Gwyndolyn
A Welsh name meaning "fair and blessed ring".
Name Census estimates that about 402 living Americans carry the first name Gwyndolyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Gwyndolyn today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gwyndolyn births was 1952 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gwyndolyn. 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
402
~ 1 in 852,623 Americans
Peak year
1952
16 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,086
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Gwyndolyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gwyndolyn from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 82 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Gwyndolyn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gwyndolyn 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 Gwyndolyn 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 Gwyndolyn
The name Gwyndolyn is derived from the Welsh language and is believed to have originated in Wales during the medieval period. It is a combination of two Welsh words, "gwyn" meaning white, fair or blessed, and "dolyn" meaning meadow or valley. The name essentially translates to "white or blessed meadow" or "fair valley".
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gwyndolyn can be found in the ancient Welsh genealogical texts, where it appears as the name of a minor noblewoman who lived in the 9th century. The name gained popularity among the Welsh nobility during the Middle Ages and was often bestowed upon daughters of noble families.
In the 12th century, a Gwyndolyn ap Rhys was mentioned in the Brut y Tywysogion, a chronicle of the princes of Wales, as the daughter of Rhys ap Gruffydd, a prominent Welsh prince and ruler of the Kingdom of Deheubarth. Her exact birth and death dates are unknown, but she is believed to have lived during the late 12th century.
Another notable figure with the name Gwyndolyn was Gwyndolyn Penruddock, a Welsh noblewoman who lived in the 14th century. She was the daughter of Sir John Penruddock, a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry in Wiltshire, England. Gwyndolyn Penruddock's birth and death years are not precisely recorded, but she is believed to have lived during the latter half of the 14th century.
In the 16th century, a Gwyndolyn Vaughan was mentioned in the historical records of Montgomeryshire, Wales. She was the daughter of Sir Roger Vaughan, a Welsh landowner and member of the gentry. Gwyndolyn Vaughan's exact dates of birth and death are unknown, but she is believed to have lived during the late 16th century.
Another notable figure with the name Gwyndolyn was Gwyndolyn Rhys, a Welsh noblewoman who lived in the 17th century. She was the daughter of Sir John Rhys, a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Gwyndolyn Rhys's birth and death dates are not precisely recorded, but she is believed to have lived during the early to mid-17th century.
In the 18th century, a Gwyndolyn Hughes was mentioned in the historical records of Denbighshire, Wales. She was the daughter of Sir William Hughes, a Welsh landowner and member of the gentry. Gwyndolyn Hughes's exact dates of birth and death are unknown, but she is believed to have lived during the latter half of the 18th century.
People
Gwyndolyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gwyndolyn 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
Gwyndolyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gwyndolyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 402 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gwyndolyn 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 852,623 US residents.
Is Gwyndolyn a common name?
We classify Gwyndolyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 513 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gwyndolyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Gwyndolyn was 1952, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gwyndolyn is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gwyndolyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gwyndolyn 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.