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Original poster

Help me find a Welsh girls name

94 replies

moogdroog · 12/04/2011 17:30

Hi all,
Baby due in 3 weeks time (girl, or so the sonographer said) and I'm still umming and ahhing over names. Get terrified with the huge responsibility of it all and end up dithering.
I am Welsh, DH is English, we live in Wales and in the not too distant future hope to move to a more Welsh (speaking) part of Wales. DS is Ioan and would like a Welsh girls name too. Further complicated by our surname being an adjective, with a strong 'Sh' at the start.

DH's current favourites, which I am also considering are:
Nia - too like Mia? Too short? Seems to need a middle name sorted to consider it properly
Rhiannon - love the nickname 'Non', but is it too boring?

Names we liked that have been discounted so far:
Menna - love this but makes a statement with our surname (Men are...)
Seren - don't like it with our surname, and seems to be crazily popular at the moment
Llinos - too Welsh (DH)
Gwen/Gwennie/Gwennon - just went off it (and my nan doesn't like it!)
Eira / Eirwen - meaning snow/white snow - due May, wrong time of year?

Any suggestions? I'm driving myself mad looking through lists

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zookeeper · 12/04/2011 22:32

Gwanwyn. Bronwen. Rhiannon

KatF · 12/04/2011 22:49

Not sure if this is an actual name in Wales but my father calls me Cariad which is supposed to mean darling. Think this is really pretty and would consider it for my own childs name but I am Scottish and my husband Irish so we dont feel it would 'make sense' to have a Welsh name.

ConstanceFelicity · 13/04/2011 07:25

Cariad means love. Which would be a lovely name. I've never heard it used. :)

Original poster
moogdroog · 13/04/2011 07:59

Know of a couple of little Cariads - lovely name but taken, so can't use it.
ConstanceFelicity - thanks for the nickname like, used it for years now - still clinging on to those heady days..
Very amused at the thought of someone being called Torture!

OP posts:
migola · 13/04/2011 08:48

I think Heulwen is due for a comeback Grin
Also like Llinos and Mari

CammieP · 13/04/2011 08:51

My grannie's name was Olwen, which I think is lovely.

harpsichordcarrier · 13/04/2011 08:55

I LOVE Arianwen.
Also Angharad (shortening to Annie?)

ConstanceFelicity · 13/04/2011 09:09

I love Heulwen too. Also met a little Heulyn (sunbeam) which is nice.

Melangell is another. Gorgeous name.

migola · 13/04/2011 09:13

Heulyn is cute (am assuming it's for a boy?)

Melangell is nice but Mel (which it would inevitably get shortened to) not so romantic

ConstanceFelicity · 13/04/2011 09:44

Heulyn was a girl. though I did think it sounded boyish too.

See, I quite like Mel.

Branwen is nice.

dottyaboutstripes · 13/04/2011 09:44

Nia is not very easy for English people. I have one and thought it was a no-brainer but you wouldn't believe how many people get it wrong (quite spectacularly so sometimes Confused)

I love Manon (shame you can't use it), prefer Carys to Cerys. Arianwen is lush.

ConstanceFelicity · 13/04/2011 09:46

Am shocked anyone can get Nia wrong... What do they call her dotty? It's a lovely name.

Elan.
Elain.

dottyaboutstripes · 13/04/2011 11:38

Usually it's N-eye-ah, but we've had Near and Neigh-ah many times (like a horse!) and bizarrely DH's family (Mancunian) call her Nair....Hmm

PaganOfBologna · 13/04/2011 11:44

See I would pronounce Nia as Knee-ah with the emphasis on the first syllable.

N-eye-ah sounds like it would be spelt Nyah

dottyaboutstripes · 13/04/2011 11:56

Yes, Knee-ah is the right way but so, so many people think it's N-eye-ah. The number of times we've had to teachers, over and over again.

Margles · 13/04/2011 11:57

Eira / Eirwen - meaning snow/white snow - due May, wrong time of year?

Just to pick up on your first post, not the wrong time of the year if you think that hawthorn, which is also called may has white blossom which is in bloom then. Very pretty.

Why is it that people mangle Welsh names? Well, OK I can see the difficulties with Llinos because the ll does not appear in English, but Nia? Can't see a problem with this.

gallicgirl · 13/04/2011 12:01

We've got an Alys although you might find some confusion over spelling and pronunciation.

mejon · 13/04/2011 12:05

Well Menna is a lovely name but then I'm biased and have never had a problem with the 'Men-are....' connotations. What about Menai as an alternative?

My DDs are Gwenno and Mabli with Haf and Elan as middle names.

As there's definitely no DC3 I'd happily send you my copy of 'Enwau Cymraeg i Blant' - its the 2010 revised edition if it'll be of use to you. PM me if you'd like it.

Bit Confused and Hmm about some of the suggestions on here though - some clearly boys' names and others highly unlikely to be Welsh (Kendra??!!)

ConfessionsOfAnAchingFanjo · 13/04/2011 12:14

I know a couple of Delwyns, they and their name are lovely (though extra confusing when they end up on the same sports team as it's not at all common!)

Original poster
moogdroog · 13/04/2011 12:56

Mejon - have PM'ed you. Your DD's have beautiful names!

Dotty - I can't believe you'd had such trouble with people pronouncing Nia!

OP posts:
JemimaMop · 13/04/2011 19:35

Tirion is becoming really popular, I think it is the new Seren Grin

coccyx · 13/04/2011 19:39

like Cerys and anwen

GwennieF · 13/04/2011 19:43

Love Eleri and Eirwen. Also Gwenllian.

MrClaypole · 13/04/2011 19:48

Such gorgoeus names on this thread, hopefully I will be upduffed soon so I can use one!

meadowlarks · 13/04/2011 19:50

Elowen.

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