This page is historical. Follow this link for the current version.
Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Minerva f. Etruscan Menrva from Proto-Indo-European *men-es-wah₂, derived from Proto-Indo-European *men- 'to think'.

The name of the Roman goddess of wisdom.

The name came into use in Italy in the 16th C.

Italy
Latin
1527 Minerva (abl) Rome1527 p. 83
Preview. DO NOT cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Minerva". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2015/1/name/Minerva.