the popular decorative prefix De- to Wanda. Wanda is a Slavic name sometimes linked to the Wends, a Slavic people, or to a word for 'wanderer'. Dewanda reads as 'De-' plus Wanda, shaped mainly for its sound.Low

In 30 seconds: Dewanda is a mid-century coinage joining De- with Wanda, a Slavic name. It stayed rare (said 'dee-WAHN-duh').

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Origin LowAfrican American, Slavic

MeaningDewanda is a mid-century American coinage, especially in African-American families, joining the popular decorative prefix De- to Wanda. Wanda is a Slavic name sometimes linked to the Wends, a Slavic people, or to a word for 'wanderer'. Dewanda reads as 'De-' plus Wanda, shaped mainly for its sound.

U.S. rank (1994)#12201 ↗ Rising

1994 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1965

Total births (all-time)≈ 694

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Dewanda is a mid-century American coinage that pairs the decorative prefix De- with Wanda. Wanda is a Slavic name, sometimes traced to the Wends or to a root for 'wanderer'. Prefix-and-name combinations like this were a hallmark of African-American naming from the 1940s onward, and Dewanda is one of their rarer forms.

Dewanda was never common - only a few dozen girls a year at its faint peak around 1965. It reads as a distinctly mid-century coinage, part of the creative De- naming tradition, and it has stayed a genuine rarity rather than joining any revival.

Did you know? The De- of Dewanda was one of the most productive prefixes in mid-century African-American naming, attaching to countless roots - here to the Slavic Wanda.

Overall data confidence 40%

References - Dewanda / Wanda — Coinage; De- prefix + Wanda (Slavic); African-American naming tradition

Variations

DwandaDewanaWandaDewandra

Nicknames

DeeWanda

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Dewanda…

Wanda— the Slavic base name behind Dewanda

Deandra— a fellow De- prefixed coinage

Delinda— another De- name of the same era

Elwanda— shares the -da ending

Sheronda— shares Dewanda's African American roots

Explore names like Dewanda

By themerare coinage african-american

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Dewanda mean?

Dewanda is a mid-century African-American coinage joining a De- prefix with Wanda, a name of Slavic origin.

How do you pronounce Dewanda?

It's said dee-WAHN-duh /diˈwɑn.də/ - three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Dewanda a boy or girl name?

Dewanda is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Dewanda?

Dewanda has always been rare, a mid-century coinage in the creative De- naming tradition.