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Baby names

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Original poster

Your immediate thoughts on Anwen?

93 replies

CoalCraft · 23/04/2021 23:06

Just that really - Have you heard it before? What do you associate it with, if anything? Do you like it?

Would ALS really appreciate knowing what region you're from if you don't mind sharing.

Thank you!

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FizzyApricot · 24/04/2021 10:43

Love it, I'm near Wales. Definitely a Welsh name.

It reminds me of Olwen which I also love.

CaffiSaliMali · 24/04/2021 09:10

Half English, half Welsh. In England, Welsh learner.

I'd assume you were Welsh but it's not as obviously Welsh as a name like Siôr or Gwenllian.

I have a Welsh name, most people don't realise it's Welsh - I've been mistaken as being from many other countries and cultures from Spanish to Iranian.

Whenever anyone is familiar with the name, or recognises it as Welsh I have a nice conversation about my Welsh heritage - inevitably the person is Welsh themselves, once lived in Wales or has a Welsh relative or partner. I wouldn't worry about people thinking 'that's a Welsh name' - great conversation starter 😃

Anwen is easy to spell and say. It's short enough to keep as it is but you have some good nickname options too - Ann, Anni, Wenna. A relative of mine has a 'wen' name and gets 'win' instead of 'wen' a lot. So some people may mispronounce as 'Anwin' but that is easy to correct.

RuthW · 24/04/2021 08:48

I'm not keen but it's a perfectly sensible and know name. Go for it.

I'm
In the East midlands.

vampirethriller · 24/04/2021 07:39

It's my sister's name, I think it's lovely.

Yorkshireswithallroasts · 24/04/2021 07:38

South Wales. I’ve known a few baby Anwens over the past few years. I like it.

Kollamoolitumarellipawkyrollo · 24/04/2021 07:36

@CroydianSlip

I like it, and like Arianwen even more.

I'm as boringly English as they come but I LOVED The Snow Spider trilogy as a child and have had a soft spot for Welsh names from there.

Me too!

I love it. I would assume a Welsh family but not give it more thought than that.

Dundusting · 24/04/2021 07:30

I'm very English. I haven't heard the name before. I think it's lovely. I assume the emphasis is on the 'An' part. I thought Welsh because of similarly to Olwen.

YouWereGr8InLittleMenstruators · 24/04/2021 07:28

Absolute first impression flashing through my mind after chatting with you in the park and registering baby Anwen: I'd think that, unless you were obviously Welsh, you were perhaps into Celtic history and mythology, re-enactments and Tolkien. I'd hope it was an actual name and not a 'sound-alike'.
Thankfully, this thread has educated me as to the provenance of the name. It's very pretty.

EileenGC · 24/04/2021 07:26

I like it, I only know of one girl called Anwen and she’s from Wales.

I wouldn’t worry too much if the name screams ‘I’m from X’. Mine is always associated with 2 countries - one of them my home country - and as an adult I actually like saying ‘yes, it’s an Italian/Greek/Ukrainian name’ or whatever. It reflects my heritage and I enjoy that, and people just go ‘oh, that’s nice’ instead of wondering why on earth my parents saddled me with that name (they didn’t, they gave me a perfectly normal local name). I’ve lived all over the word and people ask how it’s pronounced once and that’s the end of it.

Flappityflippers1 · 24/04/2021 07:20

I went to school with a girl called Anwen - that was South Wales, lovely name!

Original poster
CoalCraft · 24/04/2021 07:19

Hmm, I'd hope Anwen would be easy enough to pronounce?

Amusingly "And when" is what my phone autocorrected it to at first Grin I don't mind that much though; most names have some foible or another.

OP posts:
WellTidy · 24/04/2021 07:12

I know a teenage Anwen, but only one. I’m welsh but living in England.

I have a welsh name but have issues with its pronunciation in England. When I was pregnant, I liked welsh names that wouldn’t have pronunciation issues. Number one girls name for me was Catrin, I absolutely love it.

CornishTiger · 24/04/2021 06:45

We use it and have welsh heritage but aren’t welsh.

Luzina · 24/04/2021 06:27

@CroydianSlip

I like it, and like Arianwen even more.

I'm as boringly English as they come but I LOVED The Snow Spider trilogy as a child and have had a soft spot for Welsh names from there.

My childhood best friend’s mum wrote the snow spider!! Such great books!!!
givememarmite · 24/04/2021 06:27

Oh and regarding the 'distraction' factor of a name, I actually think it's a great talking point! Explaining the pronunciation can get a bit annoying (but Anwen is one of the easier ones!) it's a real conversation starter and makes life interesting Smile just from my personal experience!

givememarmite · 24/04/2021 06:23

I love it! It's my daughter's middle name, I am Welsh but live abroad and have issues with the pronunciation of my very Welsh name here so decided against them as first names for my kids!

Friolero · 24/04/2021 05:36

The only Anwen I've ever met was when I was about 10 (I'm in my 40s now) when I shared a room with her on a holiday camp in Wales and we stayed in touch for a while after. I'm from SE England and never come across the name apart from that. I think it's a lovely name.

Synchrony · 24/04/2021 05:19

I think it's pretty.
First thought was "Welsh".
No other connotations for me. I'm not a LotR fan.

Norabuzz · 24/04/2021 04:06

I love it - it has fond connections for me as I adore the Anwen we know. My daughter's friend. Her family are Welsh.

Original poster
CoalCraft · 24/04/2021 03:35

Yes, DH and I are both Welsh, living in Wales. One of the things I wanted a litmus test on was whether it was still a "Welsh name" first and foremost, since some have escaped that and become more widespread (e.g. Rhiannon), but it's hard for us to know from within Wales.

Guess it does still very much scream "I am Welsh!" then. Obviously nothing at all wrong with being Welsh but a part of me would rather people not be distracted by that on first meeting. It's so pretty though.

Hmm, must keep pondering.

OP posts:
MercyBodle · 24/04/2021 03:19

Beautiful name! I know of it but have never met one.

CakesOfVersailles · 24/04/2021 03:19

Makes me think of my (former) Welsh neighbour. Lovely name, only ever met one Anwen.

MrsCalypsoGrant · 23/04/2021 23:47

I know an Anwen of about 8, growing up in the north of England to Welsh parents. I think it's a lovely name.

My daughter is Anna, her two best friends are Annie & Annabel, there was a definite theme when we all had girls!

Blondiney · 23/04/2021 23:41

Twee.

EverythingsComingUpRoses · 23/04/2021 23:41

I know 2 19 year olds -in Yorkshire but as far as I know neither has close links with Wales

I went to school with one of their mum's and the other one went to 6th form with my DS

They don't know each other

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