Gwynneth
A feminine Welsh name meaning "fair, blessed".
Name Census estimates that about 233 living Americans carry the first name Gwynneth. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Gwynneth today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gwynneth births was 2001 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gwynneth. 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
233
~ 1 in 1,471,049 Americans
Peak year
2001
16 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2021 SSA rank
#14,096
Tracked since 1931
Popularity
Gwynneth: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gwynneth from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 107 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
Gwynneth 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 Gwynneth during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gwynneths live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gwynneth
The name Gwynneth is of Welsh origin, derived from the Welsh words "gwyn" meaning "blessed" or "fair," and "nêth" meaning "stream" or "valley." It is a feminine name that has been in use since ancient times in Wales and other parts of Britain.
The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 6th century, when a Welsh princess named Gwynneth ferch Culfi is mentioned in medieval Welsh literature. She was the daughter of King Culfi of Gwynedd, a region in northwest Wales.
In the 12th century, a famous figure named Gwynneth ferch Rhys was the daughter of Rhys ap Gruffydd, the Lord of Deheubarth in southwest Wales. She played a significant role in Welsh politics and history during the turbulent period of Norman conquest and Welsh resistance.
Another notable Gwynneth from history was Gwynneth Sion, a 16th-century Welsh noblewoman and heiress who inherited substantial estates in Anglesey and Caernarfonshire. Her marriage to Sir John Wynn of Gwydir helped establish one of the most influential families in North Wales during the Tudor period.
In the 17th century, Gwynneth Owens was a Welsh poet and writer who contributed to the tradition of Welsh literature and poetry. She was born around 1650 and is remembered for her poetic works and religious writings.
The name Gwynneth also appears in the 18th century, with Gwynneth Vaughan, a Welsh heiress and landowner who lived from 1714 to 1783. She was known for her philanthropic work and support of education in Wales.
While the name Gwynneth has its roots in Welsh culture and history, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly in the English-speaking world, thanks to its unique and melodic sound. However, the name remains closely tied to its Welsh origins and continues to be a popular choice for parents seeking a name with a rich historical and cultural significance.
People
Gwynneth + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gwynneth 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
Gwynneth: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gwynneth?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 233 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gwynneth 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 1,471,049 US residents.
Is Gwynneth a common name?
We classify Gwynneth as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 255 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gwynneth most popular?
The single biggest year for Gwynneth was 2001, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gwynneth is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gwynneth a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gwynneth 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.