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Baby names

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

Original poster

Welsh girls names you can pronounce

118 replies

Frankiefarr · 30/04/2021 17:55

So having failed to agree on anything DH thinks something from his Welsh side would be nice. We don’t live in Wales though so I’m wanting to know what’s hot and what’s not in Wales and what can people pronounce. So far from the family connections we have

Sian - I like but heard old fashioned in Wales
Siriol
Ceridwen
Eirian (Ayrian)
Manon - I quite like this
Tesni
Eluned
Glesni - again quite like this
Tarian - may be a bit GOT

Any more?

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CalonGaled · 02/05/2021 18:52

Don't pick Deryn, Seren or Cariad FrankieFarr - your Welsh in-laws will almost certainly not like them, and will wonder why you want to name your child Bird, Star or Love.

bigbluebus · 01/05/2021 15:18

I live in England but know a few children with Welsh parents in the area.
The names I'm familiar with are:
Alys
Rhian (although it will be mispronounced Rian)
Carys
Lowri
Ffion
Seren
Megan (obviously familiar in both countries)

Hushabyelullaby · 01/05/2021 15:07

Siân (not old fashioned at all)
Catrin
Gwenan
Deryn
Ffion
Cadi
Seren

DacwMamYnDwad · 01/05/2021 15:04

It's not the easiest to transcribe. The Sir is like the Syr in Syrup, followed by iol - yoll to rhyme with the Holl in Holly. Quite a nice name.

Iolo isn't Yo-lo so I'm not sure how Iola could be Yo-la.

Manon is MAN-on not Man-ON.

I'd just go with something like Anna as a first name and use a really pretty name like Meinir or Mererid as a middle name.

MumofSpud · 01/05/2021 14:57

@Knackeredmommy

Seren
Yes I was just going to post Seren - lovely name
ThatIsMyPotato · 01/05/2021 14:55

Another vote for Ffion and Olwen

Original poster
Frankiefarr · 01/05/2021 14:53

@OohKittens

In the school my younger children attend there are lots of Welsh names, (even though the town is below the landsker line and nobody speaks with a Welsh accent. Eleri Seren Nerys Anwen Ronwen Cariad Teleri Carys Cerys Ffion Mali Mari Catrin Glesni
Thank you
OP posts:
ShoppingPrecinctPrincess · 01/05/2021 14:48

I like Manon but is it pronounced man-ON in Wales as opposed to the French mah-noh?

Original poster
Frankiefarr · 01/05/2021 14:44

@DacwMamYnDwad I was trying and failing to get in the kind of rolled R in Siriol :)

OP posts:
OohKittens · 01/05/2021 14:44

In the school my younger children attend there are lots of Welsh names, (even though the town is below the landsker line and nobody speaks with a Welsh accent.

Eleri
Seren
Nerys
Anwen
Ronwen
Cariad
Teleri
Carys
Cerys
Ffion
Mali
Mari
Catrin
Glesni

Original poster
Frankiefarr · 01/05/2021 14:43

Sorry that’s my bad at not getting the hang of written phrasing. Yes I agree with you about how they say both names. Although in know two Iolas both living in Wales and one does day Yola as in - Oh-la

OP posts:
DacwMamYnDwad · 01/05/2021 14:39

@Frankiefarr, Iola is Yolla, just like Iolo is Yollo.
Siriol is Sir-iol noe Siy-riol (is that like Si in Simon -riol?)

If your friends say them that way, that's up to them but it's not the way Welsh speakers say them.

Not keen on Iola but like Iolo a lot.

Original poster
Frankiefarr · 01/05/2021 14:22

@DacwMamYnDwad

My tops are

Iola which I would pronounce Yola
Manon
Siriol - I would pronounce this like the only person I know with it who pronouces it Siy-riol it is the name that keeps on sticking in my head
I dislike the Gwen cohort of names because it reminds me of old ladies and grumpy aunts

OP posts:
Twizbe · 01/05/2021 14:18

I have a Cerys. I was born in Wales but live in London.

Love that the name means beloved / loved one. I have been surprised about how many people have called her seris though. Once they know it's ke-ris they can say is fine.

welshweasel · 01/05/2021 14:17

Iola will get called Lola. I have a Iolo and the amount of people that genuinely think I named my child Lolo is ridiculous!!

ZeusandClio · 01/05/2021 14:15

I think Cariad (darling) is lovely as a girl's name.

UnconsideredTrifles · 01/05/2021 14:10

I'd avoid any that start Eir-, so many people struggle to pronounce it (and we're in Wales!)

I love:
Eleri
Mabli
Alys

ILoveShula · 01/05/2021 14:09

Iola is Yoll=ah, oll like in Molly and Holly.

CaffiSaliMali · 01/05/2021 14:09

Eleri rhymes with Kerry and Terry - EL-erry. It can sound a little like 'EL-airy in some accents.

Olwyn isn't a name, it's the Welsh word for wheel and a misspelling of Olwen. In Welsh 'wen' names are feminine and 'wyn' names masculine. So Gwen for a girl and Gwyn for a boy.

It's quite common for wen names to be misspelled and mispronounced as 'wyn'. A relative has a wen name and gets this a lot.

Original poster
Frankiefarr · 01/05/2021 14:03

@SpottyOrange

I love Ffion, Tesni, Seren, Iola (but probably difficult to pronounce looking at it), Eleri
I had Iola (Yola) on my list. Wondered if she would always be saying no its Yola not I-ola
OP posts:
DacwMamYnDwad · 01/05/2021 13:25

@Blyatiful, It's definitely El-eh-ri. Rhymes with Ceri and sherry.

Unihorn · 01/05/2021 13:19

Yes I wouldn't go for Tarian, it's the name of the organised crime unit in South Wales for a start Grin

I don't any Sians under about 25 but may just be my area.

DacwMamYnDwad · 01/05/2021 13:12

@Piptastic, it's El-erry not El-airy.

StevieNix · 01/05/2021 11:32

I love Ffion, Meredith (nickname Eadie) and I quite like Manon

ballsdeep · 01/05/2021 11:09

Mabli