| Gender | 👩 Girl |
| Pronunciation | 📣 \gwe-ndol-yn, gwen-do-lyn\ |
| Number in U.S | 👶 120,000 |
| Rate in 2021 | 765 |
| Numerology | 🔢 11 |
| Name origin | 🌍 Welsh |
Gwendolyn is a Celtic-derived name used primarily in Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany. The name comes from the Bythonic branch of Celtic languages (compared to Gaelic), from the words "Gwyn" meaning 'holy, pure righteous' and "down" meaning either 'ring' or 'eyebrows, hair'. Queen Gwendolyn was a fictional female queen and warrior of ancient Britain, immortalized by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the Middle Ages (the same Welsh clergyman who popularized the tales of King Arthur). After her husband, King Locrinus, leaves her for a German princess, Gwendolyn builds a defeated army in Cornwall and her husband cheats on her. She then goes to rule herself (in peace) until she abdicates in favor of her son. Saint Gwen is a sixth-century saint; a Breton woman who was supposedly given a maternal third by God as a gift for her fertility (ability to reproduce). This is folklore, but Saint Gwen is invoked for the fertility of women.
Popularity
Considering the tight geographic origin of Gwendolyn (ie Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany), it is impressive that the name has not only remained in use but has successfully spread to other English-speaking countries. In the United States, Gwendolyn has been in use at least since the Social Security Administration began tracking naming trends in 1880. However, Gwendolyn's popularity in the United States has come and gone. The 1950s were Gwendolyn's best decade in America, reaching almost the top 100 to eat, but not quite. Today, the name is given to barely 500 girls each year. Lucky for them; they don't have to share such a nice name with many other people! Gwendolyn is so underused that she still feels completely aligned with her original Welsh heritage. For example, seeing how the old Irish-Celtic Caitlin became so overused and Americanized to the point of losing his “Irishness” of him. Gwendolyn remains pure to her roots, and the pet forms (Gwen, Gwenie) provide one- and two-syllable options that lighten the name.
Famous people named Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Stefani (musician)
Gwendolyn Brooks (poet)
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This is what we named our son, who was born in November 2017. We call him Jakie when he's being cute, or Jake for short.
My name is Gwendolyn and I love it!!! I like to go by Gwen because that is the name everyone calls me and and It's not as long. I get quite and bit of comments on my name Gwendolyn and how pretty the name is! :)
It's VERY UNIQUE AND FORMAL! I DON'T MEET MANY GWENDOLYNS AND MOST OF THE TIME I'm CALLED GWEN BY CLOSE FRIENDS, FELLOW CHURCH MEMBERS AND RELATIVES. WHEN I HEAR SOMEONE CALL ME "GWENDOLYN", I KNOW THEY'RE A CLASSMATE OR SCHOOLMATE, AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE FROM MY CHILDHOOD OR A CREDITOR.
My name is Gwendolyn and I'm loving it more every day. I am ten years old and get compliments on it everytime! My sister is named Ashely and she wishes we could trade names. I never go by Gwen, only Gwendolyn! I love my name'so much I could never'shorten it. I often'thank my mother for thinking of the name for me. It'suits me well - I'm beautiful and fragile!
My name is Gwendolyn... I like it, bit it is really long... Everyone calls me Gwen, but the name is OK :)
My youngest daughter (who is middle aged now) is named Gwendolyn, and my husband and I love it more today than we did at first. I'm Welsh and it fits with both of our ethnic heritage. She has reddish brown hair and green eyes + we all call her a ton of names! Lyndie, Lyn, Gwendolina, Gwendolyn, Gwen, Gwenol, Wendy + my favorIt's > Gwendy or Gwenny:) Great name (the more formal Gwendolyn I'mean) for women who want to be taken seriously in the workforce. Another daughter is named Jillian, and our oldest one is Elizabeth. I do prefer longer names, since I was named Dee:)
My name is Gwendolyn, and I get compliments all the time, allthough it is long so all my friends and family seem to call me Gwen. The only place I have lucky with getting people to call me Gwendolyn is at work where they have to listen'to me :)
Most people can not spell it correctly. Hardly ever meet anyone with the name. Most people just say Gwen
My name is Gwendolyn Ann, and I go by lots of variations. Mostly, It's "Gwen" but my family calls me "Gwendy" or "Gwendy Ann". I love my name! It's very unique and it fits me. :)
I named my daughter Gwendolyn and have gotten overwhelmingly positive remarks about it. We call her Gwen or Gwennie for short. Its never been spelled incorrectly. We've not met another person with the'same name yet.
I named my daughter Gwendilyn (i spelled it with an I instead of O) and she is now 3. Everybody absolutely LOVES her name!! She goes by Gwenipoo (Winnie the pooh - she thinks she is named after him. lol) but I'm sure she will go by Gwen or Gweni when she is older. My dad was so proud to have a Gwendilyn for a grandaughter that he took her EVERYWHERE when she was born to show her off. (he knows three that are his age or older and I didn't even realize this until after'she was born) I think it is a beautiful name and that'she will love it all through her life.