At a Glance: Name: Conway – Meaning: no single agreed meaning; candidates include an Anglicization of Welsh Conwy (from Old Welsh 'cyn' chief + 'gwy' water, roughly 'chief river'), or derivation from Irish surnames built on 'cú/con' (hound) – Origin: Welsh, Irish, or Scottish (disputed) – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: KAHN-way
Conway is a Welsh, Irish, or Scottish (disputed) boy's name meaning “no single agreed meaning; candidates include an Anglicization of Welsh Conwy (from Old Welsh 'cyn' chief + 'gwy' water, roughly 'chief river'), or derivation from Irish surnames built on 'cú/con' (hound)”. It appears in 2 of our baby name lists.
Meaning & Origin of Conway
Meaning: No single agreed meaning; candidates include an Anglicization of Welsh Conwy (from Old Welsh 'cyn' chief + 'gwy' water, roughly 'chief river'), or derivation from Irish surnames built on 'cú/con' (hound).
Origin: Welsh, Irish, or Scottish (disputed).
A common claim: "Hound of the plain" or "yellow hound" Actually: Both listicle glosses reflect only the Irish-surname branch of a three-way disputed origin -- the more commonly cited Welsh place-name Anglicization ('chief water') points to a different meaning entirely.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Conway
Phonetic: KAHN-way IPA: /ˈkɒnweɪ/
Popularity of Conway
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1881–2024.
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