Welsh names

Aniera sounds like a South American guerrilla. Aneira is a name but I suspect it is Ann+Eira, so could be a bit naff. See pp about transposed vowels.

I don't get the current love of Eira. It's a pretty name but suspect it is the Eva, Ava, Ivy, Ida, Evie, Edie, Ellie, Ella, Erin... trend. Same goes for Elin. Samey but with mispronouncing opportunities. I know many Elins, and it's an old name. Elen seems fresher.

Amser isn't a name and would be nicknamed Hamster.

Elain (EL-ine) mentioned upthread is Fawn - a young deer.

A colleague at work recently had a baby girl and named her Aniera which I think is beautiful

My favourites are

Twm
Lowri

(I think @CaffiSaliMali might be a Lowri!)

Glain means bead.

The filler middle name I forgot to mention was Mai. (My) Overused.

Can't say what I thought it was Caff. My guess it is that it is not in your user name but not that different. Your comment changed my mind. If you are from where you say you are from, you would probably be traceable so won't post it just in case. What a nice teacher. That is a great example of what happens. cf. I used to live in Denbighshire, and on spelling it would be told ' I know how to spell Denby ' - er yes but Denby is not only wrong , it looks very much like Derby. Postcodes weren't always around.

Breton names look a bit too alike to Welsh that they might look wrong. I don't know many bretons but their kids have nice names - admittedly the names had me puzzled initially.

Maman - you could do that welsh thing of middle name as known as name when in Wales, so that they are Firstname Llywelyn (love this name) and Firstname Glain (subst name of choice) when with Taid and Nain.

Isn't Avalon Afallon in Welsh? Aflan to me (first language Welsh) just means something disgustingly dirty.

The Heini Gruffudd book is fine. Many of the web sites for welsh baby names are dodgy.

I saw a girl wearing a Manon name tag in a supermarket in Brittany and it is welsh too. I really like that name for a girl.

@AderynOren I've got a Welsh Names for Children book by Heini Gruffudd that I picked up in Caernarfon, any Welsh bookshops near you that might stock it? Or Amazon, obvs (trying to support local shops first!)

Gwenllian
Eleri
Lleucu
Angharad
Gwawr

Gruffydd
Gwydion
Talfryn
Llewelyn
Pryderi
Taliesin
Islwyn

The Welsh name will be a second/middle name so it really can be anything as it won't be used regularly. My DS's middle name is Llywelyn, nobody ever says it but I'm so proud that he has it and my in-laws have even learned how to pronounce it correctly!

The first name will be something that works in French and English, ideally with the same spelling. I didn't want DS to have to live with a Mathieu/Matthew type situation where it's always but his name is quite rare over here and people mispronounce it a lot, despite DH wrongly telling me it was well known in France. That said, it is a beautiful name (very outing!) and I don't regret it.

@MikeUniformMike thanks for the Breton tip but I find all Breton names awful! DH's family are Breton, but the middle name has to be cast-iron Welsh. DS will play rugby for Wales one day after all

I went to school with a Teleri, never shortened, thankfully.

@AderynOren

Macsen has an interesting history and legend behind it: www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2018/09/name-of-the-week-macsen.html

Alys is gorgeous. Fflur also gorgeous, but harder for non-Welsh speakers to pronounce. If you like Fflur, how about Ffion?

As Mike says, correcting your name gets tiresome. I usually give up after 2 or 3 attempts and accept my fate. Also, people can be very funny about being corrected. I had an unpleasant teacher who told me it was rude for children to correct how adults pronounce their name when I politely corrected her in class (first register). So I always feel awkward doing it! I can live with the mispronunciation but my Mam hates it. A colleague in my last job made the mistake of getting it wrong in the Cardiff office and was treated to a lecture on Welsh grammar

@MikeUniformMike - if said name has an English equivalent beginning with the same letter that was popular in the 80s then you're right Mam thought she had nailed 'Welsh name which will work in England', bless her.

@mamansnet - never heard of Glain before, but I like it. Tesni is gorgeous, I love the meaning as well.

I like Eleri. DH used to struggle not to say 'Ellerry' until DuoLingo introduced him to Eleri Lingo. Meleri reminds me of Malaria (by sight, not sound, also I have a strange mind so it's probably just me). Teleri is nice, but I worry her nickname would be Telly or TV (I knew a girl at school with a similar ish name this happened to).

My favourite is Catrin

@mikeuniformmike - I'm deep in Welsh Wales and I've taught three Bronwyns who all spelt it with a y - I know traditionally that was the male version but I think the name is now generally considered female.

I wondered how long it would take for someone to suggest Bronwyn.

@RuudGullitOnAShed, It is Bronwen.

Cadi
Bronwyn
Mabli
Tegan
Nesta
Anwen
Rhiannon

Iori
Llyr
Iwan
Owain

Are you in France? I'd be tempted to look at Breton names. They'll be a bit of nod to your celtic background and will work better. Some of the names are delightful. Some like Yvan are very similar to the welsh versions.

What I mean by not travel is that they will be met with confusion. The tendency is to find the nearest name they know or have a stab at it, or a refusal to use it and just use something else.

An example would be Geraint. You'll get Jeraint, Guh-rant, Grant ...Er WTF
Gwenllian will be Gwenthly-ann, Gwenlillian, Gwenli-un or I'm not even going to try to say that, and worse
Mair will be Mare or Maia
Meinir - My-nur or Men-ee-ur
Llinos - Clee-nose
The child will get this almost daily. Sometimes several times a day.
You can try to teach people but it will get tiresome after the first few hundred times.

I would use a welsh middle name. Fflur and Glain stand out as my current favourites. Haf is a filler middle name.

Some of the names will work in France and whereas they might not work in England or Scotland, they'll be lovely in a french accent. I think Luc is nice, Fflur will sound ok (they'll say Fleur). Gethin is fine in England but won't work in France. Manon is a name in France and Wales.

If your family has a broad welsh accent - I'd consider how the name will sound back home. I wanted Mary for a DD (I know but as much as I love the name Mair, it wouldn't work down here) but it would have been 'Merry' back home.

@MikeUniformMike Ail iaith ond yn siaradwr, o Ngwynedd yn wreiddiol a tramor dyddiau ‘ma.

Doesn't really matter for the names that don't travel, it's more a nod to my Welsh heritage that I'm after. I had so many options for DS and really struggling if the next one is a DD!

How about Raili, Tedi, Ffrea, Lifai...