Fun Facts About the Name Gwen
- More than 32 thousand babies named Gwen: U.S. records list 32,910 babies given the name Gwen from 1880 through 2025. Even 294 boys received the name Gwen - about 1 boy for every 111 girls.
What Does the Name Gwen Mean?
Gwen is a Welsh feminine name meaning "white," "fair," "blessed," or "holy." It comes from the Welsh word gwen, the feminine form of gwyn, an adjective used for brightness, fairness, and purity. In Welsh grammar, gwyn is the masculine form and gwen the feminine, so gwen is the form applied to female names. The name can stand on its own, and it also appears as the first element in longer Welsh names such as Gwendolen and Gwenllian; in those compounds it carries the same sense rather than deriving from them. Gwenhwyfar, the Welsh form of Guinevere, likewise begins with this element, but Gwen is a separate name rather than a shortening of Gwenhwyfar.
Gwen Name History & Origins
The element gwen belongs to the old Brittonic and Welsh naming vocabulary. It appears in medieval Welsh names, including Gwenllian and the legendary Gwendolen, and in Gwenhwyfar, the Welsh counterpart of Guinevere. In Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, Gwendolen is a legendary British queen; that literary use draws on the Welsh name element rather than creating it. The standalone name Gwen is also found in Welsh usage, where it can serve as a full given name or as a familiar short form of longer Gwen- names.
In English-speaking countries, Gwen is used as a given name in its own right and as a short form of Gwendolen, Gwenllian, or similar Welsh names. Its use in English does not change its Welsh meaning: it remains the feminine gwen element. Later fictional characters named Gwen, such as Gwen Stacy in comic books, are examples of the name's literary life, not explanations of its origin.
How Popular is the Name Gwen?
Gwen recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1959. Its best rank was #295 in 1959.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #725 | 384 | 0.0239% |
| 2024 | #698 | 403 | 0.0250% |
| 2023 | #817 | 341 | 0.0213% |
| 2022 | #851 | 329 | 0.0201% |
| 2021 | #848 | 325 | 0.0198% |
| 2020 | #822 | 331 | 0.0205% |
| 2019 | #828 | 328 | 0.0196% |
| 2018 | #910 | 295 | 0.0173% |
| 2017 | #864 | 317 | 0.0184% |
| 2016 | #767 | 372 | 0.0210% |
| 2015 | #749 | 377 | 0.0211% |
| 2014 | #963 | 278 | 0.0156% |
| 2013 | #952 | 266 | 0.0152% |
| 2012 | #1,110 | 224 | 0.0127% |
| 2011 | #1,225 | 196 | 0.0111% |
| 2010 | #1,410 | 163 | 0.0092% |
| 2009 | #1,308 | 185 | 0.0101% |
| 2008 | #1,252 | 201 | 0.0106% |
| 2007 | #1,311 | 186 | 0.0097% |
| 2006 | #1,418 | 160 | 0.0084% |
| 2005 | #1,383 | 156 | 0.0084% |
| 2004 | #1,595 | 123 | 0.0067% |
| 2003 | #1,358 | 149 | 0.0082% |
| 2002 | #1,429 | 134 | 0.0075% |
| 2001 | #1,911 | 91 | 0.0051% |
| 2000 | #2,292 | 68 | 0.0037% |
| 1999 | #2,583 | 55 | 0.0031% |
| 1998 | #2,291 | 62 | 0.0035% |
| 1997 | #2,270 | 60 | 0.0034% |
| 1996 | #2,641 | 47 | 0.0027% |
| 1995 | #3,114 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 1994 | #2,479 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 1993 | #2,902 | 41 | 0.0023% |
| 1992 | #2,623 | 47 | 0.0025% |
| 1991 | #2,276 | 57 | 0.0030% |
| 1990 | #2,301 | 55 | 0.0029% |
| 1989 | #1,985 | 64 | 0.0035% |
| 1988 | #2,258 | 50 | 0.0028% |
| 1987 | #1,573 | 80 | 0.0046% |
| 1986 | #1,699 | 69 | 0.0040% |
| 1985 | #1,290 | 104 | 0.0060% |
| 1984 | #1,209 | 108 | 0.0064% |
| 1983 | #1,053 | 132 | 0.0079% |
| 1982 | #1,059 | 136 | 0.0080% |
| 1981 | #961 | 153 | 0.0092% |
| 1980 | #875 | 175 | 0.0105% |
| 1979 | #767 | 210 | 0.0131% |
| 1978 | #751 | 206 | 0.0134% |
| 1977 | #711 | 218 | 0.0142% |
| 1976 | #590 | 275 | 0.0188% |
| 1975 | #535 | 323 | 0.0222% |
| 1974 | #568 | 284 | 0.0194% |
| 1973 | #697 | 214 | 0.0147% |
| 1972 | #554 | 301 | 0.0198% |
| 1971 | #511 | 368 | 0.0221% |
| 1970 | #534 | 354 | 0.0202% |
| 1969 | #514 | 362 | 0.0215% |
| 1968 | #511 | 363 | 0.0221% |
| 1967 | #494 | 373 | 0.0226% |
| 1966 | #437 | 464 | 0.0274% |
| 1965 | #426 | 484 | 0.0274% |
| 1964 | #391 | 612 | 0.0323% |
| 1963 | #375 | 670 | 0.0348% |
| 1962 | #320 | 859 | 0.0437% |
| 1961 | #310 | 882 | 0.0437% |
| 1960 | #317 | 893 | 0.0442% |
| 1959 | #295 | 942 | 0.0466% |
| 1958 | #299 | 893 | 0.0444% |
| 1957 | #317 | 830 | 0.0406% |
| 1956 | #317 | 761 | 0.0379% |
| 1955 | #316 | 740 | 0.0378% |
| 1954 | #324 | 682 | 0.0351% |
| 1953 | #355 | 573 | 0.0305% |
| 1952 | #381 | 472 | 0.0255% |
| 1951 | #396 | 429 | 0.0238% |
| 1950 | #379 | 457 | 0.0267% |
| 1949 | #372 | 446 | 0.0261% |
| 1948 | #374 | 448 | 0.0264% |
| 1947 | #356 | 509 | 0.0287% |
| 1946 | #338 | 483 | 0.0307% |
| 1945 | #367 | 365 | 0.0279% |
| 1944 | #389 | 329 | 0.0248% |
