Welsh girl name
Branwen Name Meaning, Origin & Pronunciation
Branwen means fair raven. From the Welsh bran (raven) and gwen (white, fair), so fair raven
Branwen is a heroine of the Mabinogion, in the tale named for her, Branwen ferch Llŷr. She is the sister of the giant king Bendigeidfran and her marriage to the king of Ireland leads to tragedy. Her name combines bran, meaning raven, with gwen, white or fair. Bronwen, which is also on this site, is a related name with a similar sound, though the two are generally treated as separate. Branwen is dramatic and memorable and rooted deeply in Welsh storytelling.
Variants of Branwen
BronwenBranwynBronwyn
Branwen popularity: Ireland vs the US
In 2019 Branwen ranked #15,940 in the US (5 babies). It is too rare to appear in Irish rankings.
United States (girls)
Rank among babies of the same sex, 1 = most popular (log scale). Ranks below #10,000 sit on the bottom edge. Gaps mean fewer than 3 Irish or 5 US babies that year.
Data: US Social Security Administration (public domain) and Central Statistics Office, Ireland (CC BY 4.0). Irish accented spellings (such as Síle) are only recorded from 2018, so earlier years combine spellings.
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Branwen mean?
Branwen means "fair raven". From the Welsh bran (raven) and gwen (white, fair), so fair raven.
How do you pronounce Branwen?
Branwen is pronounced BRAN-wen.
What is the origin of Branwen?
Branwen is of Welsh origin. From the Welsh bran (raven) and gwen (white, fair), so fair raven.