Olwyn
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
Meaning & Origin of Olwyn
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
Etymology
The Story of Olwyn
The earliest SSA record of Olwyn as a baby girl name dates back to 1917, when 5 babies received it. 1970 was its biggest year on record, with 6 newborns named Olwyn — #7,068 in the national rankings. About 27% of every Olwyn on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Olwyn last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 22 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Olwyn
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Olwyn. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Olwen
- Olwin
Names that sound like Olwyn
Phonetically similar names — useful when Olwyn 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 Olwyn
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About the name Olwyn
Olwyn is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1917 and has accumulated 22 births in the dataset. Olwyn's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #7,068. Use the chart and map above to compare Olwyn's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1970 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "O" →
- 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.