Gwendolyn’s Notebook: Personalized Journal for Gwendolyn
Give Gwendolyn a notebook that's unmistakably hers. Gwendolyn's Notebook has her name in elegant script over a pink watercolor apple blossom cover.
- 160 lined pages
- 6" x 9" paperback
- Watercolor apple blossom cover with "Gwendolyn's Notebook" on the front
- Printed and shipped by Amazon
Where does the name Gwendolyn come from?
Gwendolyn is the usual American spelling of Gwendolen, Behind the Name says. Gwendolen possibly means “white ring”, from the Welsh gwen, “white, blessed”, and dolen, “ring, loop”. Wikipedia suggests the -lyn ending was influenced by names such as Carolyn, Evelyn and Marilyn. The name was rarely given before the 19th century.
Other forms of Gwendolyn
Gwen is the obvious short form and the one Behind the Name lists. Gwendolen, the original spelling, and Gwendoline are the other common forms, and plenty of Gwendolyns use Gwen as their everyday name.
Well-known Gwendolyns
Poet Gwendolyn Brooks won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1950 for Annie Allen, the first African American to win a Pulitzer. Wikipedia says she published her first poem at 13, was Poet Laureate of Illinois from 1968 until her death, and served as US Poet Laureate for 1985–86. In 1976 she became the first African-American woman inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Gwendolyn’s popularity
Gwendolyn peaked with the baby boom. US Social Security data has it at 187th in the 1930s, 146th in the 1940s, 132nd in the 1950s, when more than 31,900 American girls were named Gwendolyn, and 185th in the 1960s. Many Gwens today are grandmothers.
A few more things about Gwendolyn
The name first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s 12th-century chronicles, as Guendoloena. Behind the Name says she was an ancient queen of the Britons who defeated her ex-husband in battle, and that Geoffrey later gave the name to Merlin’s wife. Oscar Wilde used it for Gwendolen Fairfax in The Importance of Being Earnest.
Gift ideas with Gwendolyn in mind
- For a poet. A poetry notebook, in honor of Gwendolyn Brooks.
- For Black History Month. A notebook for a name with a Pulitzer legacy.
- For an Arthurian legend fan. A notebook for a name Geoffrey of Monmouth used.
- For Grandparents Day. Gwendolyn peaked in the 1950s.
A notebook for every Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn’s Notebook works just as well for a teenager as for a grandmother. It’s 6" x 9", which fits in most bags, with 160 lined pages and no printed layout to work around. Use it as a diary, a school notebook, a planner or a place to collect quotes and ideas. A name on the cover turns an everyday notebook into something personal.
Why choose a personalized notebook?
A plain notebook is useful. One with her name on it is a gift. Seeing “Gwendolyn’s Notebook” on the cover tells Gwendolyn it was chosen for her, not grabbed off a shelf, and that small touch is often what makes people keep a notebook going instead of abandoning it after a week.
Frequently asked questions
How big is Gwendolyn’s Notebook? 6" x 9", or about 15.2 x 22.9 cm. It’s a paperback with 160 lined pages inside.
Where do I buy it? Gwendolyn’s Notebook is available on Amazon, which prints each copy to order and looks after delivery and refunds.
Do you have other names? We do, hundreds of them. Browse all name notebooks or read how to find a name on our personalized name notebooks page.
See Gwendolyn's Notebook on Amazon
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