Gwydion
A Welsh mythological name meaning "born of trees" or "forest man".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Gwydion. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gwydion today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gwydion births was 1994 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gwydion. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Gwydion with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gwydion. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1994
5 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
1994 SSA rank
#9,330
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Gwydion: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Gwydion 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 Gwydion during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Gwydion
The name Gwydion originates from Welsh mythology and is associated with the figure of Gwydion fab Don, a legendary prince and magician from the Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh tales. The name is derived from the Welsh words "gwydd," meaning knowledge or wisdom, and "ion," meaning lord or master.
Gwydion is considered one of the most prominent characters in Welsh mythology. In the Mabinogion, he is portrayed as a skilled trickster and shapeshifter who uses his magical abilities to outsmart his enemies and protect his family. He is also credited with introducing the art of poetry and song to the Welsh people.
One of the earliest recorded appearances of the name Gwydion is in the tale of "Math fab Mathonwy," where he plays a central role in the story. In this tale, Gwydion uses his magic to transform a group of animals into human form, creating the first Britons.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Gwydion. One of the earliest was Gwydion ap Llywelyn (c. 1170-1237), a Welsh prince and military leader who fought against the English during the Welsh Wars of Independence.
Another notable figure was Gwydion Thomas (c. 1550-1624), a Welsh poet and clergyman who was renowned for his Welsh-language poetry and his work in translating the Bible into Welsh.
In more recent times, Gwydion M. Williams (1936-2017) was a Welsh historian and political writer who authored several books on Welsh history and culture.
Other notable individuals with the name Gwydion include Gwydion Sînkler (1909-1981), a Welsh academic and writer, and Gwydion Pendderwen (born 1946), a prominent figure in the modern Druid movement.
While the name Gwydion is not as common today as it once was, it remains an important part of Welsh cultural heritage and a reminder of the rich mythology and legends that have shaped the Welsh identity over the centuries.
People
Gwydion + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gwydion 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
Gwydion: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gwydion?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gwydion 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Gwydion a common name?
We classify Gwydion as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gwydion most popular?
The single biggest year for Gwydion was 1994, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gwydion is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Gwydion in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gwydion a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gwydion 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.
Is Gwydion still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gwydion in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Gwydion can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Gwydion?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Gwydion, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.