Battle of the Gwens 🪻

[winterlyricalfox]

Hi Berries!!

My partner and I (not expecting) agree on a lot of names, but one name category we both absolutely love is Gwen- names. However, we can’t decide which we like more, and would realistically use multiple if they weren’t too close!!
I figured I would discuss our/my thoughts on a few Gwen- names, and then hear which you think are right for us! Also, suggestions are always welcome

Can’t wait to hear what you all think!!

Part 0: Background

Here are some other names both me and my partner love, just so you can get an idea for the kind of names we usually go for!!

Girls:
Augusta
Crescentia
Lavinia
Amaryllis
Beatrice
Cressida
Leocadia
Marsaili
Zelda
Rosalind

Boys:
Daphnis
Lysander
Laertes
Lydian
Llewellyn
Ilya
Valentine

On another note: in my accent, Gwen & Gwyn are pronounced essentially the same, so I have no preference for one over the other!! I also know Gwyn is typically the male spelling in Welsh, but I am unbothered by this

Part 1: The Likely Contenders

Gwendolen
I have loved the name Gwendolyn ever since I was little!! I just adore her sounds and look. Gwendolen is how we’d spell it (same pn as Gwendolyn, they sound the same in my accent) because it feels a little more whimsical and mythological, which is a great way to describe our style!!

Pros:

• Gives easy route to Gwen nickname
• More familiar and easy (may also be a con)
• Also offers Leni as a nickname, which I adore

Cons:

• Spelling may be confused for Gwendolyn
• May be a little too tame next to my other names

Guinevere
She’s a newer love of mine, but a love nonetheless! I love her medieval vibe and gravitas, as well as the general sparkly feeling she gives.

Pros:

• Fits really well with our other names
• Steeped in literary history

Cons:

• Much more stretchy to get the nn Gwen (I do not love Guin and would still use the Gwen spelling)
• Too grand / out-there to use on a real child?

Part 2: The Up-and-Comers

Gwyneira
I absolutely love the look and feel of this name!! Her imagery is so stunning and her meaning is absolutely beautiful, I’m just not sure how well she fits with my other names

Pros:

• Very uncommon but still a legit name
• Offers very easy path to the nickname Gwyn / Gwynnie

Cons:

• Pronunciation: I say her like Gweh-NEER-uh, although i think the official pn is Gweh-NAY-ruh, which I do not like nearly as much. I would likely roll with my personal pronunciation
• Not sure how well she fits alongside my other names

Gwynrose
A smash-name invention of my own, I love how feminine and gentle she feels. However, she is far from my partner’s favorite, and I worry that she would always be “just Gwyn” in the way that so many double-barrell / compound names get reduced

Pros:

• Very uncommon, unlikely to ever meet anyone else with the name
• Easy route to Gwyn nickname

Cons:

• Does not have history as a name
• People may think it’s Gwen-Rose rather than being a full name
• Partner does not love her

Gwenora / Gwennora
Undecided on spelling, but I’ve been really digging her lately!! I think she’s the perfect blend of uncommon yet heard-of, and is just so pretty!!

Pros:

• Still very uncommon in the U.S.
• Offers easy route to Gwen

Cons:

• Feel like I would naturally nickname her Nora rather than Gwen, which I don’t love nearly as much
• Potential spelling confusion
• May be a little lackluster next to my other names

Gwenna
Even though she’s oh-so-different from my other, more grandiose names, I just love the simplicity of sweet Gwenna! Darling as she may be, is she maybe a little too simple next to my other names?

Pros:

• Super easy route to Gwen nickname
• Much less “fussy” than the other names on this list in terms of understandibility

Cons:

• Much less grand than my other favorites
• Gwenna may already be a natural nickname for some of the other names, so why deprive her of more name?

Part 3: The Unlikely Wild Cards

Gwenllian
I actually quite like the look of this name, and really like the history behind her. However, I fear the Welsh pronunciation will be the death of her chances (unless I decide to just give her a totally different pronunciation, which I am meh on at the moment)

Pros:

• Easy route to Gwen nickname
• When pronounced like I say it (GWEN-lee-ehn) has a very nice lilt and rhythm to it
• Very uncommon where I live, and likely to get the pronunciation that I like (rather than the traditional pn)

Cons:

• Traditional Welsh pronunciation is nothing like how I say it, and I would essentially be butchering the name

Gwenaëlle
A name I discovered only recently that I do adore, but she comes with a cost of problems including the umlaut over the e and a tough pronunication.

Pros:

• Easy route to Gwen nickname
• Amazing meaning
• Feels very princess-y and bold

Cons:

• Spelling would be incredibly difficult and would have to decide whether or not to drop the umlaut officially
• Very far from being my partner’s favorite

Gwyneth
I actually quite like sweet simple Gwyneth, but I fear she is a little too common / run-of-the-mill / tied to certain celebrities to truly make the cut.

Pros:

• Easy route to the nickname Gwyn
• Familiar to the general public

Cons:

• VERY tied to Gwyneth Paltrow
• A little too simple next to my other names

Part 4: The Most Likely Nos
This section will just be a list with no explanations!!

