Gwen (given name)
| Gender | Female |
|---|---|
| Name day | 06. July |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | from Welsh Gwen, the feminine form of Gwyn ("white, bright, fair, pure, blessed, holy") |
| Meaning | "white, holy" |
| Region of origin | Wales |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Gwenn (Breton); Gwenno, Gwenog (medieval diminutives); Gwyn (masculine equivalent) |
Gwen is a Welsh feminine given name meaning "white, holy". It can also be a shortened form of Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere) or other names beginning with the same element, such as:
- Gwenhael, Gwenael, Gwenvael, Gwenaelle
- Gwenda (explained as a compound of gwen "white, pure, blessed, holy" + da "good, well")
- Gwendolen, Gwendoline, Gwendolyn
- Gweneira (from gwen "white" + eira "snow")
- Gwenfair (combination of gwen "blessed, holy" + -fair, soft mutation[disambiguation needed] of Mair "(the Virgin) Mary")
- Winefride (originally Gwenffrewi) (Breton: Gwenvred)
- Gwenfron (from gwen "white" + fron, mutated form of bron "breast"; cf. Bronwen)
- Gwenyth, Gwenith (identical to the Welsh word for "wheat")
- Gwenllian
- Gwennant (compound of gwen "white" + nant "stream, brook")
- Gwenola (modern feminized form of Breton Winwaloe)
Although superficially similar, Gwyneth has a different, albeit uncertain, etymological origin (likely either from Gwynedd or the Welsh gwynaeth, meaning joy, bliss or happiness).[1]
People[edit]
- Gwen Benaway (born 1987), Canadian poet and activist
- Gwen Berry (born 1989), American hammer thrower
- Gwen Bristow (1903–1980), American author and journalist
- Gwen Davis (born 1936), American novelist
- Gwen ferch Ellis (c. 1542 – 1594), the first recorded woman accused of witchcraft in Wales
- Gwen Guthrie (1950–1999), American singer
- Gwen Harwood (1920–1995), Australian poet
- Gwen Ifill (1955–2016), American journalist
- Gwen John (1876–1939), Welsh artist
- Gwen Jorgensen (born 1986), American world and Olympic champion triathlete
- Gwen Kelly (1922–2012), Australian novelist and short-story writer
- Gwen McCrae (born 1943), American singer
- Gwen Moore (born 1951), American politician
- Gwen Plumb (1912–2002), Australian performer
- Gwen Raverat (1885–1957), English wood engraving artist
- Gwen Sebastian (born 1974), American country-rock singer
- Gwen Shamblin, American author
- Gwen Smith, Trinidadian cricketer of the 1990s
- Gwen Somerset (1894–1988), New Zealand educator
- Gwen Stefani (born 1969), American pop-rock, Ska and R&B singer
- Gwen Verdon (1925–2000), American dancer and actress
Fictional characters[edit]
- Saint Gwen Teirbron (sometimes called Blanche in French sources)
- Gwen Choke, James Adams' deceased mother in the CHERUB novel series
- Gwen Cooper, one of the main protagonists in the television series Torchwood
- Gwen Grayson, a character in the movie Sky High (2005)
- Gwen Kindle, a character from the stop-motion series The Most Popular Girls in School
- Gwen Mallard, a little duck from Migration
- Gwen Meighen, an air stewardess from the 1968 novel Airport and its 1970 film adaptation
- Gwen Norbeck Munson, from the TV soap opera As the World Turns
- Gwen Raiden, from the TV series Angel
- Gwen Rizczech, from the American soap opera Days of Our Lives
- Gwen Runck, from the TV series That '90s Show
- Gwen Tennyson, from Cartoon Network's Ben 10 franchise
- Gwen West, a character from the TV sitcom Gavin & Stacey
- Gwen Hotchkiss Winthrop, from the American soap opera Passions
- Gwen Wu, a character from the Nickelodeon animated TV series The Mighty B!
- Gwen, a minor character from the American animated series Mission Hill
- Gwen, a character from the Canadian animated series Total Drama
- Gwen, a minor character from 6teen
- Gwen, a 2009 "Girl of the Year" doll from the American Girl collection
- Gwen, the recurring character from Johnny and the Sprites
- Gwen, a recurring character from Sam & Cat
- Gwen, a recurring character in the MMORPG Guild Wars, its expansion pack, and its sequel
- Gwen, the castle's kitchen maid from Sofia the First
- Gwen, a gunslinger hero in the video game Vainglory
- Gwendaline, a character from the movie Bad Moms
- Gwen (or Guinevere), from the British TV series Merlin
- Gwen, the Hallowed Seamstress, a playable champion character in the multiplayer online battle arena video game League of Legends
Marvel Entertainment[edit]
- Gwen Poole, the protagonist of the The Unbelievable Gwenpool comic book series
- Gwen Stacy (Earth-616), a love interest of Peter Parker (Spider-Man) in many of the Spider-Man comic book series
- Gwen Stacy (Earth-65), the superhero Spider-Woman in the Spider-Gwen comic book series
- Gwen Stacy / Spider-Woman, voiced by Hailee Steinfeld in the Spider-Verse films
- Gwen Stacy (The Amazing Spider-Man), portrayed by Emma Stone in the The Amazing Spider-Man films
- Gwen Stacy (Earth-65), the superhero Spider-Woman in the Spider-Gwen comic book series
- Gwen Warren / Spider-Girl, a superhero and member of the X-Men
See also[edit]
- Saint Wenna, also known as Gwen of Talgarth
- Saint Wenna (queen), also known as Gwen ferch Cynyr
References[edit]
This page or section lists people that share the same given name.
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