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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!!

OP posts:
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Sleepinglemon · 12/07/2019 19:25

I'm in the same boat (except for the twins part). I've been through a Welsh baby names book and the pronounceable ones I came across that I'd not considered were Cali, Cari and Ania. Not sure how legit they are tbh as I've never heard of any of them in Wales.

MikeUniformMike · 12/07/2019 19:08

I'm inclined to suggest Olwyn and Tecwyn - wheel and a misspelt boy's name.

How about Gwen Wyn and Dan Dean?

MikeUniformMike · 12/07/2019 19:04

Mali Awyr and Torri Gwyn? Mali Bw?

Noun names are a bit naff aren't they. Names like Seren, Enfys and Cariad make me cringe.
Mali Awyr is Molly Sky.

MikeUniformMike · 12/07/2019 18:57

Those aren't too bad. It is a nice name and you shouldn't regret it. I know an Ynyr and he gets Un-ee-uh or Inn-ee-uh. Eifion gets Avion. There is no teaching people how to say it because they will not hear it right.

If you don't speak a language some of the sounds can be so difficult.

Original poster
sallysparrow157 · 12/07/2019 18:51

So Olwyn and Torri Gwynt it is then!! 😂😂😂

OP posts:
Stopittt79 · 12/07/2019 18:42

Em-ee-er mostly. Similar to the Arabic Ameer. Or the 'yr' is misheard as 'it' or even 'ith' resulting in Em-ith or Em-it. I do regret it a little bit only because of the mispronunciations but I do love his name nonetheless.

MikeUniformMike · 12/07/2019 18:15

How do they say it?

Stopittt79 · 12/07/2019 18:10

I have an Emyr. He's never had it pronounced correctly Confused

ImaCeri · 12/07/2019 17:41

As my change of user name suggests, I am a Ceri. It doesn't travel well as no-one can pronounce it and it sounds awful!

MoreSlidingDoors · 12/07/2019 17:27

Torri? You'd have to have Gwynt as a middle name.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

MikeUniformMike · 12/07/2019 15:53

Emyr is definitely welsh but not a girl's name. Really like it. It's pronounce EM-irr.

For non-welsh speakers Torri Gwynt is Breaking Wind.

MikeUniformMike · 12/07/2019 15:50

Torri? You'd have to have Gwynt as a middle name.
Alwyn isn't a welsh name - it's an english name but used in wales when the -wyn and -wen names became popular. Arwen is from LOTR.

Stopittt79 · 12/07/2019 15:50

Sorry, thought it was suggested Emyr wasn't Welsh but it was whether it was a girl's name Blush

Stopittt79 · 12/07/2019 15:49

Emyr is a Welsh boy's name.

mejon · 12/07/2019 15:45

bridgetreilly - Sian may well be a very well-known name to very many, however, I have winced when hearing it pronounced as 'Sy-ann' more often than I'd have expected! You only have to look up this thread to see some bonkers suggestions of 'Welsh' girls names - Torri? Alwyn? Emyr?

Pob lwc OP.

catoney · 12/07/2019 15:24

@KissMeBunty olwyn 🤣

bridgetreilly · 12/07/2019 15:20

Sioned and Angharad would be my choices, OP.

bridgetreilly · 12/07/2019 15:20

I have never heard a TV presenter, or indeed anyone, mispronounce Sian as Sy-an, rather than Shaarn. It's a really well known name.

MikeUniformMike · 12/07/2019 14:28

Not Eleri. It will be Ellery or El-Airy. Lovely name though.

changeyoursheets · 12/07/2019 11:38

Alys and Eleri

MikeUniformMike · 12/07/2019 11:21

Dwynwen won't travel and it will get misspelt as Dywnwen and pronounced as Doinwin.
Llinos - Cleen-ose
Blodwen - awful.

English speakers often can't distinguish between welsh Ch and Ll. You'll get Chl, Cl or Thl. Not good.
The Shaaarn pronunciation of such a pretty name ruins Siân for me.

KissMeBunty · 12/07/2019 11:17

I actually think that Ceri is due a resurgence too.

sproutsandparsnips · 12/07/2019 11:04

Dwynwen
Cadi
Mali
Llinos
Blodwen

MoreSlidingDoors · 12/07/2019 11:01

As Sy-an, rather than Shaarn

MoreSlidingDoors · 12/07/2019 10:59

Sian is frequently mispronounced by non-welsh tv and radio presenters.