Llewyn
A Welsh masculine name possibly derived from a place name.
Name Census estimates that about 524 living Americans carry the first name Llewyn. It is a predominantly male name (97.9% of registrations). The average person named Llewyn today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Llewyn births was 2022 (63 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Llewyn. 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
524
~ 1 in 654,111 Americans
Peak year
2022
63 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,927
Tracked since 2014
Gender
Gender distribution for Llewyn
Llewyn leans heavily male at 97.9% of total registrations, but 11 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Llewyn as a male name
- Ranked #2,927 in 2024
- 43 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (58 births)
Llewyn as a female name
- Ranked #14,483 in 2024
- 6 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (6 births)
Popularity
Llewyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Llewyn from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 267 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Llewyn 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 Llewyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Llewyns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, New York, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Llewyn, while Ohio, Illinois, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Llewyn
The name Llewyn is believed to have its origins in the Welsh language and culture, tracing back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Welsh words "llyw," meaning leader or guide, and "yn," a diminutive suffix. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a young leader or guide.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Llewyn can be found in the ancient Welsh manuscript known as the "Black Book of Carmarthen," which dates back to the 13th century. In this text, there is a reference to a character named "Llewyn Llawgyfes," which translates to "Llewyn of the Open Hand."
During the Middle Ages, the name Llewyn was relatively uncommon but not unheard of within Welsh communities. One notable figure from this period was Llewyn ap Rhys, a Welsh nobleman who lived in the 14th century and was known for his involvement in various conflicts and power struggles in Wales.
In the 16th century, a prominent Welsh bard and poet named Llewyn Goch (meaning "Llewyn the Red") gained recognition for his works, which celebrated Welsh culture and language. His poetry is still studied and appreciated today as an important part of Welsh literary heritage.
Moving into the modern era, one of the most famous individuals to bear the name Llewyn was the American folk singer and musician Llewyn Davis, whose life and struggles were depicted in the 2013 Coen Brothers film "Inside Llewyn Davis." Although a fictional character, the film's portrayal of the 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene brought renewed attention to this unique name.
Other notable individuals with the first name Llewyn include Llewyn Blucker, a Welsh rugby player who represented Wales in the 1920s, and Llewyn Morfyn, a Welsh artist and illustrator known for his depictions of Welsh landscapes and folklore in the early 20th century.
While not a common name in modern times, the name Llewyn holds a rich history and cultural significance within the Welsh tradition, serving as a reminder of the enduring influence of ancient languages and traditions on contemporary naming practices.
People
Llewyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Llewyn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Llewyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Llewyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 524 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Llewyn 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 654,111 US residents.
Is Llewyn a common name?
We classify Llewyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 528 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Llewyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Llewyn was 2022, when 63 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Llewyn is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Llewyn a male name?
Yes, 97.9% of people registered as Llewyn 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.
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.