Girls' name · since 1940
Gwendalyn
Gwendalyn has 1,207 recorded births since 1940 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2008 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6,588 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #6,598 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,207
- born since 1940
- 2000s
- peak decade
Yes -- Gwendalyn is the #6598 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 1,207 recorded since 1940.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gwendalyn has been recorded 1,207 times among girls since 1940, currently ranked #6598 nationally and more common than 62% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1940 to 2025.
- #6,588 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #6,598 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 1,207 born since 1940
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gwendalyn ranks #6,588 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,598 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 1,207 born since 1940, peaking in the 2000s.
- #6,588 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #6,598 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,207
- born since 1940
- 2000s
- peak decade
Gwendalyn's 1,207 recorded births place it above 90.88% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
7 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Gwendalyn compares
1,207 Top 29% higher than 71% of 17,297 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
Gwendalyn's all-time total is 3x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gwendalyn | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,207 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 48 | 21 | 19,840 |
Gwendalyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Gwendalyn's SSA record in two at 1985 and the more recent half accounts for 74% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 26%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1940, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2008 peak of 48, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Gwendalyn popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1940–2025
- Peak year (2008)
- 48
- Annual births at peak, across 86 years of records
Gwendalyn by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (342 births, 28% of the file).
2000s was Gwendalyn's strongest decade.
342 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Gwendalyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 34
1940s
34 births
- 1950s 88
1950s
88 births
- 1960s 70
1960s
70 births
- 1970s 85
1970s
85 births
- 1980s 61
1980s
61 births
- 1990s 100
1990s
100 births
- 2000s
2000s
342 births
- 2010s
2010s
303 births
- 2020s 124
2020s
124 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 342 births (28% of all-time use).
How Gwendalyn 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 Gwendalyn's total volume
Gwendalyn by state
Where Gwendalyn concentrates geographically, total births since 1940
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 43 | 3.6% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 19 | 1.6% |
| #3 | Texas | | 11 | 0.9% |
| #4 | Wisconsin | | 6 | 0.5% |
| #5 | Arizona | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #7 | Utah | | 5 | 0.4% |
43 of 1,207 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Gwendalyn's data
- Gwendalyn's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (342 total births) through the 2020s (124) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Gwendalyns (43 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gwendalyn
Nearby Names Like Gwendalyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gwendalyn
Compare Gwendalyn side by side: Gwendalyn vs Gwendolyn Gwendalyn vs Gwen Gwendalyn vs Gwenyth
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gwendalyn
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Gwendalyn: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2008)
Similar record span (~85 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1940–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Gwendalyn 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 August 2026.