| Gwendolyn | |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | ɡwɛndəlɪn |
| Gender | Female |
| Meaning | White Ring, Fair Bow |
| Language of Origin | Welsh |
| Related names | Gwendolen, Gwendoline, Wendy, Gwen |
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Look up Gwendolyn in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Gwendolyn (pronounced /ˈɡwɛndəlɪn/) is a Welsh female first name, derived from Gwendolen.
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Meaning
Gwendolyn is derived from the Welsh words "gwen" and "dolen" or "dolyn". Both words have multiple possible meanings. The word "gwen" can mean "white", "fair" or "blessed"[1]. The word "dolen" can mean "ring"[1], "bow"[2] or less commonly "brow"[3], "moon"[4] or "hair"[5]. Thus, Gwendolyn may mean "White Ring", "Fair Bow" or any other combination.
History
The name Gwendolyn is thought to stem from the name Gwendoloena, who was a fictional female character in Historia Regum Britanniae written by Geoffrey of Monmouth in 1135. It is believed that Geoffrey misread the masculine Old Welsh name Guendoleu as Guendolen, and then chose to Latinize it.[6] There is speculation that the name Guendolen was used as a Welsh woman's name in the Middle Ages, but there is no concrete proof. The first records of a real person being named Gwendolen appear in the 19th century. Gwendoline was in use in England in the 1860s, and Gwendolen appeared in Daniel Deronda, written by George Eliot and published in serialized form 1874-6.[6]
Famous People
- Gwendolyn B. Bennett (1902-1981) American writer
- Gwendolyn Bradley American soprano
- Gwendolyn T. Britt (1941-2008) American Democratic politician
- Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) American poet
- Gwendolyn Faison American Democratic politician
- Gwendolyn Audrey Foster American Professor
- Gwendolyn Graham (1963-) American serial killer
- Gwendolyn Garcia (1955-) Philippine politician
- Gwendolyn Holbrow (1957-) American artist
- Gwendolyn King American businesswoman
- Gwendolyn Knight (1914-2005) American sculptor
- Gwendolyn Lau American voice actress
- Gwendolyn Lycett British figure skater
- Gwendolyn MacEwen (1941-1987) Canadian novelist and poet
- Gwendolyn Osborne British model and actress
- Gwendolyn Sanford American singer-songwriter
- Gwendolyn Zepeda (1971-) American Author
Fictional Characters
- Gwendolyn "Gwen" Stacy A supporting character in the Spider-man series
See Also
- Gwen, including list of alternate spellings and related names.
- Gwendolen
- Gwendoline
References
- ^ a b Behind the Name: Gwendolen
- ^ 20,000 Names: Female Welsh
- ^ Parenthood.com
- ^ Babe Name Network
- ^ Baby Name Box: Gwendolyn
- ^ a b Academy of St. Gabriel analysis of Gwendolyn
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