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Help with Welsh Baby Boy Names - Final three

121 replies

MintGreenLife · 13/06/2021 21:28

Due in 7 weeks and know we are having a boy. DH is Welsh so going for a Welsh name, and we both have Celtic names anyway.

Shortlist is:

Ellis
Ifor
Harri

For ages I was fairly certain we were going to go for Ellis, but now I’m worrying I say it with a slight lisp, even though I don’t have a lisp! I love Ifor but only reservation is our surname, which when put together with Ifor ends up being the name of a trailer brand...but then maybe not that many people would be familiar with it?! Harri is sweet but I think perhaps too popular for our liking when you think most people will assume it’s Harry/there may we’ll be lots of Harry’s his age. Thoughts?!

OP posts:
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Captainj1 · 13/06/2021 21:35

I love Ifor but couldn’t persuade my husband. I would see Elis as the right Welsh spelling. Harri I agree will be seen as Harry which is very popular.

How about Ifan as an alternative to Ifor? I also like Deri.

MaMelon · 13/06/2021 21:35

I didn’t know Ellis was a Welsh name. I prefer that over Harri (just looks like you’ve misspelled Harry, sorry - although I love the name Harry) and if Ifor combined with your surname is the name of a trailer then I’d definitely avoid it!

MintGreenLife · 13/06/2021 21:37

@Captainj1 thanks for your reply ☺️ I had seen the traditional Welsh spelling was Elis, so you’re probably right. Not sure why I like the look of it better with two l’s! Ifan is nice, hadn’t thought about that. Do you mind if I ask how it’s pronounced? And how you would pronounce Ifor? Just to be sure! Not being Welsh myself it’s always best to double check 😆

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MintGreenLife · 13/06/2021 21:38

@MaMelon think as the above poster has said the traditional Welsh spelling is Elis, so perhaps two l’s is the anglicised version! It’s such a shame about the trailer brand. While I like to think it probably doesn’t matter that much, it will get annoying if everyone keeps saying ‘oh, like the trailers’ to us 🤦🏻‍♀️

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SilentPanic · 13/06/2021 21:41

Ifor is pronounced Ee-vor. Lovely name. I am Welsh and I would get the trailer reference, but I'd still go for it I think.
Ellis in Welsh only has the one l.
Harri is a lovely name but if you're not in Wales, people will just think it's a "different" spelling.
I'd go for Ifor from your list, but also like Ioan, Gwilym, Caio.

SilentPanic · 13/06/2021 21:42

Ifan is prounounced Ee-van.

MintGreenLife · 13/06/2021 21:44

@SilentPanic for ages Elis was the front runner as I had dismissed Ifor because of the trailer brand, but snuck back into my mind lately. We don’t live in Wales so think you’re right about Harri. I suppose I just have to decide if the trailer thing is a big enough issue or not 🤦🏻‍♀️

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MaMelon · 13/06/2021 21:45

I just had a quick Google and some sites say Elis and Ellis are Welsh surnames that are used as first names…but others say it has Welsh and English origins. Either way, I like it Smile

Bryn is my favourite Welsh name (or rather, it was until Gavin and Stacey!!!)

MintGreenLife · 13/06/2021 21:45

@SilentPanic see this is where I go wrong when looking at Welsh names online, as I don’t consider the ones I don’t know how to pronounce, whereas I bet some of them have a lovely pronunciation! I just don’t realise it 😅

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MintGreenLife · 13/06/2021 21:46

@MaMelon DH and me are big Gavin and Stacey fans, so don’t think we could to Bryn for that reason 😅

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110APiccadilly · 13/06/2021 21:48

I know the trailer brand, but I'm not only Welsh, bit from a rural area (where every other tractor is towing one of those trailers).

I like Elis (with 1 l) best out of your names.

MintGreenLife · 13/06/2021 21:51

@110APiccadilly we are from a rural area too, so it’s well known here 🤦🏻‍♀️

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MaMelon · 13/06/2021 21:51

I don’t blame you! Uncle Bryn is v funny but you wouldn’t name your precious baby after him Grin

user1493494961 · 13/06/2021 21:55

I love the name Macsen.

Lookingatthings · 13/06/2021 21:55

What about Osian? That was a frontrunner here but then we had a girl

MintGreenLife · 13/06/2021 21:58

@MaMelon haha I just wouldn’t be able to disconnect Bryn from uncle Bryn!

@user1493494961 can’t say I’ve heard of that before!

@Lookingatthings I’m not sure why but I’m not too keen on Osian, that’s assuming I’ve got the pronunciation right - something like Oshan?

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Frazzled2207 · 13/06/2021 22:00

Elis -def one s to be welsh.
Harri outside Wales will be seen as being awkward
Ifor difficult to say properly if not Welsh. Need to roll the r!

One of my favourite welsh names is Ioan. Yo-Ann.
Iwan also nice (ee-wan). Once people are told how they are pronounced they shouldn’t be too tricky.

MintGreenLife · 13/06/2021 22:02

@Frazzled2207 thanks for the suggestions ☺️ DH and I both have awkward to pronounce names, so not too worried about continuing the theme! I’m open to unusual spellings as many Welsh names have x

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Frazzled2207 · 13/06/2021 22:03

Yeah osian is like Oshan but English people struggle with the /a/ sound where it’s not a stressed syllable (the stress is on the O)
Osian will invariably sound like Osh-un.

user1493494961 · 13/06/2021 22:05

I'm in a very rural part of Wales and know of several Macsen's, including family. We also have an Elis.

MaMelon · 13/06/2021 22:05

What about Dylan? Or Rhys? Or Hywel (huh-well, like the news reader)?

MintGreenLife · 13/06/2021 22:06

@MaMelon Rhys was originally on my list, but got bumped at some point x

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MintGreenLife · 13/06/2021 22:07

@MaMelon awesome thank you ☺️

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MumofSpud · 13/06/2021 22:10

@MintGreenLife

Due in 7 weeks and know we are having a boy. DH is Welsh so going for a Welsh name, and we both have Celtic names anyway.

Shortlist is:

Ellis
Ifor
Harri

For ages I was fairly certain we were going to go for Ellis, but now I’m worrying I say it with a slight lisp, even though I don’t have a lisp! I love Ifor but only reservation is our surname, which when put together with Ifor ends up being the name of a trailer brand...but then maybe not that many people would be familiar with it?! Harri is sweet but I think perhaps too popular for our liking when you think most people will assume it’s Harry/there may we’ll be lots of Harry’s his age. Thoughts?!

Ellis - wouldn't have assumed Ellis was Welsh Harri - would assume it is Harry spelt wrong, again not particularly Welsh (to me) where I am it is a popular Asian name Ifor - the best one for your criteria

We have a Euan
Good Luck!!

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