Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn is a feminine given name, a variant spelling of Gwendolen. This has been the most popular spelling in the United States.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Gwendolyn
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Gwendolyn is a feminine given name, a variant spelling of Gwendolen. This has been the most popular spelling in the United States.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Gwendolyn
American parents first put Gwendolyn on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1953, when 3,518 Gwendolyns were born — ranking #112 that year. About 26% of every Gwendolyn on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Gwendolyn ranks #378 for baby girls with 802 births, holding steady (-3%). All told, over 125K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Gwendolyn
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Gwendolyn. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Gwendolyn
Phonetically similar names — useful when Gwendolyn is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Gwendolen
- Gwendoline
- Wendelin
- Gondola
- Dwindling
- Grendel
- Gondolier
- Groundling
- Gwenda
- Condoling
- Quinlin
- Glendening
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gwendolyn
What does the name Gwendolyn mean?
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How popular is Gwendolyn in 2026?
When was Gwendolyn most popular?
In which U.S. states is Gwendolyn most popular?
Is Gwendolyn a unisex name?
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About the name Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 125K births in the dataset. Gwendolyn's peak popularity came in 1953 when it ranked #112. Use the chart and map above to compare Gwendolyn's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1953 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- 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.