Wim

Wim is a masculine given name of Dutch origin. It is typically a diminutive form of Willem, the Dutch version of William, and is commonly used in the Netherlands and Flanders. The name has also appeared in other European countries and in Dutch-speaking diaspora communities.

Origins and meaning: Wim derives from Willem, which in turn comes from the Germanic Wilhelm, a compound of wil (will, desire) and helm (helmet, protection). As a diminutive, Wim often functions as a standalone given name in informal or familiar contexts.

Usage: In the Netherlands, the name has been widely used since the 19th century and remains common in contemporary Dutch-speaking areas.

Notable people: Wim Hof, a Dutch endurance athlete known for his cold-exposure feats; Wim Kok, a Dutch politician who served as prime minister from 1994 to 2002; Wim Delvoye, a Belgian conceptual artist.

Other uses: WIM is also an acronym in computing for Windows Imaging Format, a file-based disk image format used by Microsoft Windows. This acronym is unrelated to the given name.