Holding steady, #10,917 for girls today.
Popularity of Gwendoline since 1893
Babies named Gwendoline per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1924, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Gwendoline's real moment was 1903.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 10 |
| 1900s | 20 |
| 1910s | 37 |
| 1920s | 71 |
| 1930s | 5 |
| 1940s | 23 |
| 1950s | 36 |
| 1960s | 28 |
| 1970s | 6 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 17 |
| 2000s | 7 |
| 2010s | 46 |
| 2020s | 52 |
Meaning & origin
Gwendoline is a rare Welsh name that peaked in popularity in 1903, its highest year of usage. In 2025 it ranked 10,917, with only about 1 in every 200,908 babies receiving the name, reflecting a stable pattern after decades of decline. The name first appeared in U.S. records in 1893, and its early 20th-century peak places it among the traditional Welsh revivals. Though not currently in wide use, Gwendoline retains a classic literary and historical charm.
The name Gwendoline is a variant of Gwendolen, derived from Welsh gwen meaning 'white, fair, blessed' and dolen meaning 'ring, bow' or dolen meaning 'loop, link'. It appears in medieval Welsh legend and was revived in the 19th century, partly through literary use in works such as Tennyson's 'The Passing of Arthur' (1842) where it is the name of a character. The spelling Gwendoline became common in English-speaking countries, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
“Gwendoline” around the world
Where Gwendoline lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
20
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Gwen, Wendy, Linnie, Dolly
Sibling names for Gwendoline
Names that share Gwendoline's style, for a brother or sister.
