Girl nameCurrently #393 in the USSteady
Gwendolyn
GWEN-duh-lin//ˈɡwɛndəlɪn//
3 syllablesPeak year: 19539 lettersStarts with G
Meaning & origin
Fair, blessed ring
Gwendolyn comes from Welsh elements meaning 'white' or 'fair' combined with a word for ring or bow, and appears in early Welsh legend and Arthurian tradition. Its literary weight and rich sound have made it a durable, if less common, classic.
Gwendolyn's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Gwendolyn |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 5 |
| 1881 | 5 |
| 1886 | 6 |
| 1887 | 8 |
| 1888 | 9 |
| 1889 | 12 |
| 1890 | 11 |
| 1891 | 6 |
| 1892 | 18 |
| 1893 | 15 |
| 1894 | 16 |
| 1895 | 28 |
| 1896 | 24 |
| 1897 | 27 |
| 1898 | 33 |
| 1899 | 27 |
| 1900 | 37 |
| 1901 | 39 |
| 1902 | 57 |
| 1903 | 62 |
| 1904 | 75 |
| 1905 | 68 |
| 1906 | 87 |
| 1907 | 100 |
| 1908 | 127 |
| 1909 | 123 |
| 1910 | 151 |
| 1911 | 194 |
| 1912 | 276 |
| 1913 | 298 |
| 1914 | 382 |
| 1915 | 575 |
| 1916 | 574 |
| 1917 | 577 |
| 1918 | 657 |
| 1919 | 647 |
| 1920 | 758 |
| 1921 | 819 |
| 1922 | 771 |
| 1923 | 849 |
| 1924 | 889 |
| 1925 | 889 |
| 1926 | 853 |
| 1927 | 960 |
| 1928 | 988 |
| 1929 | 901 |
| 1930 | 964 |
| 1931 | 900 |
| 1932 | 934 |
| 1933 | 934 |
| 1934 | 1,002 |
| 1935 | 992 |
| 1936 | 950 |
| 1937 | 1,097 |
| 1938 | 1,215 |
| 1939 | 1,191 |
| 1940 | 1,232 |
| 1941 | 1,276 |
| 1942 | 1,385 |
| 1943 | 1,535 |
| 1944 | 1,535 |
| 1945 | 1,560 |
| 1946 | 2,067 |
| 1947 | 2,458 |
| 1948 | 2,516 |
| 1949 | 2,843 |
| 1950 | 3,044 |
| 1951 | 3,199 |
| 1952 | 3,341 |
| 1953 | 3,530 |
| 1954 | 3,422 |
| 1955 | 3,466 |
| 1956 | 3,389 |
| 1957 | 3,318 |
| 1958 | 2,674 |
| 1959 | 2,665 |
| 1960 | 2,556 |
| 1961 | 2,542 |
| 1962 | 2,514 |
| 1963 | 2,263 |
| 1964 | 1,900 |
| 1965 | 1,709 |
| 1966 | 1,414 |
| 1967 | 1,342 |
| 1968 | 1,246 |
| 1969 | 1,205 |
| 1970 | 1,226 |
| 1971 | 1,087 |
| 1972 | 870 |
| 1973 | 764 |
| 1974 | 802 |
| 1975 | 791 |
| 1976 | 731 |
| 1977 | 586 |
| 1978 | 543 |
| 1979 | 533 |
| 1980 | 486 |
| 1981 | 444 |
| 1982 | 432 |
| 1983 | 392 |
| 1984 | 359 |
| 1985 | 410 |
| 1986 | 370 |
| 1987 | 317 |
| 1988 | 310 |
| 1989 | 318 |
| 1990 | 314 |
| 1991 | 314 |
| 1992 | 317 |
| 1993 | 267 |
| 1994 | 289 |
| 1995 | 228 |
| 1996 | 282 |
| 1997 | 311 |
| 1998 | 315 |
| 1999 | 347 |
| 2000 | 317 |
| 2001 | 374 |
| 2002 | 453 |
| 2003 | 458 |
| 2004 | 476 |
| 2005 | 508 |
| 2006 | 458 |
| 2007 | 455 |
| 2008 | 527 |
| 2009 | 522 |
| 2010 | 518 |
| 2011 | 513 |
| 2012 | 592 |
| 2013 | 651 |
| 2014 | 764 |
| 2015 | 791 |
| 2016 | 826 |
| 2017 | 822 |
| 2018 | 845 |
| 2019 | 852 |
| 2020 | 820 |
| 2021 | 794 |
| 2022 | 801 |
| 2023 | 814 |
| 2024 | 802 |
Gwendolyn through the decades
- Gwendolyn peaked in 1953, when 3,530 babies were named Gwendolyn in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Gwendolyn has risen 48% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Gwendolyn currently ranks #393 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Gwen
Variants & spellings
Gwendolen
Famous people named Gwendolyn
- Gwendolyn Brooks — poet