Guinn
A surname with several plausible roots, most often linked to Irish or Welsh names that sound like “Gwynn.”
The #2,868 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 24,548 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Guinn is usually treated as an Anglicized surname shaped by the sound of Gaelic or Welsh names such as Ó Coinn or Gwyn. In practice, it may reflect a shortened or altered form of names meaning “fair,” “white,” or, in some cases, a personal name that was re-spelled in English records. Because the spelling has been unstable, the exact origin can vary by family line.
History
The name appears in English-language records in forms influenced by both Irish and Welsh pronunciation, and later became fixed in several spellings, including Guinn and Gwinn. In the United States it is found especially among families of Irish or Celtic background, though a single bearer’s origin cannot be assumed from the spelling alone.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Guinn and Gwinn are often close enough in sound that old records may switch between them from one generation to the next.