What does Eira mean?
Eira is the Welsh word for “snow.”
What does Gwen mean?
Gwen means “white,” “fair” or “blessed” in Welsh.
Eira vs Gwen
Which is more popular?
Gwen is more popular than Eira today: about 384 US babies were given the name Gwen in 2025, compared with 116 named Eira.
| Eira | Gwen | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Snow | White, fair, blessed |
| Origin | Welsh | Welsh |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AY-rah | GWEN |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1979 | 1890 |
| Peak year | 2025 (116) | 1959 (942) |
| In 2025 | 116 | 384 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Eira
Gwen
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Eira | Gwen |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 474 | 2,113 |
| 2010s | 321 | 2,817 |
| 2000s | 51 | 1,453 |
| 1990s | 11 | 512 |
| 1980s | 16 | 1,071 |
| 1970s | 5 | 2,753 |
| 1960s | 0 | 5,961 |
| 1950s | 0 | 6,780 |
| 1940s | 0 | 4,050 |
| 1930s | 0 | 2,808 |
| 1920s | 0 | 1,337 |
| 1910s | 0 | 716 |
| 1900s | 0 | 186 |
| 1890s | 0 | 60 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Eira or Gwen more popular?
Gwen is more popular than Eira today: about 384 US babies were given the name Gwen in 2025, compared with 116 named Eira.
What is the difference between Eira and Gwen?
Eira means Snow (Welsh origin), while Gwen means White, fair, blessed (Welsh origin).
Which name is older, Eira or Gwen?
In US records, Eira first appears in 1979 and Gwen in 1890, so Gwen has the longer recorded history.