Girl name · Welsh
Gwen
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: white, fair, blessedGwen is a girl's name that comes from Welsh and means "white, fair, blessed". It is used in Welsh and English.
- Meaning
- White, fair, blessed
- Origin
- Welsh
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #725 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Gwen
As a girl's name, Gwen comes from Welsh and means "white, fair, blessed". It is used in Welsh and English.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Gwen on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Gwen on 2 lists.
“Short for Gwendolyn, Welsh and elegant”
From Nicknames that start with G, nicknames for names that start with G
“White, fair, blessed; Welsh. Short and spirited”
From Girl middle names, one-syllable girl middle names
How popular is Gwen?
- US rank in 2025
- #725
- 384 babies, 239 per million girls
- Best rank
- #295 in 1959
- 942 babies that year
- Babies since 1890
- At least 32,617
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 27 per million |
| 1900s | 64 per million |
| 1910s | 88 per million |
| 1920s | 112 per million |
| 1930s | 263 per million |
| 1940s | 280 per million |
| 1950s | 352 per million |
| 1960s | 326 per million |
| 1970s | 178 per million |
| 1980s | 62 per million |
| 1990s | 28 per million |
| 2000s | 79 per million |
| 2010s | 161 per million |
| 2020s | 217 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #766 | #864 | #910 | #828 | #823 | #849 | #851 | #817 | #698 | #725 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Gwen
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- GlennValley (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- GaeunLovely grace (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
- GefenGrapevine (Hebrew, unisex)
Names with a similar meaning
- FinnFair, white (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AdelJust, fair (Arabic, boy)
- AsherHappy, blessed (Hebrew, boy)
- BarryFair-haired (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- BaruchBlessed (Hebrew, boy)
- BiancaWhite, fair (Germanic, girl)
- BlancheWhite, fair (Old French, girl)
- FenellaWhite shoulder (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- FinleyFair warrior (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- FionaFair, white (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- FionnFair, white (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- GwendolynBlessed ring (Welsh, girl)
- HelgaHoly, blessed (Old Norse, girl)
- McKinleySon of Fionnlagh, white warrior (Gaelic, unisex)
- RosalbaWhite rose (Latin, girl)
Middle names for Gwen
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- CharityGenerous love (Latin, girl)
- MagnoliaFlower named for botanist Pierre Magnol (French, girl)
- NiamhBright, radiant (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- PearlPrecious gem from the sea (Latin, girl)
- PrudenceForesight, good sense (Latin, girl)
- StellaA star (Latin, girl)
- TheodoraGift of God (Greek, girl)
More girl names from Welsh
- SabrinaFrom Sabrina, the Latin name of the River Severn (Welsh, girl)
- LynnLake (Welsh, unisex)
- MeganA pearl (Welsh, girl)
- ReeseArdor, enthusiasm (Welsh, unisex)
- RhiannonGreat queen (Welsh, girl)
- TeganFair, beautiful (Welsh, girl)
- WynnFair, white, blessed (Welsh, unisex)
- AngharadMuch loved (Welsh, girl)
- AnwenVery fair, very blessed (Welsh, girl)
- ArianwenSilver white (Welsh, girl)
- BlodwenWhite flowers (Welsh, girl)
- BranwenWhite raven (Welsh, girl)
- BriallenPrimrose (Welsh, girl)
- BrynA hill (Welsh, unisex)
- CarwenBlessed love (Welsh, girl)
- CarysLove, beloved (Welsh, girl)
- CelynHolly (Welsh, unisex)
- CerysLove, beloved (Welsh, girl)
Gwen: common questions
What does the name Gwen mean?
Gwen comes from Welsh and means "white, fair, blessed".
Is Gwen a boy or girl name?
Gwen is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Gwen come from?
Gwen comes from Welsh and means "white, fair, blessed". Today it is used in Welsh and English.
How popular is the name Gwen?
Gwen ranked #725 in the US in 2025, with 384 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Gwen?
Names spelled like Gwen include Glenn, Gaeun and Gefen.
What middle names go with Gwen?
Middle names that flow well with Gwen include Alice, Charity, Magnolia, Niamh and Pearl. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.