UK boy's name
Llewelyn
A Welsh masculine name meaning "leader" or "having a bright mind".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Llewelyn is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Llewelyn popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1517, with 17 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 24 births.
This profile covers 343 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 71% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 341 living people in the UK are called Llewelyn. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Llewelyn ranked #1517 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 17 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2017, when 24 boys were registered as Llewelyn.
- • About 341 living people in the UK are estimated to have Llewelyn as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1517
2024
Births in 2024
17
Latest year
Peak year
2017
24 births
Estimated living
341
2026
Meaning
What does Llewelyn mean?
Llewelyn is a Welsh masculine given name derived from the Welsh words "llu" meaning "leader" and "gwelyn" meaning "bright" or "shining." Its origins can be traced back to the 6th century, when it was used by Welsh royalty and nobility.
The name gained particular prominence during the medieval period, when several Welsh princes bore the name. One of the most notable was Llewelyn the Great (c. 1173-1240), a Welsh prince who led the struggle against English domination and established a period of independence for Wales.
Another famous Llewelyn was Llewelyn the Last (c. 1223-1282), the last sovereign Prince of Wales before the conquest of the region by Edward I of England. His death marked the end of an independent Welsh state for several centuries.
In the 13th century, the name Llewelyn appeared in the Welsh chronicle "Brut y Tywysogion" (Chronicle of the Princes), which recorded the lives and deeds of Welsh rulers and princes.
Beyond Wales, the name Llewelyn has also been used in other parts of the British Isles. One notable figure was Llewelyn Farchen (c. 1365-1420), a Welsh-born merchant and diplomat who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1416.
In more recent times, the name Llewelyn has been borne by several notable individuals, including Llewelyn Powys (1884-1939), a British writer and philosopher, and Llewelyn Rhys (1899-1976), a British author and editor.
While not as common today as it once was, the name Llewelyn continues to be used, particularly in Wales and other parts of the United Kingdom, as a testament to its rich historical and cultural significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Llewelyn over time
The chart below shows babies named Llewelyn registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Llewelyn, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 17 births in 2024, compared with 24 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Llewelyn by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Llewelyn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1595 | 77 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1962 | 137 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1760 | 97 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1603 | 32 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Llewelyn
- Luke 72,247
- Lewis 69,555
- Leo 63,249
- Liam 60,482
- Lucas 49,061
- Logan 40,771
- Louis 35,898
- Luca 30,323
- Louie 24,242
- Leon 22,308
- Levi 9,931
- Lee 7,861
FAQ
Llewelyn: questions and answers
How popular is the name Llewelyn in the UK right now?
In 2024, Llewelyn was ranked #1517 for boys in England and Wales, with 17 births registered.
When was Llewelyn most popular?
The peak year on record was 2017, with 24 babies registered as Llewelyn in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Llewelyn?
A Welsh masculine name meaning "leader" or "having a bright mind".
How many people are called Llewelyn in the UK?
A total of 343 babies have been registered as Llewelyn across the 29 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.