Find out how popular the last name Gwyn is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gwyn.

Gwyn, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gwyn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gwyn in America

Gwyn is the 13278th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gwyn surname appeared 2,297 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gwyn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gwyn to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gwyn

The surname GWYN originated from Wales, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Welsh word "gwyn," meaning "white" or "fair," and was likely originally a descriptive nickname given to someone with a pale complexion or light hair.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Merioneth Lay Subsidy Roll of 1292-3, which lists a Griffith Gwyn. The name also appears in various Welsh manuscripts and records from the Middle Ages, such as the Peniarth Manuscripts from the 14th and 15th centuries.

In the 16th century, the surname was found in various parts of Wales, with notable examples including Thomas Gwyn (c. 1520-1592), a Welsh lawyer and Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire, and John Gwyn (c. 1550-1628), a Welsh-born Anglican bishop who served as the Bishop of Raphoe in Ireland.

During the 17th century, the name continued to be prominent in Wales, with individuals like Morgan Gwyn (c. 1600-1675), a Welsh politician and Member of Parliament for Radnorshire, and Edward Gwyn (1637-1718), a Welsh-born Anglican clergyman who served as the Bishop of Raphoe from 1694 to 1718.

One of the most famous historical figures with the surname GWYN was Nell Gwyn (1650-1687), an English actress and mistress of King Charles II. Although not Welsh, her surname is believed to have derived from the Welsh word "gwyn."

In the 18th century, the name was still prevalent in Wales, with individuals like William Gwyn (1675-1741), a Welsh-born politician and Member of Parliament for Penrhyn, and John Gwyn (1713-1786), a Welsh-born Anglican clergyman who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1766 to 1786.

Other notable individuals with the surname GWYN throughout history include Richard Gwyn (1537-1592), a Welsh politician and Member of Parliament for Anglesey; Richard Gwyn (1834-1906), a Welsh-born Australian politician and Premier of Queensland; and David Gwyn (1930-2022), a Welsh-born Canadian politician and Member of Parliament for Winnipeg North.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gwyn

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gwyn.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gwyn was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gwyn has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gwyn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gwyn, please contact us.

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