Given name & surname
Llewellyn
“resembling a lion”
Llewellyn is used as a given name and a surname. One Welsh interpretation is “resembling a lion.”
Original WelshLlywelyn
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Welsh interpretation is “resembling a lion.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Welsh.
How it developed
In English usage, Llewellyn developed from the Welsh form LLYWELYN.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Llewellyn is a variant of Llewelyn. The history of Llewelyn gives this family its wider story. Llewelyn is associated with Welsh heroes or princes remembered for resistance to invaders.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Llewellyn through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,755
- 3,414 boys · 341 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 79 babies
- 2025
- 27
- #5,749 for boys · #9,223 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +75%
- Rising fast
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 68% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 16 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 5,749 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 31.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 11 birth records for girls in 2025. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,719 as a first name in 2020; 5,887 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Llewellyn’s family of names
Llewellyn has a short form in Lyn. In English usage, Llewellyn developed from the Welsh form LLYWELYN. Llewellyn has an English adaptation in Lewis.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Llewelynvariant · English
- Lynshort form
- Lewellynvariant
- Llewellynelikely variant
- Lewellingvariant · English
- Flewellenvariant · English
- Llyweilunvariant
- Llewevariant
Show 4 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Llewellyn
- Alan CurbishleyEnglish association football player and manager (born 1957)
- Llewellyn HerbertSouth African 400 m hurdlerborn 1977
- Llewellyn ThomasBritish physicist and mathematician (1903-1992)
- Llewellyn Evansfield hockey player (1876-1951)
- Llewellyn ThompsonAmerican diplomat (1904–1972)
- Llewellyn PowersAmerican politician (1836–1908)
- Llewellyn Vaughan-LeeSufi religious teacher (1953-)
- Llew SmithWelsh Labour politician (1944-2021)
- Llewellyn Ivor PriceBrazilian geologist and paleontologist1905–1980
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Llewellyn, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Leone
“resembling a lion” · “having the strength of a lion”
73% boys · 27% girls
Trinidad
“trinity”
68% boys · 32% girls
Alvie
“friend of the elves” · “triend of the elves”
64% boys · 36% girls
Franklyn
“a free man; a landholder”
73% boys · 27% girls
Arlin
“a solemn, binding promise”
73% boys · 27% girls
Farris
“one who is as strong as iron”
73% boys · 27% girls
Marvel
“an extraordinary woman” · “an extraordinary man”
48% boys · 52% girls
Foy
“an adventurous man; a journey”
83% boys · 17% girls