Olwen and Pi/y/rr/i/a/n

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(This will probably out me to anyone who knows me!)

DH very strongly Cornish/Welsh. My family is American/all over the place so we need names that are easily pronounceable internationally and don't mean anything silly elsewhere.

We have agreed that we love the name Olwen for a girl but cannot come up with a middle name. (DH argued strongly for Lamorna or Demelza, but Lamorna sounds like "mourning" to me and not sure what the rest of the world would make of Demelza. I liked Nolwen as an alternative but he said it made him think of grassy knolls.) And what might nicknames for Olwen be? Would we be setting her up for something mean?

And for a boy, DH has always wanted to name his son Pirran which I also like, but cannot decide on spelling - I have seen all of the following:
Pirran/Piran
Pirrin/Pirin
Pyrran/Pyran
etc.

Would consider another Cornish name other than Pi/y/rr/i/an if someone has a compelling reason...middle name will definitely be William as it's a family name on both sides. Last name will be our two last names hyphenated, Welshname-Dutchname.

Get your judgy pants on and tell me what you think - go on, I can take it

Olwen looks very like Owen to me, as in the boy's name.

Personally not a fan or Pirran either, sorry.

I like Pirran (that spelling), given that the Cornish/Welsh connection is important. Quite unique but easy to pronounce and spell.

Not keen on Olwen (perhaps because I knew one at school), but if you like it then Ollie surely would be a good nn? Both middle names work well, Lamorna slightly better IMHO.

Utterly bizarre choices but somehow they're conjuring up quite romantic Cornish images for me.....

pirran sounds like a womb infection

So it's Olwen Nolwen or Pirrian William?

Pirran is awful. It makes me think of a disease or Piriton or....I dunno, it just doesn't sound like a name, sorry.

Olwen is sweet. Lamorna and Demelz both lovey, too. Olwen Lamorna is fab, in fact.

I've always seen it written as Piran or Pirin, I think I prefer the former though both a lovely in my opinion.

For Olwen, I think the nicknames could by Olli or possibly Wendy? Other Cornish/Welsh girl names that would fit your criteria, I think, would be: Kerensa, Elowen, Eseld, Meraud, Aderyn, Merryn, Alis, Bethan, Carys, Catrin, Dilys, Elain, Eleri, Meredith, Morwenna, Morrigan.

Love Pirran and the rest of the world would be fine with Demelza. I wish I was brave enough to use it but alas no Cornish connections :(

I like piran. My fave Cornish names were jowan and yestin.

Not so keen on Olwen - much prettier Cornish names IMO.

Like elowen and kerenza. And tamsyn.

Never heard of either name.
Olwen's quite pretty.
I assume Pirran is pn like pit, and not pyre, in which case I would advise not using the 'y' spelling, as they look like pyre pn. I quite like Pirran. Makes me think of sparrows and earthy things.

Pirran or Pirrin, or Pirren, which is how I spelt it originally. Don't know if that would just look like one of those stupid inventive spellings in Cornwall though.

Interesting to see the differences of opinion and some think Olwen isn't very pretty. I've always associated it with stunning beauty - it's the name of the heroine of the very earliest King Arthur story (Culhwch and Olwen) - Culhwch falls in love with Olwen after just hearing her beautiful name [csmile] For Tolkien fans, many aspects of this myth were borrowed by Tolkien for the story of Beren and Luthien in the Silmarilion. Olwen means "she of the white footsteps" because white flowers were said to have sprung up at her every step from the forest floor. I think I wouldn't prefer a nickname but could live with Olly if she liked it. I do like Elowen, also very pretty...

And it looks like the consensus is to spell it Piran! BigSooz and coccyx - I can't see the disease thing but I will discuss with DH and give it some thought. I guess down in Cornwall you're surrounded by the flag of St Piran, St Piran's day, churches and streets named St Piran that it just seems like any other saint's name to me now. And of course my DH grew up with Pirans in his class, the dean of Truro Cathedral is named Perran, etc. so it's always seemed to him like a very traditional strong male name. His great-grandfather was captain of Camborne mine and he's very keen on maintaining links with Cornwall for our children. The association with illness is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping people would tell me about though, something I never would have thought of myself. Anyway, we'll have a think.

Thanks everyone, much appreciated! [csmile]

squeak I also thought it was interesting you associated Piran with earthy things as he is the patron saint of tin miners. And sparrows nest in mines too.

I love both of them! Olwen is gorgeous and I'd spell Piran however it's traditionally spelled.. I don't know what that is but it looks better without the 'y'. Piran or Pirran definitely.

I don't love the middle names. Maybe something slightly more recognisable like Olwen Meredith? But I think they're both beautiful and you have great taste. I love names that conjure up a bit of fantasy. I'm not Welsh or Cornish at all but I absolutely love the names.

Olwen is a bit dated I think (my counsin in her 40's is Olwen, nn Ollie for those that felt it must be shortened). What about Olwen Loveday (combining Welsh and Cornish)

Personally I think Lamorna and Demelza are bloody awful, but then I'm just some stranger on the t'internet, so my opinion doesn't matter.

Piran seems to be the accepted spelling - Piran William sounds odd to me. What about Carlyon, Mawgan (prefer the Morgan spelling) or Trevelyan?

I don't think Demelza is an ugly name. Marmite, I think.
I like Olwen Demelza.

Agree about Lamorna. Also, Olwen Lamorna is a bit of a tongue-twister.

I'm Welsh and I love Olwen. Nicknames.... probably Olly or Winnie, both sweet and unoffensive in my opinion! It's a lovely name and not very popular - the current fashion seems to be for frilly, overly girly names. Olwen has a certain dignity to it whilst still being friendly, to my ears anyway!

Demelza is a name I've not heard of but it's great. Less keen on Lamorna but I think it's because I'm a bit wary of girls names starting with a La-. Makes me think of those weird LaToya type concoctions! Unfair I know but it's just my gut reaction.

Pirin / Piran - never heard of it before but it sounds fab.