Corwyn
Welsh name meaning "blessed circle" or "illustrious friend".
Name Census estimates that about 436 living Americans carry the first name Corwyn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Corwyn today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Corwyn births was 2006 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Corwyn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
436
~ 1 in 786,134 Americans
Peak year
2006
16 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,169
Tracked since 1946
Popularity
Corwyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Corwyn from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 84 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Corwyn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Corwyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Corwyn
The name Corwyn has its origins in the Welsh language and culture, dating back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Welsh words "cor" meaning "a circle" or "a choir" and "gwyn" meaning "white" or "blessed." The combination of these words suggests a meaning of "blessed circle" or "blessed choir."
In its earliest recorded usage, the name Corwyn was associated with Welsh monasteries and religious communities, where it may have been given to individuals who were part of monastic choirs or circles of worship. The name's connection to the concepts of blessedness and purity aligned with the spiritual ideals of these religious orders.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Corwyn can be found in a 12th-century manuscript from the Abbey of Llanthony in Wales, which mentions a monk named Corwyn ap Rhys (born around 1145). This individual is believed to have been a renowned scholar and scribe within the abbey's community.
As the name spread beyond monastic circles, it became more widely used among the Welsh nobility and gentry. One notable figure bearing the name was Corwyn ap Iorwerth (1220-1280), a Welsh landowner and military leader who played a prominent role in conflicts against English forces during the 13th century.
In the 16th century, the name Corwyn gained further recognition through the work of Corwyn ap Rhys (1505-1568), a Welsh poet and storyteller who is credited with preserving and popularizing numerous Welsh folktales and literary traditions.
Another historical figure of note was Corwyn Jones (1645-1722), a Welsh minister and theologian who served as the rector of Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd and was known for his influential sermons and religious writings.
During the 19th century, the name Corwyn was carried across the Atlantic by Welsh immigrants to North America. One notable bearer was Corwyn Hughes (1820-1892), a Welsh-American entrepreneur and industrialist who founded the Corwyn Mining Company in Pennsylvania.
As the name Corwyn continued to be used over the centuries, it retained its Welsh roots and association with concepts of blessedness, purity, and spiritual devotion, reflecting the rich cultural and religious heritage of its origins.
People
Corwyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Corwyn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Corwyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Corwyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 436 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Corwyn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 786,134 US residents.
Is Corwyn a common name?
We classify Corwyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 472 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Corwyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Corwyn was 2006, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Corwyn is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Corwyn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Corwyn in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.