Girl name · Welsh
Gwendolyn
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: blessed ringGwendolyn is a girl's name that comes from Welsh and means "blessed ring". It is used in English and Welsh.
- Meaning
- Blessed ring
- Origin
- Welsh
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #360 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Gwendolyn
As a girl's name, Gwendolyn comes from Welsh and means "blessed ring". It is used in English and Welsh.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Gwendolyn on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Gwendolyn on 3 lists.
“Possibly Welsh for white ring; call her Gwen”
From Bunny names, girl bunny names
“Welsh for white ring, magical and grand”
From Unique dog names, old-fashioned names nobody uses for dogs
“Welsh for white ring; a legendary British queen's name”
From Witch names, witchy names for girls
How popular is Gwendolyn?
- US rank in 2025
- #360
- 848 babies, 528 per million girls
- Best rank
- #112 in 1951
- Most babies: 3,519 in 1953
- Babies since 1880
- At least 124,385
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 34 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 92 per million |
| 1900s | 265 per million |
| 1910s | 531 per million |
| 1920s | 724 per million |
| 1930s | 948 per million |
| 1940s | 1,266 per million |
| 1950s | 1,661 per million |
| 1960s | 1,020 per million |
| 1970s | 512 per million |
| 1980s | 223 per million |
| 1990s | 166 per million |
| 2000s | 246 per million |
| 2010s | 410 per million |
| 2020s | 502 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #402 | #377 | #371 | #370 | #378 | #397 | #389 | #379 | #393 | #360 |
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 with a similar meaning
- AsherHappy, blessed (Hebrew, boy)
- BaruchBlessed (Hebrew, boy)
- GwenWhite, fair, blessed (Welsh, girl)
- HelgaHoly, blessed (Old Norse, girl)
- WynnFair, white, blessed (Welsh, unisex)
- AnwenVery fair, very blessed (Welsh, girl)
- BeatBlessed (Latin, boy)
- BeataBlessed, happy (Latin, girl)
- BeateBlessed, happy (Latin, girl)
- BeatrizVoyager, blessed (Latin, girl)
Middle names for Gwendolyn
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
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)
- AngharadMuch loved (Welsh, girl)
- ArianwenSilver white (Welsh, girl)
- BlodwenWhite flowers (Welsh, girl)
- BranwenWhite raven (Welsh, girl)
Gwendolyn: common questions
What does the name Gwendolyn mean?
Gwendolyn comes from Welsh and means "blessed ring".
Is Gwendolyn a boy or girl name?
Gwendolyn is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Gwendolyn come from?
Gwendolyn comes from Welsh and means "blessed ring". Today it is used in English and Welsh.
How popular is the name Gwendolyn?
Gwendolyn ranked #360 in the US in 2025, with 848 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What middle names go with Gwendolyn?
Middle names that flow well with Gwendolyn include Alice, Belle, Holly, Lily and Niamh. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.