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Baby names

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

Original poster

Welsh girls names that work in England

165 replies

sallysparrow157 · 11/07/2019 16:58

My partner and I are both (North) Welsh but living in England, I’m pregnant with twin girls and so far have been pretty useless in thinking of names...

We’re looking for names that are easy to pronounce by non Welsh speakers and also don’t look like we’ve spelt it wrong just to be ‘interesting’!

I’m not a fan of names like Seren or Enfys.

I don’t really mind names that are seen as a bit dated (but on the other hand lots of names that were common in my generation are names of people I was in school with and didn’t get on with!)

Help!!

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MoreSlidingDoors · 20/07/2019 21:47

Looking forward to posts suggesting Meicrodon (Meic, for short), Cadeir (Cadi for short) and Caws.

avocadoincident · 20/07/2019 19:21

We have a few girls named 'Cariad' in this area

bellinisurge · 20/07/2019 09:26

Fair enough. I know it isn't "a name". But given that there are plenty of non-name words used as a name in English, don't see why it can't be an option. If you don't like it, that's a different thing.

MoreSlidingDoors · 20/07/2019 09:14

Cariad isn’t a name. (Already discussed on the thread.)

bellinisurge · 20/07/2019 09:12

Cariad

nothingtowearever · 20/07/2019 09:06

Mine and my sisters names are here quite a bit 💁🏼‍♀️🤣 love Anwyn and Manon!

be47 · 20/07/2019 08:35

Megan and Bethan both work - might not be obviously Welsh though?
I work with a Manon - until I met her sister who also has a Welsh name I had assumed the family must be French though! It's a gorgeous name either way
Ffion - I was friends with a lovely Ffion growing up if that balances out the awful girl you knew!?

ballsdeep · 20/07/2019 08:31

Mabli

MyNewBearTotoro · 20/07/2019 08:18

My favourite Welsh girls name is Celyn.

Others I think would work in England are Betsi, Gwen, Teleri, Branwen, Elena, Sara, Lowri.

Newbie21 · 20/07/2019 08:04

Catrin

SemperIdem · 19/07/2019 19:53

Elin

Proseccoinamug · 19/07/2019 13:34

Alwyn and Emyr are boys’ names! The op will know this but for the benefit of others!

MikeUniformMike · 14/07/2019 21:10

Eira is not easy to pronounce if you don't speak Welsh. The Ei part just not quite Ey. the ra bit is not ruh. I would avoid as you probably get Ira or Ay-ruh. If you are scottish, you probably can say it.

Lovely name but having everyone I meet take a few tries to get my name right would soon be a PITA.

Scottishgirl85 · 14/07/2019 20:50

We have a 4 year old Eira and live in SE England. It can take a few tries to get people to pronounce it but once they get it they don't forget and we always have people saying it's a lovely unusual name.

MikeUniformMike · 14/07/2019 19:05

Cariad is a welsh word that depending on context can mean Love, Sweetheart, Darling, Charity, Girlfriend or Boyfriend,
It is pronounced Carr-yad (2-syllables and not Carry-ad).
Lloyd's girlfriend or Lloyd's boyfriend translated is Cariad Lloyd.

Faith, Hope and Charity translated is Ffydd, Gobaith, Cariad. Maybe she has siblings called Faith and Hope. Ffydd sounds quite nice but Gobaith would probably get called Gobby.

MoreSlidingDoors · 14/07/2019 14:42

Cariad means sweetheart or dear. So no, not a name.

BertrandRussell · 14/07/2019 14:41

Can I derail to ask the Welsh speakers about Cariad? I heard the comedian Cariad Lloyd saying that it isn’t a name in Welsh, just an endearment and Welsh people think it’s a bit strange. She said she was directed by someone once who refused to call her it because it was what he called his wife.....

Mopmum35 · 14/07/2019 14:36

One of my dd's is called Rhian ( pronounce Rheun) my husbands old colleague was also called rhian and he was south African. I love the name personally, it's just so annoying when people call her Rhianne...But where we live I've not heard another rhian.

MikeUniformMike · 14/07/2019 14:14

Cally could be short for Caroline.
I find the Beth-un, Ree-un, Ser-un, Ree-Annun, etc really ugly, as are the El-airy and Ann Harrud pronunciations.
If you point out that an ending is -an to rhyme with can your Bethan will get called Beth Ann.
I worked (in England) with a Rhian and she was either Ree-un or Ree Ann, depending on who was saying her name.
What you say and what people hear you say are not the same.

wobytide · 13/07/2019 01:23

Bethan will be Bethun

How true, as not Welsh parents but with Welsh family, to the non-Welsh she is Bethun but to the Welsh relatives and the parents she is Beth-an. Odd the little differences

MoreSlidingDoors · 13/07/2019 00:36

Cally is usually a shortened form of Calista: not welsh.

MikeUniformMike · 12/07/2019 21:26

Alys is pronounced Alice. Older generations sometimes spelt it Alis.

I know a Cari. It's ok but I'd guess people will say Kah-ree or spell it Carrie.
Ania is Polish. Cali is a new one to me and although I like Cally it's a bit too much like California.
Cadi is nicer and it's just welsh Katie.

CloserIAm2Fine · 12/07/2019 20:10

Mali
Carys
Ffion
Megan
Rhiannon
Anwen
Bethan

Are you pronouncing Alys like Alice or like ay-liss with the first syllable rhyming with hay? I’m in South Wales and known girls with both versions.

mejon · 12/07/2019 19:45

I wasn't suggesting Torri, Emyr and Alwyn as names for a girl! I was bemoaning the fact that someone further up the thread had done so.

NameChange30 · 12/07/2019 19:32

My favourites are Bethan, Megan and Erin.
All reasonably common/popular and pronounceable in England which is probably why I like them.