| 1943 | #367 | 384 | 0.0275% |
| 1942 | #355 | 388 | 0.0287% |
| 1941 | #361 | 341 | 0.0282% |
| 1940 | #338 | 357 | 0.0312% |
| 1939 | #334 | 358 | 0.0326% |
| 1938 | #322 | 378 | 0.0343% |
| 1937 | #390 | 280 | 0.0263% |
| 1936 | #364 | 303 | 0.0291% |
| 1935 | #362 | 302 | 0.0288% |
| 1934 | #413 | 252 | 0.0241% |
| 1933 | #400 | 260 | 0.0258% |
| 1932 | #424 | 239 | 0.0224% |
| 1931 | #470 | 188 | 0.0177% |
| 1930 | #421 | 248 | 0.0220% |
| 1929 | #461 | 207 | 0.0185% |
| 1928 | #504 | 188 | 0.0163% |
| 1927 | #582 | 148 | 0.0124% |
| 1926 | #566 | 159 | 0.0134% |
| 1925 | #708 | 109 | 0.0090% |
| 1924 | #687 | 117 | 0.0094% |
| 1923 | #699 | 110 | 0.0091% |
| 1922 | #710 | 105 | 0.0087% |
| 1921 | #733 | 101 | 0.0082% |
| 1920 | #754 | 93 | 0.0078% |
| 1919 | #725 | 93 | 0.0082% |
| 1918 | #793 | 81 | 0.0070% |
| 1917 | #651 | 110 | 0.0102% |
| 1916 | #740 | 84 | 0.0080% |
| 1915 | #686 | 93 | 0.0095% |
| 1914 | #668 | 76 | 0.0100% |
| 1913 | #648 | 64 | 0.0102% |
| 1912 | #715 | 50 | 0.0090% |
| 1911 | #678 | 41 | 0.0098% |
| 1910 | #881 | 24 | 0.0061% |
| 1909 | #599 | 42 | 0.0121% |
| 1908 | #861 | 21 | 0.0063% |
| 1907 | #882 | 19 | 0.0060% |
| 1906 | #979 | 15 | 0.0051% |
| 1905 | #943 | 16 | 0.0055% |
| 1904 | #893 | 17 | 0.0062% |
| 1903 | #874 | 16 | 0.0061% |
| 1902 | #992 | 13 | 0.0049% |
| 1901 | #837 | 16 | 0.0067% |
| 1900 | #1,195 | 11 | 0.0037% |
| 1899 | #855 | 15 | 0.0064% |
| 1897 | #1,646 | 5 | 0.0021% |
| 1896 | #1,487 | 6 | 0.0025% |
| 1895 | #1,696 | 5 | 0.0021% |
| 1893 | #1,043 | 9 | 0.0042% |
| 1892 | #1,544 | 5 | 0.0024% |
| 1891 | #1,141 | 7 | 0.0038% |
| 1890 | #1,041 | 8 | 0.0042% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | #4,435 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #4,198 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #2,936 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1962 | #3,437 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #3,793 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #3,471 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1959 | #2,912 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #4,177 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1957 | #2,543 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1956 | #3,695 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #3,661 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1954 | #3,596 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #2,786 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1952 | #3,512 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1951 | #3,509 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1950 | #3,892 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #1,975 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1948 | #2,870 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1947 | #2,562 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1946 | #2,604 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1943 | #3,068 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1942 | #3,358 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1941 | #3,291 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1940 | #2,749 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1939 | #2,950 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1938 | #2,991 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1936 | #2,353 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1935 | #3,869 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1934 | #2,831 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1933 | #3,119 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1932 | #2,525 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1931 | #2,949 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1930 | #3,762 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #2,788 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1924 | #4,619 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #3,050 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1922 | #4,036 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1919 | #4,419 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1917 | #4,224 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1916 | #3,028 | 8 | 0.0009% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Gwen Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are introspective, prophetic, philosophical, and soul searching, but also can be analytical, critical and opinionated. You think deeply and clearly, have an air of mystery, can be solitary and secretive. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Gwen's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Gwen's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.