| Carys | Olwen | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Love | White footprint |
| Origin | welsh | Welsh |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KA-ris | OL-wen |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1991 | 1913 |
| Peak year | 2006 (196) | 1917 (12) |
| In 2025 | 32 | 0 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Carys | Olwen |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 189 | 0 |
| 2010s | 933 | 5 |
| 2000s | 1,123 | 0 |
| 1990s | 82 | 0 |
| 1910s | 0 | 22 |
A modern Welsh name formed from the stem of the verb caru 'to love' (compare car 'beloved friend', cariad 'love'). A genuine Welsh 'love' root; the variant Cerys is read the same way.
Olwen means “white footprint,” for flowers said to spring up where she walked.
Carys is more popular than Olwen today: about 32 US babies were given the name Carys in 2025, compared with 0 named Olwen.
Carys means Love (welsh origin), while Olwen means White footprint (Welsh origin).
In US records, Carys first appears in 1991 and Olwen in 1913, so Olwen has the longer recorded history.