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Home › Baby Names Directory › Conway

Conway

♂ Boy

Pronounced KON-way /ˈkɑn.weɪ/Medium

Meaning: From the River Conwy; or Gaelic 'yellow hound'Medium

In 30 seconds: Conway has two competing explanations: a Welsh place name from the River Conwy, or a Gaelic phrase meaning 'yellow hound'.
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Origin MediumIrish, Welsh
MeaningFrom the River Conwy; or Gaelic 'yellow hound'
U.S. rank (2025)#1287 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births152 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2025
Total births (all-time)≈ 2,921

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202518812025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Sources split on where Conway really comes from, so its meaning is genuinely disputed. One line traces it to the River Conwy in Wales, making it a place name carried into use as a personal name. Another reads it as Gaelic for 'yellow hound'. Both fit its broadly Celtic background, but neither can be called the single correct answer.

Either way, the name has a brisk, two-beat sound that works as easily as a surname as a first name. Its water-and-place association gives it an outdoorsy, geographic flavor.

Did you know? Conway likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Conway — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Conway Twitty (1933-1993)
    American country music singer
  • ★Conway Savage (1960-2018)
    Australian musician with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

If you like Conway…

Cullen— lands in the same popularity range
Coleman— lands in the same popularity range
Ciaran— shares Conway's Irish roots
Brennan— another Irish name
Bryant— a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Conway

By themeenglishsurname-style
By meaningSea / Water

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Conway mean?

Conway is usually explained as meaning 'foremost water' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Conway?

It's commonly said KON-way /ˈkɑn.weɪ/.

Is Conway a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Conway is used as a boy name.

How popular is Conway?

In 2024, Conway ranked #1526 in the U.S. for boys, with 115 births recorded.

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