Opinions on these welsh names

[Christelle2207]

Rhys
Ioan

Ds2 due today and still no closer on agreeing a shortlist. I'm welsh and dp is english- child will grow up in England. IME English can't say Rhys as a Welsh person would so I would have to accept "Rees" pronunciation which I think is ok if not "correct" in my eyes. Ioan is pronounced yo-anne (emphasis on the yo) which I think is easier for english to say, but it's not very obvious looking at it is it?! Would I be setting up the child for a lifetime of misspellings and mispronounciations with either name?

I like the names, but you will probably spend a lot of the time spelling and pronouncing it correctly , my dC is called Evan. It's a family name. My uncle and great grandad was called it

I think most people would know how to pronounce both of those.

I wouldn't have a clue how to pronounce Ioan if I just saw it written down, so personally I'd go for Rhys which I can't see anyone not having seen before tbh

My DC have Welsh names, one is a complete nightmare in terms of initial spelling/pronunciation but most people soon catch on. Just call him what you like! I love Ioan Rhys is a family name that everyone on the male side of the family has in their name somewhere

I would think you would be fine with those lovely names.

I know someone with a Llewelyn who went to live in America where people thought he was a boy called Lou-Ellen!

Other (relatively) easy names - Lloyd, Emrys, Aneurin, Gethin, Lewis, Gareth

I wouldn't know how to pronounce Ioan correctly - I would think it was an odd spelling of Ian.

I would do better with Rhys (sort of R-hiss, not Rees?), although I probably say it wrong

But I am not from Britain, so maybe it would be more obvious to someone born here?

I do like them both though!

I love Rhys. How far off is the Reece pronunciation for you to make your peace with? I have a mum who grew up in North Wales and my stab at it would involve the 'ee' sound but a rolled R and more obvious and breathy 'h'. Is that halfway right? Or is it a short 'Riss' and I've been completely wrong?

No heard of the second one before but really like it. Don't worry about spelling, I have the most boring and simple name yet still have to spell it all of the time!

Easy Welsh names for English people (also have a foot in both camps)

Dylan
Aled
Gareth
David
Glyn

Not difficult but slightly harder
Cellan

I wouldn't know how to pronounce Ioan correctly until I heard it but that's the same for many names really. I prefer it to Rhys.

Other Welsh names

Gethin
dai
Dewi
Huw
Rhod
Rhodri
Bryn

I would prefer the explaining of Ioan than the 'Reese'

Celyn? Gruffydd?

Rhys all the way for me, speaking as an expat Welshie. Met a little Griff the other day which I thought was v cool too.

I think Ioan would puzzle a lot of English people tbh

I love Ioan and, to throw a new one in, Ianto but would worry that the vast majority of people if you live in England wouldn't spell or pronounce it right. Which is a bit of a burden for a child.
It would help if people reading the name were fans of torchwood of course!

My friends have just had an Emrys. His dad is welsh, but he'll be growing up in Yorkshire. Unusual, but people soon get used to it

I love name Rhys! And prefer this spelling

Thanks for the thoughts.
I actually have an awkward to spell and pronounce Welsh name- can be a pain at times but not life-defining.
Ianto is very cool but I think most english would pron. Yan-tow rather than the very short o you get in Welsh (like the o in on). We have a Gethin in the family so that's a no. Griff is cool but I think needs to be short for something and Gruffydd looks very ugly and cumbersome on paper.

Emrys is a nice one, will float with dh. Idris is also on the (very long!) extended list, probably a bit better known due to Idris Elba, who I don't think is Welsh at all!

DS3 is Ianto; I'm from a Welsh family and live in Cardiff now, but when we were still in England we didn't come across too many issues.
I really like Ioan - I feel Rhys would be easier for non-Welsh speakers but once you know how to pronounce Ioan people won't forget :)
I also really like:

Ieuan
Idris
Llewellyn

Having exactly the same issue op, blooming English and their inability to roll their 'R's .

Rees over Rhys is a personal bug bear of mine, but if you can live with it, go for it! I'm trying to think of welsh names that don't use the 'r'

Owain/Owen
Cai
Dafydd
Sion
Tegid

Other I could think of have already been mentioned. I personally like Carwyn, but it would probably bacone 'Ca-wyn'.

Become not bacone, can't moan about English people messing up the Welsh language, then not being able to spell myself .

My first boyfriend was called Ioan - great name.

Also Ivor or Iolo I love Iolo but it was daft with surname.
Cian (Key-Ann) - bit pop star that!

Sorry realised I' m miles from your "easy to spell and say" brief

Emlyn ( remember Emlyn Hughes from Question of Sport?)