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Baby names

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

Original poster

Welsh name ideas

65 replies

tax19 · 28/04/2023 07:45

Hi there

We are expecting our first baby soon. We live in wales and though I am English DH is welsh (not welsh speaking) and thought as baby would be born in wales be nice to have a welsh name. However, we want something we can pronounce and spell.

We are having a surprise and set with the girls name Elinor.

We have told family we like the boys name Huw but have had mixed reactions. Anymore welsh boy names ideas that are easy to pronounce.

Thank you!

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Crikeyalmighty · 04/05/2023 16:44

Huw is lovely x

TwoBigNoisyBoys · 04/05/2023 16:24

I didn’t know it was a Hebrew name, I’ve always presumed it’s Welsh… i should have known better than to post without checking 😁 Ive lived in Wales for 40 years and know about four people called Asa, all pronounced Ace-er. Nobody pronounces it Ass-a, well not where I am North Wales anyway.

Luredbyapomegranate · 03/05/2023 22:35

Gawain
Idris

DacwMamYnDwad · 03/05/2023 14:11

Asa is hebrew and is a biblical name, @Shangrilalala . It will be said as ASS-a by Welsh speakers. It's great.
Another one I'd rule out is Eli. Pronounced Ellie not Ee-lie, and eli is the Welsh word for ointment.

Shangrilalala · 03/05/2023 12:19

Both my DS’s names are on here.

Asa is Scottish and pronounced Ace-ah. I had a Scottish friend who came to Wales for Uni. Great name, great guy.

DacwMamYnDwad · 03/05/2023 10:47

I'm not sure I'd like to be called Asa, @TwoBigNoisyBoys . ASS-a?

KnickerlessParsons · 02/05/2023 21:46

It's a diminutive form of Aneurin, but it is listed as a Welsh boys' name in its own right.

That's all well, but it's not correct. Unless you v count Sue, Dave etc as names in their own right they aren't.

mummabubs · 02/05/2023 21:12

I'm English and living in Wales. We loved the name Gethin for a boy.

TwoBigNoisyBoys · 02/05/2023 21:03

Osian, Rhys and Asa are my favourites

DacwMamYnDwad · 02/05/2023 21:03

@halfsiesonapotnoodle , where is it listed?
Some baby name sites have strange entries.

It could be considered an anglcised welsh name, I suppose.

DacwMamYnDwad · 02/05/2023 21:01

I was quite surprised to see Arwel on the list. It's nice enough for someone over 50 but doesn't sound nice mispronounced. The Ar bit is like in Gary, and the wel like in well.

Elian seems a bit unusual. It's a saint's name. I'd expect people to say it as Ellie-anne, not ELL-yan

halfsiesonapotnoodle · 02/05/2023 21:00

KnickerlessParsons · 02/05/2023 20:47

Nye isn't a Welsh name. It's short for Aneurin.

Show quote history

It's a diminutive form of Aneurin, but it is listed as a Welsh boys' name in its own right.

DacwMamYnDwad · 02/05/2023 20:54

@KnickerlessParsons , Aneurin sounds different in North Wales. It's a nice enough name but I'd think that someone who hadn't seen it before might read it as it looks.

DacwMamYnDwad · 02/05/2023 20:47

Dwi'n cytuno, mae angen gras a 'mynedd. I'd always assumed that Bedo was the welsh form of Bede or a pseudonym.

The young Welsh parents I can think of would probably have names like Osian and Gethin and a Bedo wouldn't seem unusual amongst the baby names.

KnickerlessParsons · 02/05/2023 20:47

halfsiesonapotnoodle · 02/05/2023 20:24

Nye is my favourite.

Nye isn't a Welsh name. It's short for Aneurin.

StarsAtElbowsAndFoot · 02/05/2023 20:37

DacwMamYnDwad · 02/05/2023 20:21

The following are not names:
Bedo
Deri
Stef
Mascen
Osain
Rhosyn
Auryn
Ebon
Jone

Bedwyr could be shortened to Bedo.
Deri is the word for oaks.
Auryn might be a typo for Euryn

To be fair, I do know of a recent Bedo that’s been born. I’d never heard it before either but when he was born I had a look and there were several Welsh medieval poets with the name! But the others, I agree with you. It’s quite frustrating sometimes seeing random sounds and words passed off as Welsh ‘names’

Ma isio gras does!

DacwMamYnDwad · 02/05/2023 20:30

Thanks, @tax19 . Names with consecutive vowels tend to get misspelt.
Welsh has A, E, I, O, U, W and Y as vowels.

A name like Gwilym will get Gwylim, Giwlym, Gwillim etc.

Original poster
tax19 · 02/05/2023 20:28

@erikbloodaxe just seen now thank you

OP posts:
erikbloodaxe · 02/05/2023 20:27

@tax19
Osian is
Osain isn't

Original poster
tax19 · 02/05/2023 20:25

DacwMamYnDwad · 02/05/2023 20:21

The following are not names:
Bedo
Deri
Stef
Mascen
Osain
Rhosyn
Auryn
Ebon
Jone

Bedwyr could be shortened to Bedo.
Deri is the word for oaks.
Auryn might be a typo for Euryn

Ah sorry see Osian spelt differently. See the error now

OP posts:
Original poster
tax19 · 02/05/2023 20:25

DacwMamYnDwad · 02/05/2023 20:21

The following are not names:
Bedo
Deri
Stef
Mascen
Osain
Rhosyn
Auryn
Ebon
Jone

Bedwyr could be shortened to Bedo.
Deri is the word for oaks.
Auryn might be a typo for Euryn

Thank you, but I thought Osian is a name? I've worked with children called Osian and on googling it states

Osian (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈɔʃan], English: /ˈɒʃən/ OSH-ən) is a Welsh masculine given name, derived from the Irish legendary poet and warrior Oisín. The name is derived from the Irish for little deer. It can also mean a face mask wearing little deer king.

Osian was the 22nd most popular baby name in Wales in 2017 and the 3rd most popular traditional Welsh name according to the latest statistics from the Office of National Statistics.

OP posts:
halfsiesonapotnoodle · 02/05/2023 20:24

Nye is my favourite.

DacwMamYnDwad · 02/05/2023 20:21

The following are not names:
Bedo
Deri
Stef
Mascen
Osain
Rhosyn
Auryn
Ebon
Jone

Bedwyr could be shortened to Bedo.
Deri is the word for oaks.
Auryn might be a typo for Euryn

StillWantingADog · 02/05/2023 20:12

Good names above

I like Huw!

others I considered were Rhys, Steffan, Iwan, Ioan, Osian but sadly all will not necessarily cause issues, but be pronounced quite differently by welsh and English speakers. You have to decide if that bothers you (I’m welsh but live with English husband in England).

StarsAtElbowsAndFoot · 02/05/2023 20:04

I’m first language Welsh and some of the ‘names’ on this thread aren’t names at all!

Huw Elis is lovely OP

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