Gwendolynn
Gwendolynn was the 4213th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 34 babies. Its best year was 1956, when it ranked 1945th; the most babies were born in 2023 (41). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,142 places. More babies were named Gwendolynn in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Gwendolyn) white or blessed ring (Welsh) · Welsh
- Rank in 2025
- #4,213 girls, down 261 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 34girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 202341 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,454babies recorded
What does the name Gwendolynn mean?
Gwendolynn is a spelling of Gwendolyn, pronounced the same way, so it shares Gwendolyn's meaning and origin.
Gwendolyn is a spelling of the Welsh name Gwendolen. Its first element is Welsh gwen, "white, fair, blessed", which the Random House dictionary gives as the meaning; the second is usually taken as dolen, "ring, loop". Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century history names a legendary queen Gwendolen, and Wiktionary notes the -lyn spelling as a variant.
gwen (Welsh, “white, fair, blessed”)dolen (Welsh, “ring, loop (usual reading)”)
How sure is this? Probable. The gwen element is clear; the second element is less certain.
Related names: Gwendolen, Gwen, Wendy.
See also: Welsh names, names that mean a color.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Gwendolyn', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Gwendolyn', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Gwendolynn popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,213 | 34 |
| 2020 | #3,952 | 36 |
| 2010 | #5,850 | 23 |
| 2000 | #6,930 | 15 |
| 1990 | #8,085 | 10 |
| 1980 | #5,333 | 13 |
| 1970 | #7,377 | 6 |
| 1960 | #2,934 | 18 |
| 1950 | #2,284 | 19 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Gwendolynn, counting every spelling?
Gwendolynn is a spelling of Gwendolyn, a name family that ranked #367 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #4,213 for Gwendolynn on its own. Together these spellings went to 901 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gwendolyn | 848 | #360 | 4,062 |
| Gwendolynn | 34 | #4,213 | 154 |
| Gwendolen | 11 | #9,072 | 62 |
| Gwendoline | 8 | #11,277 | 45 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Gwendolynn?
34 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Gwendolynn (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Gwendolynn born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 247 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Gwendolynn.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Gwendolynn?
About 1,300 people born in the US named Gwendolynn are alive today, with a median age of 25; half are between 10 and 56. That makes Gwendolynn mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Gwendolynn by state
How common Gwendolynn was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 50 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Gwendolynn: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Gwendolynn, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Gwendolynn
What does Gwendolynn mean?
Gwendolynn is a spelling of Gwendolyn, which means “white or blessed ring (Welsh)” (Welsh origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Gwendolynn?
Gwendolynn was the 4213th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 34 babies. Its best year was 1956, when it ranked 1945th; the most babies were born in 2023 (41). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,142 places. More babies were named Gwendolynn in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Gwendolynn a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Gwendolynn in the US.
Where is Gwendolynn most popular?
In 2021–2025, Gwendolynn was most common in Indiana (0.04 per 1,000 girls).