Total births
32,617
Girls' name · since 1890
Gwen
Since 1890, U.S. Social Security records show 32,617 babies named Gwen, peaking in 1959. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #698
- among girls today
- 32,617
- born since 1890
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Gwen currently ranks #698 among girls' names in America, with 32,617 babies recorded since 1890.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gwen has been recorded 32,617 times among girls since 1890, currently ranked #698 nationally and more common than 96% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1890 to 2025.
- #698 among girls today
- 32,617 born since 1890
- 1950s peak decade
- 96% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gwen is currently the #698 girls' name in America, more common than 96% of girls - 32,617 born since 1890, peaking in the 1950s.
- #698
- among girls today
- 32,617
- born since 1890
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Gwen vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#698
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 96% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Gwen was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
942 babies were named Gwen in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Gwen compares
32,617 Top 4% higher than 96% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Gwen's all-time total is 85x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gwen | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 32,617 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 942 | 48 | 19,840 |
Gwen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Gwen's SSA record in two at 1959 and the more recent half accounts for 54% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 46%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1892, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1959 peak of 942, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Gwen at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1959
Current rank
#698
Active since
1890
Gwen popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1890–2025
- Peak year (1959)
- 942
- Annual births at peak, across 136 years of records
Gwen popularity over time - boys
294 total births recorded since 1916 (Gwen as boys' name)
Gwen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Gwen's strongest decade.
6,780 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Gwen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 60
1890s
60 births
- 1900s 186
1900s
186 births
- 1910s 716
1910s
716 births
- 1920s 1,337
1920s
1,337 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,808 births
- 1940s
1940s
4,050 births
- 1950s
1950s
6,780 births
- 1960s
1960s
5,961 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,753 births
- 1980s 1,071
1980s
1,071 births
- 1990s 512
1990s
512 births
- 2000s 1,453
2000s
1,453 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,817 births
- 2020s 2,113
2020s
2,113 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 6,780 births (21% of all-time use).
How Gwen compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Gwen's total volume
Gwen vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Gwen by state
Where Gwen concentrates geographically, total births since 1890
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,812 | 8.6% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 1,944 | 6.0% |
| #3 | New York | | 1,797 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 1,684 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Texas | | 1,636 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 1,437 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 1,390 | 4.3% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 1,224 | 3.8% |
California share of Gwen's total US births 8.6%
Even split
2,812 of 32,617 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Gwen appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gwen? ▼
Gwen has been given to 32,617 babies in the U.S. since 1890, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #698 as of the latest data. 942 babies were born in 1959, its single highest year.
When was Gwen most popular? ▼
Gwen was most popular in the 1950s decade with 6,780 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Gwen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gwen are California (2,812 births), Pennsylvania (1,944 births), New York (1,797 births).
How long has the name Gwen been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Gwen since 1890 -- 136 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Gwen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gwendolyn, Gwenyth, Gwenda, Gwenn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Gwen's data
- Gwen's decade-level peak was the 1950s (6,780 total births); usage has since declined to 2,113 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Gwens (2,812 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gwen
Nearby Names Like Gwen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gwen
Gwendolyn Girl
#393 124,385 births
Gwenyth Girl
#3136 3,268 births
Gwenda Girl
2,264 births
Gwenn Girl
1,502 births
Gwendolynn Girl
#5465 1,454 births
Compare Gwen side by side: Gwen vs Gwendolyn Gwen vs Gwenyth Gwen vs Gwenda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gwen
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1890–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gwen: #698 Girls' Name - 32,617 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gwen. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Gwen draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.