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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Names like Gwen

31 replies

PolarnOPirate · 02/12/2020 18:05

Totally imaginary DD but realised I freaking love the name Gwen. Also Jean. Also Imogene (not Imogen). Also Olive, actually. Non frilly and pretty darn cool, but not boyish. What kind of era are these? Are they even from the same era? Any other suggestions of the same ilk?

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Gremlinpoop · 03/12/2020 23:08

Every single name you listed I knew from my grandparents generation 1914-1920 birth scale.
Margaret
Joan
Gladys
Marjorie

KeeefBurtain · 03/12/2020 20:42

I love the name Gwen. My granny was a Gwendolen and I would have considered it for dd2, but ds2 is Leonard and I couldn’t have a Gwen and Len!

HalfBrick · 03/12/2020 20:35

Gloria
Faith
Prudence
Doris
Della
Wilma
Dot
Sylvia/Sylvie
Phyllis
Beth
Joyce
Joy
Verity
Yutha 🙂
Maud

Gwen can also be nickname of
Gwenno, Gwenllian,Gwennan

Go round your local graveyard, loads of strong female names from the old days.

MrsFionaCharming · 03/12/2020 20:26

I love Gwen, but am put off Gwendoline by Gwendoline Mary Lacey. I love it as short for Guinevere, but that strikes me as a hard name to pull off (and maybe slightly pretentious given my only knowledge of Arthurian legends comes from watching Merlin)

merlotormalbec · 03/12/2020 20:17

I love Gwen/Gwennie! Evan and Gwen are lovely together

merlotormalbec · 03/12/2020 20:16

@ghislaine I thought the same thing 🤣

joneybabe · 03/12/2020 19:58

Gertrude

ghislaine · 03/12/2020 18:43

Hi Mike!

ArseyWelshNameBore · 03/12/2020 16:03

It might be me, but I find that names are more sassy if they are not short for something e.g. Tess not Tessa. Kim not Kimberley, Ann(e) not Annette, Anna not Anna short for Annabel, Jill not Gillian, Meg not Megan/Margaret, Beth not Bethany etc.

Workwise, I know people who only get called the short version of their name - Tom, Ben, Dom, Jon, Liz, Alex etc. Presumably they are the long version on their BC.

Standrewsschool · 03/12/2020 16:02

All the Jeans and Joans I know are in their late 70s/80s.

Similar names:
Joyce
Betty
Edna
Iris
Mary
Doris
Edith
Ethel

ArseyWelshNameBore · 03/12/2020 15:37

Gwenaele. - it's Gwenaëlle
Guinevere
Gwenyth - it's Gwenith

Original poster
PolarnOPirate · 03/12/2020 15:33

It’s funny because I already have an Evan and we’re not Welsh so wonder if that would be weird.

OP posts:
ghislaine · 03/12/2020 15:11

Gwenno
Gwenaele
Guinevere
Gwenyth
Janette/Ginette
Genevieve

ArseyWelshNameBore · 03/12/2020 15:05

Gwendoline is a name of Welsh origin
It's the anglicised version of Gwendolen, which is pronounced Gwen-DOLL-enn.

Gwendoline/Gwendolyn also shortens to Wendy.

NatMoz · 03/12/2020 06:20

I always assumed Gwen was short for Gwendoline like in the Enid Blyton Malory Towers books

jessstan1 · 03/12/2020 03:41

I've known a couple of Gwens and they were lovely people but do remember it is short for Gwendoline and at least give her the full name so she has a choice when she grows up.

Gwendoline is a name of Welsh origin and means fair, blessed and holy; also 'white ring'.

I'd go for that, it is so charming and fairly unusual nowadays.

BeanieB2020 · 03/12/2020 03:11

Imogene is a real name. I know three.

Masssivefuckup · 03/12/2020 02:34

Agnes

Pumpkinstace · 03/12/2020 02:08

I wanted DD2 to be Gwen, her dad wouldn't let me.

She's Carys.

Poppins2016 · 03/12/2020 01:57

Tamsin
Willa
Robin

Seafog · 03/12/2020 01:55

I know of someone named Gwendolyn Jean, the names are lovely, and flow beautifully too

cookiesdippedincream · 03/12/2020 01:52

Gillian
Cynthia
Thomasin without the a
Cicely
Joyce
Marion
Agatha
Godelena
Peggy
Fanny
Amice
Susan
Kate
Drew
Zilla
Joan
Esther
Lenny
Phebe
Bertha
Jo
Tahnee
Gwyn
Lois
Red
Brenda

ArseyWelshNameBore · 02/12/2020 21:27

Ms Stefani is Gwen.

Gwen on it's own and not short for anything, is pretty popular in Wales.

If you want a long version, you could look at welsh and breton names, although why bother when it's a name in its own right.

Welsh names are usually problematic (pronunciation and spelling), but Gwen is not.

Original poster
PolarnOPirate · 02/12/2020 20:18

@ArseyWelshNameBore you make a good point re assuming it’s short for something, I can’t think of a long version I like. I wonder what G Stefani is officially 🤔 I like Joan, and June too.

@CaffiSaliMali Leah, Erin, Zara and Lois were on our lists when we had our boys, you have definitely gathered the gist of what I was after.

Thanks for all the new additions to my imaginary ‘next baby name’ list 😄

OP posts:
CaffiSaliMali · 02/12/2020 20:09

I like Gwen, it's nice and simple. Tess, Jane and Ruth are a good shout.

How about:
Megan
Leah
Anya
Nina
Erin
Eden
Wren
Zara
Lois

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