Gwyniveth
Gwenore
Gwenno
“Just” Gwen / Gwyn
Gwenonwy
Gwenda
Gwenola

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With all that being said…

My favorite Gwen/Gwyn name for you comes from:

• Part 1: The Likely Contenders
• Part 2: The Up-and-Comers
• Part 3: The Unlikely Wild Cards
• Part 4: The Most Likely Nos

Vote for all the Gwen / Gwyn names you like for me:

• Gwendolen
• Guinevere
• Gwyneira
• Gwynrose
• Gwenora (Spelling 1)
• Gwennora (Spelling 2)
• Gwenna
• Gwenllian
• Gwenaëlle
• Gwyneth

Vote for your favorite Gwen / Gwyn for me:

• Gwendolen
• Guinevere
• Gwyneira
• Gwynrose
• Gwenora (Spelling 1)
• Gwennora (Spelling 2)
• Gwenna
• Gwenllian
• Gwenaëlle
• Gwyneth

If you made it all the way here, thank you so much!! I would love to hear any thoughts or suggestions, whatever comes to mind!! Thank you again for being the best, most amazingly supportive community

[kachenka]

[name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] every time.

[name_f][/name_f]

She’s a great style match for your girl list which leans vintage. Your boy list is more varied and unfamiliar but she’s still a good match with a lot of names.

[name_f][/name_f]

Almost all of these [name_f]Gwen[/name_f] names will have spelling challenges – [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] is rather straightforward.

[tallemaja]

It’s maybe the less exciting answer, but looking at all your pros and cons, it feels like the names you already consider likely contenders are the best choice!

[name_f][/name_f]

[name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] seems pretty close to perfect – I don’t think the spelling would be too troublesome to correct, and I love the personal significance she has for you! As for your comment about her not going with your other names, it depends? [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] and [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] are amazing together, for instance. So yes, [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] may seem a bit safe next to [name_f]Crescentia[/name_f] or [name_m]Laertes[/name_m], but she works reallg well with other favourites! And either way I think as long as she has a more dramatic middle, or her sibling(s) also have a usable nickname to go by, it’s fine! [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] may be less adventurous than [name_f]Amaryllis[/name_f], but when you think of them as [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] “Gwen” and [name_f]Amaryllis[/name_f] “Lissy” for example, it really ties them together nicely!

[name_f][/name_f]

On [name_f]Guinevere[/name_f]: I don’t really see the same issues you do? [name_f]Guinevere[/name_f] “Gwen” feels natural enough, especially since [name_f]Gwen[/name_f] is by far the most familiar spelling of the name. I spell my nickname differently from my legal first name (it ends in -sileia but I go by Silia, without the E) and it’s never really been an issue. I don’t think most people think about things like that! As for your concern about [name_f]Guinevere[/name_f] being too grand or out there [name_f][/name_f]— mayyyybe with [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] and [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], but with everything else? I honestlh think she’s less[name_f][/name_f] dramatic and out-there than most other names on your list!

[name_f][/name_f]

I do generally agree with your cons on the other names, and consider them to be dealbreakers.

[name_f][/name_f]

That said! I do want to also throw in my support for an unlikely contender, [name_f]Gwenna[/name_f]! I think this name is a situation where more is less? [name_m]Just[/name_m] because a name is shorter or a nickname for another, it doesn’t make it lesser! I mean, something like [name_f]Greta[/name_f] has its own aesthetic and vibe entirely different from [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] or [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] “Greta”! And I think it’s the same situation here. I really like Gwenna’s sound and feel, there’s something about it, very… I guess I’d say mystical in an understated way! She feels strong and solid as a stand-alone, and I think she’d be perfect next to some of your shorter or more familiar loves.

[Greyblue]

What a tough decision!

[name_f][/name_f]

[name_f]My[/name_f] favourite options for you:

[name_f][/name_f]

[name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f]: clunky and charming, but with elegance too. I love the multiple nickname options [name_f][/name_f]- [name_f]Gwen[/name_f], [name_f]Leni[/name_f], [name_f]Dolly[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]- and while it might be ‘tamer’ than [name_m]Laertes[/name_m], [name_f]Lydian[/name_f] and [name_f]Crescentia[/name_f], I think it holds its own, and fits well with the others

[name_f][/name_f]

[name_f]Guinevere[/name_f]: majestic and powerful, with poetic, mystical vibes, fits in with your other names, and has multiple nickname options. I think [name_f]Guinevere[/name_f] ‘Gwen’ works [name_f][/name_f]- the first time either really came to my awareness was on a show with a character called [name_f]Guinevere[/name_f] ‘Gwen’ (that spelling) [name_f][/name_f]- so it feels intuitive to me. The nickname makes the choice feel more grounded, as does the familiarity of fames like [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f], [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f], [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f], [name_f]Juniper[/name_f] etc.

[name_f][/name_f]

Gwen(n)ora: magical but cosy, familiar yet bold [name_f][/name_f]- I’d go with [name_f]Gwen[/name_f] over [name_f]Nora[/name_f], and I think others might too [name_f][/name_f]- ‘first syllable’ nicknames are used more frequently? I ultimately prefer the other two for you but I do really love this name.