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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Thoughts on Bleddyn?

116 replies

Bellatrixandstrange · 12/04/2017 06:25

Dh and I love Bleddyn for our son but we live in England and are worried that he'll spend his life explaining how it's pronounced/ spelt. Is it an OK name for a boy living in England?

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TittyGolightly · 12/04/2017 08:42

I wouldn't anglicise a Welsh name. Love Bleddyn, Ioan, Iolo, Dafydd, Gryff.

blueskyinmarch · 12/04/2017 08:13

Now i know how it is pronounced i like how it sounds, but i don’t really like how it looks written down.

Penfold007 · 12/04/2017 08:12

DS has very Welsh name and once we are out of Wales is it constantly mispronounced . He just corrects people.

Nospringflower · 12/04/2017 08:09

Well, i read it as Bleddin But if someone told me to pronounce it Blethyn I would and there woulld be no problem and Blethyn sounds much nicer too!

If you love it I say go for it. My children have simple names but still need to spell them every time.

guineapig1 · 12/04/2017 08:03

Bleddyn is lovely - just go for it! Yes, you may have to explain the pronounciation initially but no doubt he will be at school (and later work) with people with all kinds of names from every part of the world. People barely bat an eyelid at unusual names these days (not that Bleddyn is unusual - I am in Wales and know several). It is a lovely nod to his Welsh heritage too!

thatstoast · 12/04/2017 07:48

I wouldn't spell it blethin, you may as well give him a traditionally English name.

What about Cennydd or Cyffin? Gwynfor or Brychan?

ScarletSienna · 12/04/2017 07:47

I prefer it to Llewellyn which I think is a bit cumbersome and clunky. How is the other name pronounced? In my head it's close to Mervin but with a 'th' which I'm certain is wrong!

AntiHop · 12/04/2017 07:43

Aneurin? Nn nye.

BikeRunSki · 12/04/2017 07:40

I quite like it, and totally get why you want to tie in to your Welsh heritage. I think the trouble will be, living in England, that not many people will be familiar with the pronounciation of "dd". As others have said, the English pronounciation isn't very nice at all. Sad . Could you compromise and spell it Blethin? This might work better in England.

(I know a French/English Matthew who was born in, and has grown up in, France. His English parent insisted on the English spelling, which has caused no end of mispronouciation and misunderstanding.)

GinAndOnIt · 12/04/2017 07:39

I know a lovely girl called Heulwen who now lives in England and has trouble with her name, but she deals with it so well. She tells people her name, explains how to pronounce it, but always says 'or call me Sunshine (the English translation) if you're more comfortable with that' and lots of people do.

You'll never find a name that everybody can pronounce. My Welsh BIL moved to England and people have trouble with his name, and it's Rhys! Which I don't consider to be very uncommon at all.

Your DS may even end up being called by his surname/nickname by peers anyway. Spelling your name out over the phone isn't that big a deal really, is it.

RedSandYellowSand · 12/04/2017 07:34

I think Llewellyn is ok too ( if the proper pronunciation is like Laurence Llewellyn Bowen).

Original poster
Bellatrixandstrange · 12/04/2017 07:33

I love Taliesin but it was a no from dh and Gethin was a no from me because there was a bully on my school called Gethin. He's tiny and snuggled up on my chest and when I look at him I'm just paralysed by indecision!

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Twoevils · 12/04/2017 07:29

I love Llewellyn and it has the advantage of being better 'known' in England so I think people will cope with it better. However I'm put off by the US pronunciation of Lou-Ellen.

I also like Ianto, Bryn and Gareth

elisa2502 · 12/04/2017 07:28

Oh god no. Will spend his School years being called Bleeding.

Bettyandtheboy · 12/04/2017 07:27

I have a very welsh name and live in England. I've had to invent a NN for myself as no one can say it and have spent a life time spelling it out on the phone!
That being said, I don't think I'd change it. I like that it's different.

allegretto · 12/04/2017 07:27

I like it - but don't anglicize the spelling, people will get used to it!

Loyly · 12/04/2017 07:25

Someone else suggested Gethin, I agree - it's very similar and it's lovely.

Emphasise · 12/04/2017 07:25

Would it be awful to spell it Blethin?

disastrouslee · 12/04/2017 07:23

Grr autocorrect- shortened to Tal

DilysPrice · 12/04/2017 07:23

I'd go for Llewellyn and put up with people murdering it - they'll know roughly what to say and it's a lovely name. Myrddin is a little trickier but I think it's a nicer name than Bleddin.

disastrouslee · 12/04/2017 07:23

I love it but I'm Welsh.

Taliesin shortened to Two?

JennyOnAPlate · 12/04/2017 07:22

What about Gethin? I'm Welsh so no issues with spelling or pronounciation, but in England no one would have a clue. My dc have Welsh middle names for that reason.

BelafonteRavenclaw · 12/04/2017 07:20

My boys have very Welsh names. We live on the border and I'm English. My family and friends have learnt how to say them and it's never been a problem.

SuperBeagle · 12/04/2017 07:19

I know how to pronounce Llewellyn though. I think that ones more known than the others.

SuperBeagle · 12/04/2017 07:19

Oop, I see it's not pronounced with a d. I can see this one being butchered by people like me!