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Baby names

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Original poster

Welsh baby boy name

35 replies

Em0703 · 24/10/2021 15:03

We really like Elis and Gwilym. Any thoughts on challenges either can present or are both pretty easy to use outside of Wales too?

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GogLais · 25/10/2021 19:17

@TatianaBis, Gwydion is fairly easy
The Gwyd bit rhymes with Quid, and the ion bit is yon

Stress is on the Gwyd. GUID-yon

Gwilym is GWILL-im

spiderlight · 25/10/2021 17:55

Gwydion is a great name!! (I'm a bit of a fan of The Snow Spider, as you might be able to tell).

IGoWalkingAfterMidnight · 25/10/2021 17:45

@TatianaBis

Welsh is pretty much said phonetically - once you know the alphabet!

If you watch the trailer for The Snow Spider adapted by the BBC, Gwydion is said a few times in it.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/YWyKddFnmWpTywmlWP2QLh/what-influenced-the-author-of-the-snow-spider

Threewheeler1 · 25/10/2021 17:45

Or maybe Lleu Llaw from mythology? I think his story features in the Mabinogion so lovely bit of history!

Threewheeler1 · 25/10/2021 17:41

We were going to go for Gwilym but DH thought it'd be a bit difficult. Kids have Welsh middle names, named after family. Still love Gwilym.
Also love Mansel (my favourite brother!) and have it in DS's name. Traditionally there has always been a slightly wayward uncle named Mansel in our family & my brother is living up to that Grin
Love Arwyn & Owain too, also family.

TatianaBis · 25/10/2021 17:38

@GogLais

Oh *@IGoWalkingAfterMidnight* those are nice names. I only know one Gwydion, but lots of Griffs.
How is Gwydion pronounced?
TatianaBis · 25/10/2021 17:36

@OtterAndDog

Llewellyn is my favourite name ever! But Scottish baby's dad didn't like it as too Welsh :(

It's also easy to shortened as Lewy, plus name of a character in famous film 'No Country for Old Men' so a lot of people who aren't welsh will be familiar with it

I love Llewelyn. Lewy makes makes me think of Lewy Body (Dementia) but I really like Llewi.
GogLais · 25/10/2021 17:29

He was the brother of a schoolfriend and I have lost touch with her.

It's nice to hear names that are different. Gwydion Bach sounds really cute.

IGoWalkingAfterMidnight · 25/10/2021 16:44

Diolch yn fawr iawn @GogLais! Is the Gwydion you know married to a Ceridwen by any chance?! I only know one other too - we can him Gwydion Mawr and mine is Gwydion bach.

GogLais · 25/10/2021 16:44

You said the full name, but the ones I know are shortened to Griff or Gruff.

Gwion and Goronwy are also good.

GogLais · 25/10/2021 16:41

Oh @IGoWalkingAfterMidnight those are nice names. I only know one Gwydion, but lots of Griffs.

IGoWalkingAfterMidnight · 25/10/2021 16:36

@GogLais at the risk of outing myself, they are Gruffydd and Gwydion 😁

Standrewsschool · 25/10/2021 16:28

As others have said, Eli’s will be spelt as Ellis. Both good names.

GogLais · 25/10/2021 16:26

@OtterAndDog, Llewellyn is the anglicised form. The Welsh versions are Llywelyn or Llewelyn, and are abbreviated to Llew, which doesn't have an L in it.

NothingIsWrong · 25/10/2021 16:22

I have a Gwilym and we live outside of Wales - people have to concentrate a couple of times the first time, but after that we have had very few misspellings of it. Yes, he is Gwil for short, or often just G. It's the only boys name we could agree on (Dad is first language Welsh and I like Welsh names).

OtterAndDog · 25/10/2021 16:21

Llewellyn is my favourite name ever! But Scottish baby's dad didn't like it as too Welsh :(

It's also easy to shortened as Lewy, plus name of a character in famous film 'No Country for Old Men' so a lot of people who aren't welsh will be familiar with it

GogLais · 25/10/2021 16:11

Thanks @IGoWalkingAfterMidnight, are they Gethin and Griff?

IGoWalkingAfterMidnight · 25/10/2021 15:59

Wow - brokenbiscuitsx, that response is a little rude.

To be fair, GogLais is correct.

Evan is not Welsh - for a start ‘v ’ isn’t in the Welsh alphabet!

Of the two originally suggested names, I prefer Gwilym…I have two Welsh ‘G’ names for sons so I may be biased!

Welsh baby boy name
CaffiSaliMali · 25/10/2021 15:18

Both Elis and Gwilym are lovely. Elis will get Ellis and Gwilym will get Gwylim but both are easy to pronounce so shouldn't be too tricky outside Wales.

I'm in England and Osian, Tomos and Macsen are on my list. Partial to Ioan (but can't use it), Owen, Emrys, Emlyn and Idris as well.

Gwilym would be on my list but DH vetoed and Elis would be on there if there wasn't already one in the family.

GogLais · 25/10/2021 15:07

@brokenbiscuitsx, name sites are notoriously unreliable when it comes to Welsh names. Some have words like Famine, Wheel and Wheelbarrow listed as girls' names.

Never heard of Iefan. Ifan and Ieuan are both well-known forms of John.

You may not care what I think but if you name a child Rhys it sounds quite different when said by a Welsh speaker.

brokenbiscuitsx · 25/10/2021 14:51

@GogLais

Evan is an anglicised form of Ifan. Rhys sounds horrible and is a bit downmarket if you are not Welsh-speaking.
Ok 😐

Was replying to OP not you though. Don’t really care what you think tbh.

Also..

Welsh baby boy name
GogLais · 25/10/2021 13:53

Evan is an anglicised form of Ifan.
Rhys sounds horrible and is a bit downmarket if you are not Welsh-speaking.

brokenbiscuitsx · 24/10/2021 21:59

Evan and Rhys, Welsh but common enough to not get misspelled 😊

poblwc · 24/10/2021 21:48

Gwilym and Elis were both on my short list. I really love Gwilym.

I'm Welsh but living in England. Gave my son a v easy Welsh name (I thought) and people seem to struggle with it, though get used to it eventually. TBH people frequently spell my name wrong even though it's super common, so you might as well just go with a name you love.

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 24/10/2021 21:20

Love Gwilym but personally feel somehow like I should speak good Welsh or have Welsh heritage to use it myself - even though it seems pretty straightforward/easy to pronounce outside Wales imo (I'm English and currently live in a English speaking area of Wales so am probably using William instead).

Elis will probably get misspelt as Ellis but I personally much prefer Gwilym anyway. Btw other Welsh boys names I love are Emrys, Huw, Ioan and Macsen.