JENNIFER WUNDER

Of Celtic (Arthurian) origin, a Cornish form of the name of King Arthur's unfaithful Guinevere. At the beginning of the 20th century, the name was merely a Cornish curiosity, but since then it has become enormously popular all over the English-speaking world, partly due to the influence of the film star Jennifer Jones (b. 1919 as Phyllis Isley). Another factor in its rise was probably Bernard Shaw's use of it for the character of Jennifer Dubedat in The Doctor's Dilemma (1905). See also Gaynor. More recent well-known bearers include the American tennis player Jennifer Capriati (b. 1976) and the British comedienne Jennifer Saunders (b. 1958).

German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for someone who performed wonders, from German Wunder ‘miracle’, Middle High German wunderære. The Jewish name is mainly of ornamental origin. The German name can also be from a nickname for a curious or inquisitive person, from Middle High German wunder ‘curiosity’, ‘astonishment’.