Iestyn
A Welsh masculine given name deriving from the old Welsh word "ieuengtyn".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Iestyn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Iestyn today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Iestyn births was 2010 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Iestyn. 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 Iestyn with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Iestyn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2010
5 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2010 SSA rank
#12,979
Tracked since 2010
Popularity
Iestyn: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Iestyn 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 Iestyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Iestyn
The given name Iestyn has its origins in the Welsh language and culture. It can be traced back to the Old Welsh name "Iestin" or "Ieistin", which is believed to be derived from the Latin name "Justinus", meaning "just" or "upright".
Iestyn was a popular name among the Welsh nobility and ruling families during the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Brut y Tywysogyon, a chronicle of the princes of Wales, where an individual named Iestyn ap Gwrgant is mentioned as the last ruler of the kingdom of Morgannwg in the 11th century.
In the 12th century, Iestyn ap Rhys was a Welsh prince and Lord of Gŵyr and Cydweli, who played a significant role in the political affairs of Wales during that period. Another notable bearer of the name was Iestyn ap Cadwgan, a 12th-century Welsh nobleman and landowner in Glamorgan.
The name Iestyn also appears in several Welsh literary works, such as the Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh tales and myths. One of the characters in the story of Culhwch and Olwen is named Iestyn, the son of Mwrthefyr.
In more recent history, Iestyn ap Rhys Jones (1671-1735) was a Welsh clergyman and scholar who published a collection of Welsh proverbs and sayings. Another notable figure was Iestyn ap Gwilym (1827-1878), a Welsh poet and writer who contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of Welsh culture and literature.
Iestyn Edwards (1924-1985) was a Welsh actor and director known for his roles in films such as "The Wind and the Lion" and "The Elephant Man". Additionally, Iestyn Harris (born 1976) is a former professional rugby league and rugby union player who represented Wales in both codes.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Iestyn, highlighting its enduring presence in Welsh culture and its significance as a given name with deep historical roots.
People
Iestyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Iestyn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Iestyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Iestyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Iestyn 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 Iestyn a common name?
We classify Iestyn 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 Iestyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Iestyn was 2010, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Iestyn is about 16 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 Iestyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Iestyn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Iestyn 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 Iestyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Iestyn 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 Iestyn 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 have the name Iestyn?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.