Yvonne is the feminine given name. It is the feminine form of Yvon, which is derived from the French name Yves and Yvette. It is from the French word iv, meaning "yew" (or tree).[1] Since yew wood was used for bows, Ivo may have been an occupational name meaning "archer". Yvonne/Ivonne is also a Spanish girl name.
This name first arrived in England with the Norman invasion, along with variations such as Yvette and male versions of the same name. It was the most popular of all of these names, but would fall out of favor. It was reintroduced into English-speaking countries in the early 20th century, when it was very popular. It is currently 173rd in the United States popular names list, but is an uncommon name in younger generations. It has also lost popularity in France, where in 1900 it was the 7th most popular name. It is a popular Protestant name in Northern Ireland.
Yvonne has several name days: May 26 in Sweden and December 11th in Ireland and Scotland.
People
This is a list of notable people with the first name Yvonne:
- Yvonne Andres, educator, e-learning pioneer and visionary.
- Yvonne Arnaud, French actress
- Yvonne Borree, New York City Ballet principal dancer
- Yvonne Brewster, Jamaican actress
- Yvonne Bryceland, South African actress
- Yvonne Catterfeld (born 1979), German singer
- Yvonne Chaka Chaka, South African singer
- Yvonne Chouteau (1929–2016), Ballet dancer
- Yvonne Coghill, British public servant
- Yvonne Craig (1937–2015), American ballet dancer
- Yvonne Cryns (b. 1951), American midwife and political activist
- Yvonne De Carlo (1922–2007), Canadian-American actress, The Munsters
- Yvonne Dionne (b. 1934), Canadian quintuplet
- Yvonne Fovargue (born 1956), British politician
- Yvonne Ndege, British Journalist
- Yvonne Elkuch, Liechtensteiner cyclist
- Yvonne Elliman, 70s pop music artist
- Yvonne Hackenbroch (1912–2012), British museum curator and historian of jewellery
- Yvonne Hayes Hinson, American politician
- Yvonne Hirdman, Swedish historian and gender researcher
- Yvonne Jacquette, American painter and printmaker
- Yvonne Kenny, Australian opera singer
- Yvonne Lindsay, romance novelist from New Zealand
- Yvonne Loriod (1924–2010), French pianist
- Yvonne Meusburger, Austrian tennis player
- Yvonne Minton, Australian opera singer
- Yvonne Mosquito
- Yvonne Mounsey
- Yvonne McGregor
- Yvonne O'Grady, British actress
- Yvonne Printemps, French actress
- Yvonne Rainer, American dancer
- Yvonne Ridley, British journalist
- Yvonne Nelson, Ghanaian actress
- Yvonne Rust (1922 – 2002), New Zealand potter
- Yvonne Ryding, Miss Universe 1984
- Yvonne Stokes, Australian mathematician
- Yvonne Strahovski, Australian actress
- Yvonne Tobis (b. 1948), Israeli Olympic swimmer
- Yvonne van Gennip, Dutch Olympic speed skater
- Yvonne Thompson, British business leader
Fictional characters
- Miss Yvonne, Pee-wee's Playhouse character
- Yvonne Atkins, character from the British drama series Bad Girls; portrayed by Linda Henry
- Yvonne Casey, character from the British soap opera, Coronation Street; portrayed by Yvonne O'Grady
- Yvonne Cotton, character from the British soap opera, EastEnders; portrayed by Pauline McLynn
- Yvonne Doyle (Fair City), character from the Irish soap opera Fair City; portrayed by Ciara O'Callaghan.
- Yvonne Jeffries, character from the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street; portrayed by Alison Quigan
- Yvonne Teasley, Beverly Hills, 90210 character; portrayed by Denise Dowse
