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Baby names

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Original poster

Help with Welsh baby names

82 replies

Issy42 · 23/07/2009 22:03

I'm Welsh and would like to give my baby a Welsh name, but don't want to choose something that sounds too old or too odd for a child living in England. Always thought I would use Rhian/Rhiannon/Rhianedd for a girl but since the Rihanna umbrella song, I think it's a bit of a teenage mum name now. I'm not religious so trying to avoid names with meanings relating to God. Also can't begin with T, C or M.

Currently have:

Girls
Arwen (means fair/fine)- love the 'rw' sound but too Lord of the Rings?
Anwen (fair and beautiful)
Branwen (beautiful raven)
Eira (snow) - good for a winter baby, but too old?
Aneira (snow)

Boys
Vaughan (little)
Rhys (enthusiasm)
Gethin (dark-skinned - I'm very pale)

Also like Leon for a boy, though not Welsh. Would it be better for a boy to use a more popular first name with a Welsh middle name?

Any thoughts/other suggestions?

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Original poster
Issy42 · 26/07/2009 00:29
  • wrote a reply earlier but it's disappeared.
llareggub - I like Nye for short too. You could always have a ds3 . I work with one woman who's just had and another who's expecting a surprise number 3! Have decided that Eirlys gives the option of Eira for short so get the best of both.

mejon - thanks for the pronunciation help - some of the baby name websites have the pronunciation completely wrong so I was getting confused between OY/EYE/AYR/IRE sounds. Celyn and Lili are both lovely but I can't use name beginning with C and unfortunately Lily Allen has put me off similar names and also made Lily very popular.

Feels great to have decided on some names now. Still have middle names to think about but that can wait. Thanks everyone.

OP posts:
mejon · 25/07/2009 21:12

Eirlys would be pronounced Eh (as in eh, what?) so Eh-r-liss rather than Eye-r-liss if that's of any help.

I quite like Eira and Eiry but what about Celyn (pr. Kellin) which is Welsh for Holly (and quite wintery-festive). The snowdrop is also called a 'lili wen fach' (small white lilly) so what about Lili?

llareggub · 25/07/2009 21:09

I love the name Aneurin and DS2 was nearly called that. He would have been Nye for short.

Love Eirlys. I also like Eira too.

Original poster
Issy42 · 25/07/2009 20:58

Thanks for all your help MrsM, Mama, Iwish, Ilove, TAFKA, Lion, Sidge, GwarchodwrPlant, lowrib, rokersmum, Frizbe, bronze, Flame, Jas, migola, Dysgu, skybright, Ninjacat, llareggub, Rachie, doesmybumlook, boodleboot, seaturtle, foreverchanges, Dee, Joycey, salvadory, BlueChampagne and Tummum.

Feeling much happier about using a Welsh name in England now. Lowrib - I loved your rant post, so true - it wasn't so much the spelling/pronunciation that I was worried about but more potential teasing for a boy. I agree that if you read the naming advice on baby name sites everyone would be called Tom and Emma.

Am definitely tending towards Aneirin/Neirin for a boy now (thanks Ilove) and seems to be well received by people. Also like that it probably means either honourable or golden. I like the Aneurin spelling because of Bevan but don't like the closeness to the word aneurysm (now I am worrying about pronunciation ).

Still unsure for a girl, tending towards the snow-related meanings esp for January baby. Like the way Eirlys looks and love the snowdrop meaning but confused about pronunciation - drawback of growing up in Gwent and only doing one year of Welsh at school. I find the r before the l difficult. Any Welsh speakers who can tell me how it should be pronounced?

OP posts:
Tummum · 24/07/2009 16:06

Bethan, Angharad (shortened to Harri) & Gethin are all superb names IMO and caused us no problems living in England. Although it does throw people who see Harri running around in a pink skirt and being called a boys name...

GwarchodwrPlant · 24/07/2009 15:54

Issy42 I'm not sure what Irda means or where it's from and I can't find out for you as it's my mums friends name and mum is away at the mo, so sorry about that!

Mammina · 24/07/2009 14:59

Lowrib that is such a good point. Maybe I'll go with Caswallon or something for a boy

BlueChampagne · 24/07/2009 12:37

Olwen

salvadory · 24/07/2009 09:38

Arianwen- i love this name, love your choices of Arwen, Aneira and Anwen too good luck

Joycey29 · 24/07/2009 08:38

We have an Owain and a Heulwen (pr Hi -el- wen) and next due in Novemeber. Looking to the Irish as my family are irish but will probably add a welsh middle name
Girl - Aoife Seren
Boy - Cian Thomas
Love all the celtic names as they sound so pretty - sod the people who can't spell!!

Deemented · 24/07/2009 08:24

I love Welsh names and really want one for this bubbs.

