girl's name
Myfanwy
muh-VAN-wee (Welsh)
- Origin Welsh
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 110
Myfanwy is a Welsh girl's name usually read as "my fine one" or "my beloved." It joins the Welsh my, "my," with a form of manwy, "fine" or "delicate," and it's cherished in Wales through a famous nineteenth-century song of the same name.
- Myfanwy is a name of Welsh origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2003, when 15 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 175,654 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Myfanwy Over Time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 31 |
| 2000s | 56 |
| 2010s | 12 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 11 |
What Myfanwy Means
Myfanwy means my fine or delicate one. A competing reading takes the second element as a word for woman, giving my woman, so the sense varies, but the name is plainly a term of affection.
Where Myfanwy Comes From
Myfanwy is an old Welsh name formed from the prefix my-, my, and an element linked with manwy, fine, or banwy, a word read as woman. The m softens to v in Welsh, which is why it's written with an f and pronounced with a v. A notable medieval bearer was Myfanwy Fychan of Castell Dinas Brân, addressed in a fourteenth-century love poem by Hywel ab Einion. Joseph Parry's song Myfanwy, published in the 1870s, carried the name through Welsh choirs. Fond short forms such as Myfi and Fanw have grown up around it.
Myfanwy in Use
Parry's song remains a staple of Welsh male voice choirs, sung at concerts and rugby occasions. Welsh actress Myfanwy Waring carries the name today, and it's rarely found outside Wales.
How Popular Is Myfanwy?
In 2025, Myfanwy was given to 3 babies in England and Wales. It is a rare choice.
Figures for England and Wales leave out any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Myfanwy
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Myfanwy Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Myfanwy over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Myfanwy
- Welsh muh-VAN-wee
Sibling Names for Myfanwy
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Myfanwy — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Myfanwy
What does the name Myfanwy mean?
My fine one or my beloved, though a reading of my woman also exists.
How do you pronounce Myfanwy?
muh-VAN-wee. A single f in Welsh sounds like an English v.
What is the song Myfanwy?
A Welsh love song by Joseph Parry, widely sung by male voice choirs.
How popular is the name Myfanwy?
In 2025, Myfanwy was given to 3 babies in England and Wales. It is a rare choice.
Is Myfanwy a girl's or a boy's name?
Myfanwy is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Myfanwy?
Myfanwy has 3 syllables.
When was Myfanwy most popular?
Myfanwy peaked in 2003, when 15 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Myfanwy a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Myfanwy currently ranks #5,977 in England and Wales. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.