Meaning and history
Iwona is the Polish feminine form of Yvonne. Yvonne developed in French as the feminine of Yves, from a Germanic name element meaning “yew.” Yew wood was prized for bows, and the tree also acquired associations with endurance and longevity, though these symbolic ideas are not the name’s literal definition. Notable bearers include Polish-British curator Iwona Blazwick and Polish politician and journalist Iwona Śledzińska-Katarasińska. The Polish w is pronounced like English v.