Calling English people! Could you pronounce these Welsh names?

57 replies

BrownPaperPackages · 19/04/2014 20:17

DH and I are Welsh but live in England I'm currently expecting DC 3+4(twins, boy and a girl) and we'd love to use a Welsh name but I'm not sure how accessible they would be to English people? We already have an Elen and a Tomos.

Here's my list:
Girls

Celyn
Eira
Betsan
Teleri
Mabli
Sioned
Ffion
Anwen

Boys

Gruff
Dafydd
Iolo
Iago
Macsen
Elis
Eban
Iestyn
Ieuan

Opinions/feedback would be much appreciated

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Jerboa · 19/04/2014 20:34

I think I can do all the boy names, but I'm only certain about Eira, Anwen and Celyn (the latter is due to knowing one, though).

BlueStarsAtNight · 19/04/2014 20:32

Ok, here's how I would instinctively pronounce them:

Celyn - Kel-in
Eira - Air-a
Betsan - Betsan (exactly as written!)
Teleri - Teller-ree
Mabli - Mab-lee
Sioned - Shon-ed
Ffion - Fee-on
Anwen - An-wen (as written)

Boys

Gruff - Gruff!
Dafydd - Daff-id
Iolo - Yol-oh
Iago - Yay-go
Macsen - Max-en
Elis - Elis
Eban - Evan (like Evan but with a b)
Iestyn - Less-tin
Ieuan - Yew-an

I adore Anwen from your girls list, and think most of the girls would be manageable for a non welsh person.

I like Elis best of the boys, then Iago.

WoodBurnerBabe · 19/04/2014 20:31

Sorry, DH is Welsh. I'm not :-)

WoodBurnerBabe · 19/04/2014 20:30

I can, but is Welsh. FWIW, I have an Eira and everyone can pronounce it :-)

IDontDoIroning · 19/04/2014 20:30

I'm welsh, I really like the list, here's my thoughts.
Sioned might cause some difficulty with the Si being pronounced Si so you might get see-on -ed.
Also think celyn is very similar to elen, even though you have a lyn and a len sound at the end of the names. Have you thought of Cerys?
Gruff might be pronounced with the u like in up and not like an i/y.
Iolo, iestyn and ieuan might cause some problems with the I being pronounced separately like I-olo etc.
What do you think of Lloyd, Rhys, Owain, Huw Dylan?

DigitConfusion2 · 19/04/2014 20:29

Ooo, I thought I was going to be ok at this but I only recognise two on each list. Teleri and Ffion and Dafydd and Ieuan. I'm sure the others sound lovely though.

I like Mostyn and Hayden for boys and Seren and Delyth for girls as well.

EugenesAxe · 19/04/2014 20:28

Yeah of course... dunno if I'd be right though ;)

KELLin
AIR-ah
BETTsan
TelAIRee
MABblee
SHONned
FEEon
ANNwenn

Gruff - same as in English
DAFFid
EEohloh
EEahgo
MAXenn
ELLiss
EBBann
Maybe like Justin? Only one I'd really struggle to guess at.
YAI-an

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