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Home › Baby Names Directory › Guenevere

Guenevere

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Guenevere

Pronounced GWEN-uh-veer /ˈɡwɛn.ə.vɪər/Low

Meaning: Guenevere is a spelling of Guinevere, from the Welsh Gwenhwyfar, joining gwen, 'white, fair, or blessed,' with a second element meaning 'phantom' or 'spirit,' hence 'fair phantom.' She is King Arthur's queen in the legends. This older-looking Guenevere spelling keeps the Welsh roots and the Arthurian association intact.Low

In 30 seconds: Guenevere is a rare variant of Guinevere, Welsh for 'fair phantom' and the name of King Arthur's queen. It peaked in the early nineteen-seventies (said GWEN-uh-veer).
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Origin LowWelsh
MeaningGuenevere is a spelling of Guinevere, from the Welsh Gwenhwyfar, joining gwen, 'white, fair, or blessed,' with a second element meaning 'phantom' or 'spirit,' hence 'fair phantom.' She is King Arthur's queen in the legends. This older-looking Guenevere spelling keeps the Welsh roots and the Arthurian association intact.
U.S. rank (2019)#11732 ↗ Rising
2019 U.S. births8 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1971
Total births (all-time)≈ 170

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197119692019

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

Guenevere is a stately spelling of Guinevere, from the Welsh Gwenhwyfar, 'white, fair phantom.' As King Arthur's queen she stands at the center of the Round Table legends, and parents who chose this form were reaching for that regal, romantic history rather than the everyday Jennifer it is secretly kin to.

Guenevere was never common, given to only about fourteen girls a year around 1971 and lingering thinly for decades. A woman named Guenevere then is in her fifties today, part of a small, literary-minded cohort drawn to Arthurian romance.

Did you know? The Cornish form of Guinevere is Jennifer, so the queen's ancient name and one of the century's most popular names are truly the same name.
Overall data confidence 52%
References - Guenevere — Variant of Guinevere < Welsh Gwenhwyfar 'fair phantom'; Arthur's queen; Jennifer is the Cornish form; peaked 1971.

Variations

GuinevereGwenevereGenevieveGwenhwyfar

Nicknames

GwenVera

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Guenevere…

Guinevere— the standard spelling of the queen's name
Gwendolyn— a like Welsh Gwen- name
Jennifer— the Cornish form that is secretly the same name
Gwen— the short Welsh element it opens with

Explore names like Guenevere

By themevariantwelsharthurian

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Guenevere mean?

It is a variant of Guinevere, from the Welsh Gwenhwyfar, 'white, fair phantom'; she is King Arthur's queen.

How do you pronounce Guenevere?

It is said GWEN-uh-veer /ˈɡwɛn.ə.vɪər/ - three syllables, stress on the first.

Is Guenevere a boy or girl name?

Guenevere is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Guenevere?

It was always rare, given to only about fourteen girls a year at its peak in the early nineteen-seventies.

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