Gwenevere
A feminine given name of Welsh origin meaning "fair" or "blessed".
Name Census estimates that about 1,068 living Americans carry the first name Gwenevere. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Gwenevere today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gwenevere births was 2019 (55 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gwenevere. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 320,931 Americans
Peak year
2019
55 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,593
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Gwenevere: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gwenevere from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 436 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Gwenevere remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gwenevere 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 Gwenevere during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gweneveres live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. Texas, California, Alabama recorded the most babies named Gwenevere, while New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 11 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gwenevere
The name Gwenevere, alternatively spelled as Guinevere or Gwenhwyfar, has its roots in the medieval Welsh language. It is derived from the elements "gwen" meaning fair, white, or blessed, and "hwyfar" meaning smooth or sublime. The name can be translated to mean "the fair and sublime one" or "the blessed smooth-browed one."
The earliest known reference to this name is found in the Arthurian legends, where Gwenevere is depicted as the beautiful and enigmatic queen consort of King Arthur. These legendary tales are believed to have originated in the 5th or 6th century, drawing inspiration from various Celtic myths and folklore.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the 12th-century work "Historia Regum Britanniae" (History of the Kings of Britain) by Geoffrey of Monmouth. In this text, Gwenevere is portrayed as the wife of Arthur and a central figure in the Arthurian court.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Gwenevere gained popularity in Europe, particularly in Britain and France, where it was often associated with the ideals of courtly love and chivalry. Notable historical figures who bore this name include Gwenevere of Brittany (c. 1188-1233), a Duchess of Brittany and Countess of Richmond.
In literature, Gwenevere has been a recurring character in numerous works inspired by the Arthurian legends, including Sir Thomas Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur" (1485) and Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "Idylls of the King" (1859-1885). These literary works have contributed to the enduring popularity and recognition of the name.
Other notable individuals named Gwenevere include Gwenevere of Cihaloger (c. 1162-1233), a Welsh noblewoman and wife of Rhys ap Gruffydd, Prince of Deheubarth; Gwenevere, Countess of Anjou (c. 1290-1349), a French noblewoman and wife of Charles of Valois; and Gwenevere of Brittany (c. 1280-1337), a Breton noblewoman and daughter of Arthur II, Duke of Brittany.
While the name Gwenevere has maintained a strong association with the Arthurian legends, it has also been adopted and adapted across various cultures and languages, reflecting its enduring appeal and historical significance.
People
Gwenevere + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gwenevere as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gwenevere: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gwenevere?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,068 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gwenevere 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 320,931 US residents.
Is Gwenevere a common name?
We classify Gwenevere as "Rare". It ranks above 90.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,157 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gwenevere most popular?
The single biggest year for Gwenevere was 2019, when 55 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gwenevere is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gwenevere a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gwenevere in the SSA data are female. 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.