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Home › Baby Names Directory › Gwendola

Gwendola

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Gwendola

Pronounced GWEN-duh-luh /ˈɡwɛn.də.lə/Medium

Meaning: Gwendola is a shortened variant of Gwendolyn and Gwendolen, Welsh names built from gwen, 'white, fair, blessed,' and a second element usually explained as dolen, 'ring' or 'bow.' Gwendola trims the ending while keeping the bright Welsh meaning. It reads as an early-twentieth-century form of the more familiar Gwendolyn.Low

In 30 seconds: Gwendola is a rare girl's name, a trimmed form of Gwendolyn, from the Welsh gwen, 'fair, blessed.' It belonged to the early twentieth century (said GWEN-duh-luh).
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Origin MediumWelsh
MeaningGwendola is a shortened variant of Gwendolyn and Gwendolen, Welsh names built from gwen, 'white, fair, blessed,' and a second element usually explained as dolen, 'ring' or 'bow.' Gwendola trims the ending while keeping the bright Welsh meaning. It reads as an early-twentieth-century form of the more familiar Gwendolyn.
U.S. rank (1960)#5942 ↘ Falling
1960 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1920
Total births (all-time)≈ 220

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192019141960

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

Gwendola is a variant of Gwendolyn and Gwendolen, Welsh names joining gwen, 'white, fair, blessed,' to a second element usually read as dolen, 'ring' or 'bow.' By shortening the ending, Gwendola gives the stately Gwendolyn a slightly softer, rounder shape while keeping its genuine Welsh meaning. It belongs to the early-twentieth-century taste for such graceful, old-world feminine names.

It was always rare, reaching about fifteen girls a year at its best around 1920 and fading by the early nineteen-sixties. A Gwendola from that time would be a great-grandmother now, and the name reads as an antique, distinctly Welsh-flavored variant of Gwendolyn rather than a name in current fashion.

Did you know? The name Gwendolen was made famous partly by Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, whose heroine Gwendolen kept the whole Gwen- family in view for generations.
Overall data confidence 50%
References - Gwendola — Variant of Gwendolyn/Gwendolen (Welsh gwen, 'fair, blessed' + dolen, 'ring/bow'); vintage.

Variations

GwendolynGwendolenGwendolinaGwenda

Nicknames

GwenDola

Famous Bearers

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If you like Gwendola…

Gwendolyn— the full name Gwendola trims
Gwendolen— the classic Welsh form of the same name
Gwenda— a like short Welsh Gwen- name
Gwyneth— a comparable Welsh gwen- name meaning 'blessed'

Explore names like Gwendola

By themevintagevariantfemininewelsh

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Gwendola mean?

It is a variant of Gwendolyn, from the Welsh gwen, 'white, fair, blessed,' with a second element often read as 'ring' or 'bow.'

How do you pronounce Gwendola?

It is said GWEN-duh-luh /ˈɡwɛn.də.lə/ - three syllables, stress on the first.

Is Gwendola a boy or girl name?

Gwendola is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Gwendola?

It was always rare in the United States, reaching only about fifteen girls a year at its best around the early nineteen-twenties.

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