Gwendolyn is a distinctive choice, ranked #1362 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Gwendolyn in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#1362
US Rank #360
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About the Name Gwendolyn
2024 marks Gwendolyn's peak year in UK records so far, sitting at UK #1036. The name has climbed 1413 places in the last five years — a significant surge by any measure. The name has been a regular feature in UK records since 1996.
Gwendolyn is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Gwendolyn in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #393, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn Ann Smith — Gwendolyn Smith is an American transgender woman from the San Francisco Bay Area who co-founded Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to memorialize people who have been killed as a result of transphobia.
Gwendolyn Masin — Gwendolyn Masin is a Dutch and Irish violinist, musicologist, author, and educator.
Gwendolyn Sontheim Meyer — Gwendolyn Sontheim Meyer is an American billionaire heiress and equestrian.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Gwendolyn
Unlikely. With around 23 UK babies named Gwendolyn per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Gwendolyn in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Gwendolyn is rising: up 1,087 places since 2020, to #1,362 in 2025. Its best recorded position was #1,036 in 2024.
Gwendolyn is more popular in the US (#393) than in the UK (#1036). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Gwendolyn include: Gwendolyn Ann Smith, Gwendolyn Masin and Gwendolyn Sontheim Meyer. Short summaries for each appear below.
Gwendolyn appears in the US top 500 at #393 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
23
UK babies named Gwendolyn (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 1087 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Gwendolyn
Almost certainly the only Gwendolyn in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Gwendolyn
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Gwendolyn Smith is an American transgender woman from the San Francisco Bay Area who co-founded Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to memorialize people who have been killed as a result of transphobia.