The baby name Olwen is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced Welsh IPA: /ˈɔl.wɛn/; English respelling: "OL-wen" (OL like 'all'/'awl').
Olwen is Welsh in Origin.
The baby name Olwen is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced Welsh IPA: /ˈɔl.wɛn/; English respelling: "OL-wen" (OL like 'all'/'awl').
Olwen is Welsh in Origin.
Olwen is a Welsh feminine name from ol "track, footprint" and gwen, the feminine of gwyn "white, fair, blessed." It is famously borne by the heroine of the medieval tale Culhwch and Olwen in the Mabinogion: wherever she walks, white clover springs beneath her feet, underscoring the literal sense "white footprint/track" and the broader aura of purity and good fortune.
Long preserved in Welsh tradition, Olwen entered wider use during the late 19th to early 20th-century Celtic revival and remains uncommon beyond Wales and England. Variants and related forms include Olwyn (a used spelling, though etymologically "wheel" in Welsh), the Breton Olwenn, and diminutives like Wen or Wenna; it is also cognate with the Gwen/Gwyn family (Gwendolen, Gwenllian). Notable bearers include Lady Olwen Carey Evans, Olwen Wymark, and Olwen Fouere. Olwen evokes nature, myth, and quiet radiance - an old-world choice with crisp, two-syllable simplicity.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | Girls | 2017 | #1 | — | 949 |
| CY | Girls | 0 | #124 | 2 | 3,755 |
| LU | Girls | 0 | #190 | 1 | 4,850 |
| QA | Girls | 0 | #343 | 1 | 15,378 |
| MY | 0 | #354 | 1 | 12,352 | |
| France | Boys | 2021 | #384 | 4 | 2,865 |
| France | Girls | 2020 | #391 | 4 | 3,215 |
| ZA | 0 | #474 | 1 | 14,421 | |
| TN | 0 | #865 | 1 | 13,765 | |
| United States | Girls | 2018 | #921 | 5 | 9,057 |
| CO | Boys | 0 | #981 | 1 | 15,656 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #1,014 | 1 | 25,931 |
| MX | Boys | 0 | #1,032 | 2 | 16,355 |
| MY | Girls | 0 | #1,071 | 2 | 24,821 |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1,128 | 14 | 25,928 |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,267 | 6 | 25,619 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,691 | 1 | 28,008 |
Olwen is popular in 11 countries — most recent births per country:
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