Gwyneth's origins have many possibilities. It may be a compound of the Welsh words gwyn, meaning "White; blessed; holy" + geneth, meaning "girl." It could also possibly represent an altered spelling of Gwynedd, a region of medieval North Wales. It could also stem from the Welsh word gwenaeth, meaning "happiness; felicity." Gwyneth became popular in Wales at the end of the 19th century, and from there spread to England and other English-speaking countries. It's recently been brought to the attention of American parents through the rise to fame of American actress Gwyneth Paltrow (born 1972).See Also: Gwynedd, Gwenyth