Last updated: March 2026

Character Name

Iwona

Meaning — Iwona is the Polish feminine form of Yvonne, ultimately derived from the Old French and Germanic "Ivo" from "iv" meaning "yew tree" — the yew being prized in medieval Europe for its wood used in longbows. The name entered Poland via French influence and was particularly fashionable in the mid-20th century. Witold Gombrowicz's absurdist play "Iwona, Princess of Burgundia" (1938) gave the name a distinctive place in Polish theatrical tradition.·Polish origin·Female·ih-VOH-nah

Iwona Through Gombrowicz's strange heroine, Iwona has acquired an aura of provocative passivity — the person whose very ordinariness becomes a mirror that reveals the pretensions of those around her. In everyday Polish culture the name also suggests a warm, unpretentious woman of the mid-20th century generation.

Best genres for Iwona

Contemporary FictionLiterary FictionDramaRomance

Famous characters named Iwona

Iwona

Iwona, Princess of Burgundia Witold Gombrowicz

The silent, plain young woman whose passive presence at the royal court exposes the hollow rituals and desperate conformity of aristocratic society in Gombrowicz's brilliant absurdist satire.


Variations & nicknames

IwonaIwonkaYvonneIvona

Pairs well with

Iwona KowalskaIwona NowakIwona WiśniewskaIwona JabłońskaIwona WróbelIwona Dąbrowska

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Joanna

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Agnieszka

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Matylda

Matylda is the Polish form of Matilda, a Germanic feminine name composed of maht meaning "might" or "strength" and hild meaning "battle" — thus "mighty in battle." The name was made famous by Empress Matilda (1102–1167), daughter of Henry I of England, who fought for the English crown, and by the fictional Matilda of Roald Dahl.

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