Meaning and Origin of the Name Gwenfrewi

The name Gwenfrewi, also spelled Gwenfrewy, is a Welsh girl’s name and is equivalent to the names Gwinifrid, Winifred and Freda and their variations in Welsh and other languages.

It is pronounced as GWEHNVReh-Wiy or Gwen-fre-wi. The meaning of Gwenfrewi comes from “Gwen” meaning “fair, white, holy or blessed”, and “Frewi” meaning “peace or reconciliation”.

Popularity

The popularity of Gwenfrewi is not very high. It was not in the 100 most popular names in Wales as of 2017, and in the United States, a survey of over 5,000,000 names in the Social Security database revealed no one with this first name.

Saint Winifred (Santes Gwenffrewi)

Saint Winifred the Virgin of Holywell, Flintshire, Wales, was a 7th Century BCE sainted nun with her main shrine at Shrewsbury where her relics were moved in the 12th Century BCE.

The shrine was a major pilgrimage site in the Late Middle Ages, but most of it was destroyed by Henry VIII in 1540, leaving only the well, an enclosed mountain spring, to survive to modern times.

Useful Resources

Discover the meaning and popularity of other Welsh girls’ names.