Girls, i like Mali, Llyr, Sian, Anwen and Ffion.

Boys, i love Aneurin with Nai for short, Ianto, Iestyn, Daffydd, and Iolo.

foreverchanges · 24/07/2009 08:00

love anwen and seren only other welsh name i know is tegwen

Flamesparrow · 24/07/2009 07:55

Issy - the shape she already has at 6, I think beautiful breasted is likely!

Bronze - EPPM suggested Gys and saying it is pronounced Gus

seaturtle · 24/07/2009 01:39

My friend married a Welsh man and her grown up daughter is called Nesta. Never heard of the name before I met her. She wanted to call her Nest, but decided to add the -a as she thought she may be teased for Nest.

boodleboot · 24/07/2009 00:44

Gethin is awesome for a boy. I love Guinevere - Gwyn for short for a girl

or Eilys - pr Eye-Liss....very pretty looking and sounding.

lowrib · 24/07/2009 00:32

Hiya Issy42

I mentioned that Rhys sounds most 'normal' to me because you said you don't want to choose something that sounds "too odd for a child living in England".

Personally, I really like the more unusual names. I feel quite strongly that when English people say "you shouldn't use that name no one will know how to spell it / it's hard to pronounce" what they're actually saying by implication (and usually without realising it) is that only English / Anglicised names are acceptable. And if we go down that route, then this really is the death of Welsh / Irish / Scottish / culture in action. In other words if we don't use these names for fear the English won't be able to say them, they'll die out, and the English will never get a chance to learn how to say them!
Names like Siobhan, Sian, Sinead and Niamh are becoming more well known by the English, why not Osian, Taliesin and Eira next?

I've got a boring sounding but unusual surname and have to spell it EVERY time. It doesn't bother me in the slightest, I think these things only bother you if you let them / like having something to moan about! Also I have lots of friends with unusual names (a mixture of different nationalities, and hippy parents). They ALL say they like their names.

Having said that, that's my personal rant! Choosing a name DELIBERATELY which is hard to spell for the English would perhaps be a little perverse!

I like all of your name choices, some of them were on my list, and my DS' gorgeous name is mentioned on this thread.

To answer your question 'normal' isn't good or bad, it's a question of personal taste. For me, Rhys wasn't on my list despite it being a name I like - and one we have family connections to - as we wanted something more unusual. But if you want something which is easy on the English ear, Rhys could be the one for you as it's relatively well known.

Original poster
Issy42 · 24/07/2009 00:01

Migola - in fairness he is a Richard so was overly looking for the bullying nickname angle of my shortlist.

Rachie - Caitlin is pretty.

Best get to bed now - was supposed to be having an early night.

OP posts:
doesmybumlookbiginthis · 24/07/2009 00:01

WE have a Bethan - I love it. We live in Scotland and have never come across another one. We aren't even Welsh, just loved the name

Mammina · 23/07/2009 23:52

branflake, for god's sake!

Iolo?

RachieB · 23/07/2009 23:45

Branwen would prob be NN Branny/ie ! (the Bronwen I know is NN Bronny/ie)

Just remember I slso love Caitlin NN Cait

Original poster
Issy42 · 23/07/2009 23:36

Migola - one of my friends thinks Branwen would be called branflake.

Skybright - because I have a family member I particularly dislike whose name begins with C and would have same surname - sends a shiver down my spine. And my surname begins with M and don't like the illiteration, but both Carys and Megan were on my list before I made that realisation.

Bronze - glad you didn't get bullied - maybe I can add it back.

Flame - the wen can also mean beautiful and beautiful breasted is no bad prophecy .

Dysgu - Thanks for responding. Ieuan is lovely but has god meaning.

I find out the gender at my next scan in two weeks, so can eliminate half the names then, but wanted a shortlist of both in case they get it wrong as I think it will be harder to think of the other gender when you don't think you're going to use the name IYSWIM.

Hi Ninjacat - did you enjoy Glasto? Think I saw you serving but you had a big queue and had just nearly fainted so was heading back to camp for a sit down in the shade.

OP posts:
RachieB · 23/07/2009 23:34

Seren for a boy ?! gotta be kidding lol

I love Osian,Geraint & Gethin for a boy
and Bronwen for a girl

llareggub · 23/07/2009 23:30

My DSs have Welsh middle names. DS1 is Iestyn and DS2 is Taliesin. We live in England and the middle names cause much hilarity with telephone form filling.

For girls I am a big fan of Angharad.

Not keen on Vaughan to be honest, but that's because I know a particularly vile chap called Vaughan.

Ninjacat · 23/07/2009 23:28

Girls
Nia
Caddy
Nest
Buddug

Boys
Emlyn
Emyr
Barrard

skybright · 23/07/2009 23:24

Why no m's or c's?

I love Carys and i have got a Megan.