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 ' "white, pure, blessed, holy" + ' "good, well")
- Gwendolen, Gwendoline, Gwendolyn
- Gweneira (from gwen "white" + ' "snow")
- Gwenfair (combination of gwen "blessed, holy" + -fair, soft mutation of Mair, "(the Virgin) Mary"
- Winefride (originally Gwenffrewi) ()
- Gwenfron (from gwen "white" + ', mutated form of ' "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).
People
- Gwen Apuli (born 2003), Filipino singer and member of girl group Bini
- Gwen Benaway (born 1987), Canadian poet and activist
- Gwen Barlee (1963âÂÂ2017), Canadian environmental activist
- Gwen Berry (born 1989), American hammer thrower
- Gwen Bristow (1903âÂÂ1980), American author and journalist
- Gwen Carr (born 1949), American activist, public speaker, and author
- Gwen Davis (born 1936), American novelist
- Gwen Dickey (born 1953), American musician
- Gwen ferch Ellis (c. 1542 â 1594), the first recorded woman accused of witchcraft in Wales
- Gwen Farrar (1897âÂÂ1944), English musician, actress and comedian
- Gwen Fleming (1916âÂÂ2011), Australian doctor
- Gwen Frostic (1906âÂÂ2001), American artist, entrepreneur, and author
- Gwen Gillen (1941âÂÂ2017), American sculptor and artist
- Gwen Graham (born 1963), American lawyer and politician
- Gwen Guthrie (1950âÂÂ1999), American singer
- Gwen Hall (1951âÂÂ2006), American minister and activist
- Gwen Harwood (1920âÂÂ1995), Australian poet
- Gwen Heeney (1952âÂÂ2016), British sculptor
- Gwen Ifill (1955âÂÂ2016), American journalist
- Gwen John (1876âÂÂ1939), Welsh artist
- Gwen Jorgensen (born 1986), American world and Olympic champion triathlete
- Gwen Kelly (1922âÂÂ2012), Australian novelist and short-story writer
- Gwen Knapp (1961âÂÂ2023), American sports journalist
- Gwen Shamblin Lara (1955âÂÂ2021), American founder of the Remnant Fellowship Cult and The Weigh Down Workshop
- Gwen Lee (1904âÂÂ1961), American actress
- Gwen Margolis (1934âÂÂ2020), American politician
- Gwen Marston (1936âÂÂ2019), American quilter, teacher, lecturer, and author
- Gwen McCrae (born 1943), American singer
- Gwen Meredith (1907âÂÂ2006), Australian writer, dramatist and playwright, and radio writer
- Gwen Moore (born 1951), American politician
- Gwen Nagel (1946âÂÂ2009), New Zealand cricketer and international cricket umpire
- Gwen Ngwenya (born 1989), South African academic and politician
- Gwen O'Mahony (born 1972), Canadian politician
- Gwen Plumb (1912âÂÂ2002), Australian performer
- Gwen van Poorten (born 1989), Dutch television presenter
- Gwen Ramokgopa, South African politician
- Gwen Raverat (1885âÂÂ1957), English wood engraving artist
- Gwen Rix (1918âÂÂ2000), New Zealand diver
- Gwen Richardson (1894âÂÂ1944), Australian actress and travel writer
- Gwen Sebastian (born 1974), American country-rock singer
- Gwen Shamblin, American author
- Gwen Smith, Trinidadian cricketer of the 1990s
- Gwen Somerset (1894âÂÂ1988), New Zealand educator
- Gwen Stefani (born 1969), American pop-rock, Ska and R&B singer
- Gwen Svekis (born 1996), American softball player
- Gwen Teirbron, Sixth century Breton saint
- Gwen Torrence (born 1965), American sprinter and Olympic champion
- Gwen Verdon (1925âÂÂ2000), American dancer and actress
- Gwen Walz (born 1966), American civic leader and educator
- Gwen Watford (1927âÂÂ1994), English actress
Fictional characters
- 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 Cummings, character in 28 Days
- 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 Stacy, character found in American comic books published by Marvel Comics
- Gwen Stacy, fictional character in Marc Webb's Amazing Spider-Man films
- 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 non-playable Mii opponent in the Wii series
- 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 ', 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
See also
References