Gwendolyn
Girl name · #360 in 2025 · Distinctive
In 2025, 848 baby girls were named Gwendolyn, placing it at #360 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #405, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,123 girls born in 2025 was named Gwendolyn.
Babies named Gwendolyn per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Gwendolyn first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1953, when 3,519 girls were named Gwendolyn — good for #112 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Gwendolyn against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Gwendolyn in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Gwendolyn is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Gwendolyn is most common
Geography matters for names, and Gwendolyn is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Gwendolyn is most common in OR (1.7 per 1,000), UT (1.5 per 1,000), IN (1.4 per 1,000), OH (1.4 per 1,000), MO (1.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.7 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Gwendolyn is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Gwendolyn
Statistically, parents drawn to Gwendolyn tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Marilyn, Rosalyn, Roslyn, Carolyn, and Carmen.
MarilynRosalynRoslynCarolynCarmenGwenRosemaryCatherine
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Gwendolyn | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 848 | #360 |
| 2024 | 804 | #393 |
| 2023 | 814 | #378 |
| 2022 | 802 | #389 |
| 2021 | 794 | #397 |
| 2020 | 820 | #378 |
| 2019 | 852 | #370 |
| 2018 | 845 | #371 |
| 2017 | 822 | #377 |
| 2016 | 826 | #402 |
| 2015 | 791 | #405 |
| 2014 | 764 | #422 |
| 2013 | 651 | #471 |
| 2012 | 592 | #514 |
| 2011 | 513 | #565 |
| 2010 | 518 | #561 |
| 2009 | 522 | #582 |
| 2008 | 527 | #589 |
| 2007 | 455 | #651 |
| 2006 | 458 | #628 |
| 2005 | 508 | #564 |
| 2004 | 476 | #590 |
| 2003 | 458 | #597 |
| 2002 | 453 | #576 |
| 2001 | 374 | #670 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Gwendolyn a popular girl name?
Gwendolyn ranked #360 among girls in 2025 with 848 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #405.
When was the name Gwendolyn most popular?
Gwendolyn peaked in 1953, when 3,519 American girls received the name (ranked #112 that year). Since 1953 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Gwendolyn?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,123 newborn American girls was named Gwendolyn. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.