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Baby names

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Original poster

Opinions on these welsh names

52 replies

Christelle2207 · 16/05/2015 18:20

Rhys
Ioan

Ds2 due today and still no closer on agreeing a shortlist. I'm welsh and dp is english- child will grow up in England. IME English can't say Rhys as a Welsh person would so I would have to accept "Rees" pronunciation which I think is ok if not "correct" in my eyes. Ioan is pronounced yo-anne (emphasis on the yo) which I think is easier for english to say, but it's not very obvious looking at it is it?! Would I be setting up the child for a lifetime of misspellings and mispronounciations with either name?

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SirVixofVixHall · 19/05/2015 14:31

I don't mind the lack of a rolled R, but the missing H really annoys me when it becomes Rees. Lovely name though. Ioan is also lovely. I am baffled as to why these are hard to pronounce, it isn't as if you've suggested Llyr or (my uncle's name) Illtyd. Out of the two, Ioan is the one that people will get right once they've heard it, whereas Rhys will always be Rees in England. Ditto Iolo. A Ioan might get a few Ians until people hear it, but Ioan Gruffudd seems to get his name pronounced properly. Emyr, Emrys, Gad, Dafydd are all easy, I'll have a think for others!

GoulashSoup · 19/05/2015 14:17

I'm not a big fan of Rhys but like Ioan. I think people will learn quickly how to pronounce it, the sounds aren't complicated or difficult with an English tongue, it may not be that obvious written down.

I love Idris, it is on our list. It is also an Islamic name hence Idris Elba.
I also like Iolo but has the same issues as Ioan in that it may not be obvious written down, but its not hard once you know how to prononce it.

Rivercam · 17/05/2015 16:26

Emlyn ( remember Emlyn Hughes from Question of Sport?)

Chillycamper · 17/05/2015 13:29

My first boyfriend was called Ioan - great name.

Also Ivor or Iolo I love Iolo but it was daft with surname.
Cian (Key-Ann) - bit pop star that!

Sorry realised I' m miles from your "easy to spell and say" brief

MrsGentlyBenevolent · 17/05/2015 11:54

Become not bacone, can't moan about English people messing up the Welsh language, then not being able to spell myself BlushGrin.

MrsGentlyBenevolent · 17/05/2015 11:51

Having exactly the same issue op, blooming English and their inability to roll their 'R's Grin.

Rees over Rhys is a personal bug bear of mine, but if you can live with it, go for it! I'm trying to think of welsh names that don't use the 'r'

Owain/Owen
Cai
Dafydd
Sion
Tegid

Other I could think of have already been mentioned. I personally like Carwyn, but it would probably bacone 'Ca-wyn'.

FlyDragonfly1 · 17/05/2015 11:21

DS3 is Ianto; I'm from a Welsh family and live in Cardiff now, but when we were still in England we didn't come across too many issues.
I really like Ioan - I feel Rhys would be easier for non-Welsh speakers but once you know how to pronounce Ioan people won't forget :)
I also really like:

Ieuan
Idris
Llewellyn

Original poster
Christelle2207 · 17/05/2015 10:10

Emrys is a nice one, will float with dh. Idris is also on the (very long!) extended list, probably a bit better known due to Idris Elba, who I don't think is Welsh at all!

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Original poster
Christelle2207 · 17/05/2015 10:06

Thanks for the thoughts.
I actually have an awkward to spell and pronounce Welsh name- can be a pain at times but not life-defining.
Ianto is very cool but I think most english would pron. Yan-tow rather than the very short o you get in Welsh (like the o in on). We have a Gethin in the family so that's a no. Griff is cool but I think needs to be short for something and Gruffydd looks very ugly and cumbersome on paper.

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Hophop987 · 17/05/2015 09:19

I love name Rhys! And prefer this spelling

Whoami24601 · 17/05/2015 08:54

My friends have just had an Emrys. His dad is welsh, but he'll be growing up in Yorkshire. Unusual, but people soon get used to it Smile

fourmonthstogo · 17/05/2015 08:32

I love Ioan and, to throw a new one in, Ianto but would worry that the vast majority of people if you live in England wouldn't spell or pronounce it right. Which is a bit of a burden for a child.
It would help if people reading the name were fans of torchwood of course!

morechildrenplease · 17/05/2015 07:38

I think Ioan would puzzle a lot of English people tbh

morechildrenplease · 17/05/2015 07:36

Rhys all the way for me, speaking as an expat Welshie. Met a little Griff the other day which I thought was v cool too.

DharmaBumpkin · 17/05/2015 07:20

I would prefer the explaining of Ioan than the 'Reese'

Celyn? Gruffydd?

Rivercam · 16/05/2015 21:41

Other Welsh names

Gethin
dai
Dewi
Huw
Rhod
Rhodri
Bryn

sweetpeame · 16/05/2015 19:15

I wouldn't know how to pronounce Ioan correctly until I heard it but that's the same for many names really. I prefer it to Rhys.

Rivercam · 16/05/2015 18:53

Easy Welsh names for English people (also have a foot in both camps)

Dylan
Aled
Gareth
David
Glyn

Not difficult but slightly harder
Cellan

JiltedJohnsJulie · 16/05/2015 18:49

No heard of the second one before but really like it. Don't worry about spelling, I have the most boring and simple name yet still have to spell it all of the time!

Jennifersrabbit · 16/05/2015 18:44

I love Rhys. How far off is the Reece pronunciation for you to make your peace with? I have a mum who grew up in North Wales and my stab at it would involve the 'ee' sound but a rolled R and more obvious and breathy 'h'. Is that halfway right? Or is it a short 'Riss' and I've been completely wrong?

whatsagoodusername · 16/05/2015 18:35

I do like them both though!

whatsagoodusername · 16/05/2015 18:32

I wouldn't know how to pronounce Ioan correctly - I would think it was an odd spelling of Ian.

I would do better with Rhys (sort of R-hiss, not Rees?), although I probably say it wrong Wink

But I am not from Britain, so maybe it would be more obvious to someone born here?

Chillycamper · 16/05/2015 18:32

I would think you would be fine with those lovely names.

I know someone with a Llewelyn who went to live in America where people thought he was a boy called Lou-Ellen!

Other (relatively) easy names - Lloyd, Emrys, Aneurin, Gethin, Lewis, Gareth

SillyBub · 16/05/2015 18:31

My DC have Welsh names, one is a complete nightmare in terms of initial spelling/pronunciation but most people soon catch on. Just call him what you like! I love Ioan Rhys is a family name that everyone on the male side of the family has in their name somewhere

BlueBananas · 16/05/2015 18:29

I wouldn't have a clue how to pronounce Ioan if I just saw it written down, so personally I'd go for Rhys which I can't see anyone not having seen before tbh