UK boy's name
Colwyn
A masculine name of Welsh origin meaning "hazel grove".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2012. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Colwyn is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Colwyn popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2012 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4805, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 3 births.
This profile covers 6 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2003 to 2012. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 6 living people in the UK are called Colwyn. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2013 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Colwyn ranked #4805 for boys in England and Wales in 2012, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2003, when 3 boys were registered as Colwyn.
- • About 6 living people in the UK are estimated to have Colwyn as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4805
2012
Births in 2012
3
Latest year
Peak year
2003
3 births
Estimated living
6
2026
Meaning
What does Colwyn mean?
The given name Colwyn has its origins in the Welsh language and culture. It is a combination of the Welsh words "col" meaning "hazelwood" and "gwyn" meaning "white" or "blessed". The name can be interpreted to mean "blessed hazelwood" or "white hazelwood".
In medieval Welsh literature, the name Colwyn appears as the name of a legendary figure associated with the area of Colwyn Bay in North Wales. This figure, known as Culhwch in later adaptations, is a prominent character in the Welsh mythological tale "Culhwch and Olwen" from the Mabinogion collection of stories.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Colwyn was Colwyn ap Tangno, a Welsh nobleman who lived in the 12th century. He was a descendant of the former rulers of the Kingdom of Powys in eastern Wales.
Sir Colwyn Philipps, 1st Baronet (1639-1699) was a Welsh landowner and politician who served as the Sheriff of Carmarthenshire in 1677. He was also a member of the Parliament of England.
Colwyn Erasmus Arnold Philipps, 2nd Baron Milford (1863-1952) was a British peer and Welsh landowner. He succeeded his father as the 2nd Baron Milford in 1887.
Colwyn Trevarthen (1936-2007) was a prominent British psychologist and author known for his contributions to the study of child development and cognitive neuroscience.
Colwyn Foulkes (1943-2009) was a Welsh rugby union player who played as a flanker for the Welsh national team and the British Lions in the 1960s and 1970s.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Colwyn over time
The chart below shows babies named Colwyn registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2003 to 2012. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Colwyn, the clearest high point is 2003. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2012, compared with 3 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Colwyn by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Colwyn was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4805 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #3467 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Colwyn
- Charlie 104,761
- Callum 65,796
- Connor 53,072
- Cameron 40,394
- Charles 33,091
- Christopher 26,849
- Caleb 15,553
- Corey 12,622
- Carter 11,505
- Cody 11,075
- Conor 10,298
- Christian 9,695
FAQ
Colwyn: questions and answers
How popular is the name Colwyn in the UK right now?
In 2012, Colwyn was ranked #4805 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Colwyn most popular?
The peak year on record was 2003, with 3 babies registered as Colwyn in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Colwyn?
A masculine name of Welsh origin meaning "hazel grove".
How many people are called Colwyn in the UK?
A total of 6 babies have been registered as Colwyn across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.