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Gender: F Meaning of Gwendolyn: "white ring" Origin of Gwendolyn: Variation of Gwendolen, Welsh Gwendolyn's Popularity in 2013: #472

One spelling variation that's more popular than the original, this somewhat old fashioned name might be in honor of poet Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African-American to win a Pulitzer prize for poetry, or may be a way to get to the modern short form Gwen.

In the Oscar Wilde play, the character's name is spelled the traditional Welsh way, Gwendolen, as it was for one of the principal characters in George Eliot's Daniel Deronda, and Gwendolen was also Merlin's wife in Arthurian legend.

Famous People Named Gwendolyn

Gwendolyn "Gwen" Ifill, American TV journalist
Gwendolyn Bennett, American poet and fiction writer
Gwendolyn Bradley, American operatic soprano
Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks, American poet
Gwendolyn Margaret MacEwen, Canadian poet and novelist
Gwendolyn Elaine Armstrong, American civil rights activist
Gwendolyn Fiel Garcia, Filipina politician
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Guthrie, American singer-songwriter
Gwendolyn King, American businesswoman and Social Security administrator
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Watts, English actress
Gwendolyn Lee "Gwen" Byrd, daughter of singer Tammy Wynette

Pop Culture References for the Name Gwendolyn

Gwendolyn, Merlin's wife in some Arthurian legends
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Tennyson, character in animated series Ben-10
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Stacy, character in the Spider-Man series
Gwendolyn "Winnie" Cooper, a main character on TV's "The Wonder Years"
Gwendolyn Post, character on TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Thompson, character in American Girl film "Chrissa Stands Strong"
Gwendolyn Shepherd, character in the German Gem Trilogy
Gwendolyn Sommerset, character in video game "Ravenhearst "
Gwendolyn, character in video game "Odin Sphere "
Gwendolyn, Princess of Treecrest, character in "The Wide-Awake Princess" by E. D. Baker

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