Girl · #15,678 in 2026

Olwen

In Welsh mythology, Olwen is the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden and cousin of Goreu. She is the heroine of the story Culhwch and Olwen in the Mabinogion. Her father is fated to die if she ever marries, so when Culhwch comes to court her, he is given a series of immensely difficult tasks which he must complete before he can win her hand.

  • Welsh
  • Welsh Mythology
  • Arthurian Cycle
Current Rank
#15,678
Peak Rank
#2,552 (1917)
Total Babies
27
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1913
First Year
2018
Last Year
1917
Peak Year
#2552
Peak Rank
27
Total Count
4
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Olwen

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

In Welsh mythology, Olwen is the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden and cousin of Goreu. She is the heroine of the story Culhwch and Olwen in the Mabinogion. Her father is fated to die if she ever marries, so when Culhwch comes to court her, he is given a series of immensely difficult tasks which he must complete before he can win her hand.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Welsh
  • Welsh Mythology
  • Arthurian Cycle
Etymology
The meaning of the name Olwen is "white footprint" or "white track". According to legend, she was so gentle and fragile that white trefoils would grow in her footprints. Some authorities consider her to have been originally a solar goddess , based on the etymology of her name and light-related attributes. Professor John T. Koch states that "recent Welsh generally employs olwyn rather than rhod for 'wheel'."

The Story of Olwen

American parents first put Olwen on the record books as a baby girl name in 1913, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1917, when 12 Olwens were born — ranking #2,552 that year. About 81% of every Olwen on record arrived during the 1910s, its defining decade. Olwen last appeared in the published SSA data in 2018, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 27 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
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MI
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VT
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SD
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OH
PA
NJ
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Top 10
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No data

Variants & Related Forms of Olwen

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Olwen. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Olwen

Phonetically similar names — useful when Olwen 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 Olwen

What does the name Olwen mean?
In Welsh mythology, Olwen is the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden and cousin of Goreu. She is the heroine of the story Culhwch and Olwen in the Mabinogion. Her father is fated to die if she ever marries, so when Culhwch comes to court her, he is given a series of immensely difficult tasks which he must complete before he can win her hand.
What is the origin of the name Olwen?
Olwen has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Welsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle.
How popular is Olwen in 2026?
In 2026, Olwen ranks #15,678 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Olwen most popular?
Olwen reached its peak popularity in 1917, ranking #2,552 that year with 12 babies given the name.
Is Olwen a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Olwen is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Olwen?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Olwen include Hennie, Clevie, Hilja. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Olwen?
Common variants and related forms of Olwen include Olwin, Olwyn. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

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Hennie
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Clevie
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Hilja
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Latha
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Australia
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Palmyra
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Glenola
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About the name Olwen

Olwen is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1913 and has accumulated 27 births in the dataset. Olwen's peak popularity came in 1917 when it ranked #2,552. Use the chart and map above to compare Olwen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.