Bronwen
Bronwen is a Welsh feminine given name. It is closely associated with the similar name Branwen, which appears in medieval Welsh literature. Used in Wales since the 19th century, it was introduced to the English-speaking public at large by a character in the Richard Llewellyn novel How Green Was My Valley (1939).
Meaning & Origin of Bronwen
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Bronwen is a Welsh feminine given name. It is closely associated with the similar name Branwen, which appears in medieval Welsh literature. Used in Wales since the 19th century, it was introduced to the English-speaking public at large by a character in the Richard Llewellyn novel How Green Was My Valley (1939).
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Bronwen
Bronwen first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1941, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1980, when 25 Bronwens were born — ranking #3,318 that year. As of 2026, Bronwen ranks #10,377 for baby girls with 9 births, with steady use. In total, more than 862 Bronwens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Bronwen
Phonetically similar names — useful when Bronwen is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bronwen
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About the name Bronwen
Bronwen is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1941 and has accumulated 862 births in the dataset. Bronwen's peak popularity came in 1980 when it ranked #3,318. Use the chart and map above to compare Bronwen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1980 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.