Anwen is a Welsh female given name derived from the Old Welsh word 'anwyn', meaning 'fair'. It is often associated with the concept of beauty and elegance. This name has been popular in Wales for centuries, but it gained significant international recognition through its use by J.R.R. Tolkien in his Middle-earth legendarium, where he gave the name to one of the Entwives, creatures of his mythology. The name Anwen is typically pronounced as AH-nuh-wen, with the stress on the second syllable. Despite its Welsh origins and traditional usage, it has also been adopted by other cultures and can be found among people of diverse ethnic backgrounds today.
The name Anwen experienced its peak popularity between 2004 and 2007 with a high of 18 births in 2004, followed by consistently strong numbers until 2008. However, from 2010 onwards, the number of babies named Anwen decreased significantly, with only one year (2015) showing more than ten births. The most recent years available (2022 and 2023) saw a slight increase again, but overall, the popularity of the name Anwen has been declining since its peak in the early to mid-2000s.