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Baby names

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

Welsh baby names that English family can pronounce easily

180 replies

sunshinecjw · 12/08/2026 23:19

Hiya everyone, this is my first time posting so looking forward to hearing all of your thoughts!!

We are looking for Welsh names that are easy for my English side of the family to pronounce.

My top girl names are Mali and Cadi (please let me know your opinions on these) but I also love names like Ani, mabli and Llio. No long names, nothing overly common.
I also need a middle name that is preferably one (or two) syllable.

We think we have decided on a boy name but I would love to hear any unusual suggestions that I haven’t already heard (I feel like I have gone through every Welsh name list that exists).

I am well past my due date at this point so I would be mega grateful of any help/suggestions.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Cookiemonster14 · 13/08/2026 18:29

As an English ‘Sian’, I can confirm that the family members who want to pronounce it correctly will do so, and the others won’t 🤣 it took 3 months for my own grandad to not call me by my middle name apparently!!

HudALledrith · 13/08/2026 18:35

Arlanymor · 13/08/2026 18:24

Yes and ap Ioan, it’s derived from both.

Jones (surname) - Wikipedia

Whitebonny12 · 13/08/2026 18:37

I knew a Welsh girl at college called Teleri. If I'd had a girl I would have called her that (I have Welsh heritage on my dad's side).

MoiraRosesBebes · 13/08/2026 18:38

Lloyd (spelt with 2 L's but pronounced with 1)
Elis
Jac
Steffan
Dewi/Dafydd/Dai (all Welsh for David)
Gruff (short for Gruffydd)
Joseff (Welsh spelling of Joseph)
Cai (rhymes with Why)
Wil (Will)
Siôn (Welsh spelling of Shaun/ Sean)

Nia
Ffion ( 2 F's in Welsh is an F sound,1 is a V sound)
Nansi
Ani (Welsh spelling for Annie)
Lowri (pronounced Low-ree)
Sara
Elen/ Ellen ( pronounced El-en)
Sian (pronounced Sha-n)
Carys
Cerys /Ceris

Pôb Lwc (Good luck )

PetrichorPam · 13/08/2026 18:43

I love Merrion, nn Meri for a girl, although I’m not sure it is actually a girl’s name. If it isn’t it should be.

CherryRipe1 · 13/08/2026 18:50

Ceinwen

Arlanymor · 13/08/2026 18:53

HudALledrith · 13/08/2026 18:35

Yes that article's rather lacking unfortunately. Of course Ioan and Siôn mean the same thing as well and Ioan is an older name than Siôn.

CypressMoon · 13/08/2026 18:55

Idris. Best Welsh boys' name ever
Seren.

similarminimer · 13/08/2026 18:56

Is Buddug a common name in Wales?

Arlanymor · 13/08/2026 18:57

similarminimer · 13/08/2026 18:56

Is Buddug a common name in Wales?

Not terribly, I know two.

MeandT · 13/08/2026 19:15

Carys
Megan
Seren
Nia

Dai
Dewi (but risk of Due-ey, I suppose?)
Geraint (know a couple of these in England & seems surprisingly easy to get along with)
Gareth
Bryn

Most of these wouldn't be pronounced exactly the Welsh way in England, but they'd be unlikely to get butchered entirely. And most people could have a reasonable stab at getting the spelling right first time too.

I love Llio but you're on a hiding to nothing getting that one said right 🥴

HudALledrith · 13/08/2026 19:38

Arlanymor · 13/08/2026 18:53

Yes that article's rather lacking unfortunately. Of course Ioan and Siôn mean the same thing as well and Ioan is an older name than Siôn.

Edited

Only because it doesn't match what you say.
Ioan would more likely tohave been anglicised as John.

HudALledrith · 13/08/2026 19:39

@MeandT , Dewi (but risk of Due-ey, I suppose?) 'Dowey'.

For anyone curious about how it should be pronounced, imagine Jonathan Ross saying Derry.

Arlanymor · 13/08/2026 19:57

HudALledrith · 13/08/2026 19:38

Only because it doesn't match what you say.
Ioan would more likely tohave been anglicised as John.

Not in the slightest - what a weird assumption to make - I have a friend who is an academic expert in the innumerable examples of the well-known Welsh patronymic surnames. There are plenty of Johnes surnames in Wales too. It's all from the same root.

TheCandidPoet · 13/08/2026 20:08

Seren for a girl
Ceri or Emrys for a boy

Soonflower · 13/08/2026 20:23

Love Alys, Nia and Manon.

Pistachiocake · 13/08/2026 20:25

Sian, Ffion, Seren

Sailawaygirl · 13/08/2026 21:01

I love the name Tesni, although I only know older people with that name, but don't live in Wales anymore

MandSJaffaCakesRule · 13/08/2026 21:16

Easy to say, and phonetic in English:
Ffion
Gweni
Betsi
Mari
Noni
Bronwen
Anwen
Marged
Elin
Cari

Easy to say but might need to be told how to pronounce for the first time:
Enid
Rhian
Iona

OneStepForwardsTenStepsBack · 13/08/2026 21:45

Iona is Scottish, isn’t it?!

Egg7 · 13/08/2026 21:46

My daughter (18) is called Carys. I love it as does she and it really suits her!

HudALledrith · 13/08/2026 21:48

OneStepForwardsTenStepsBack · 13/08/2026 21:45

Iona is Scottish, isn’t it?!

Yes, but that's a different name. Iona, the Welsh name is 'Yonna' and it's from Ionawr (January).

Watchoutfortheslowaraf · 13/08/2026 21:51

OneStepForwardsTenStepsBack · 13/08/2026 21:45

Iona is Scottish, isn’t it?!

In Welsh it’s pronounced more like yonna

MirrorMirror1247 · 13/08/2026 21:52

I'd steer clear of Llio. When Gemma in Coronation Street had her quads, she named one of them Llio and pronounces it Cleo. The Ll sound is tricky if you're not used to it.

One of my sister's possible names when my parents were deciding what to call her was Myfanwy, so I'm throwing that in the ring (Dad was Welsh, so he wanted a Welsh name).

GreenCandleWax · 13/08/2026 21:59

Gwenllian, pronounced Gwenthian, with soft th.