Gwendolyn
/ˈɡwɛn.də.lɪn/noun
A female given name of Welsh origin.
Did you know?Gwendolyn is a modern English form influenced by Welsh names built on *gwen* (“white, fair, blessed”), a root that also appears in names like Gwendolen and Guinevere.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic
PCelt
*windos
“white, fair, blessed”
Old Welsh
OWelsh
gwen
“white, fair, blessed; feminine form of the adjective”
Medieval Welsh
Welsh
Gwendolen
“a female personal name, traditionally associated with 'white ring' or 'fair bow' in later interpretations”
19th Century
English
Gwendolen
“adopted into English as a literary and personal name”
Modern English
English
Gwendolyn
“a female given name, a spelling variant of Gwendolen”