Wicca is a neo-pagan religion based on pre-Christian European traditions. Its origins can be traced back to Paleolithic people who worshipped a Hunter God and a Fertility Goddess. I don't claim that the Wicca I practice today is anything even similar to Pagan rites practiced in ancient times. Religion is not stagnant; it grows and changes with the times.
In 1951, the last laws against Witchcraft were repealed in England and a man named Gerald Gardner became the first to bring modern Witchcraft to public attention. He called it "Wicca", which comes from the Saxon root "wicce" - loosely translated as "wise," and his tradition came to be known as Gardnerian. From there, many hundreds of traditions of Wicca were formed.