Edwen
A masculine name derived from Old English meaning "wealthy friend".
Name Census estimates that about 79 living Americans carry the first name Edwen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Edwen today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Edwen births was 2002 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Edwen. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Edwen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
79
~ 1 in 4,338,663 Americans
Peak year
2002
10 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2011 SSA rank
#11,228
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Edwen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Edwen from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 64 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
Edwen 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 Edwen 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 Edwen
The name Edwen is thought to have its origins in the Old English language, which was spoken in parts of what is now England and southeastern Scotland from around the 5th to the 11th centuries. It is likely derived from the combination of two Old English words: "ead," meaning prosperity or fortune, and "wine," meaning friend or companion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Edwen can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a collection of annals chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons in England. The name is mentioned in an entry dating back to the 9th century, referring to an individual named Edwen who held a significant position within the kingdom of Wessex.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Edwen remained in use, although it was not particularly widespread. One notable figure bearing this name was Edwen of Boldon, a 13th-century English landowner and nobleman whose name appears in various legal documents and charters from that period.
In the 16th century, Edwen Sandys (1519-1588) was an influential English ecclesiastic and prelate who served as the Archbishop of York from 1576 until his death. He played a significant role in the English Reformation and was a prominent figure in the Church of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another historical figure with the name Edwen was Edwen Owen (1720-1770), a Welsh poet and writer who was widely celebrated for his contributions to Welsh literature. His works, written in the Welsh language, included poems, essays, and translations of classical texts.
During the 19th century, Edwen Barton (1838-1916) was a British artist and illustrator known for his detailed botanical illustrations and his work for various publications, including The Illustrated London News and The Graphic.
While not as common as some other names, Edwen has maintained a presence throughout history, often associated with individuals from various cultural and professional backgrounds. The name's origins in Old English and its connection to concepts of prosperity and friendship have contributed to its enduring legacy as a given name.
People
Edwen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Edwen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Edwen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Edwen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 79 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Edwen 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 4,338,663 US residents.
Is Edwen a common name?
We classify Edwen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 61.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 80 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Edwen most popular?
The single biggest year for Edwen was 2002, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Edwen is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Edwen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Edwen 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.