Is it daft to use Gwilym if we're not Welsh?

[Laquila]

This is pretty much the only boys' name I like. My husband's worried that it's "a bit Welsh" (well...duh), although he loves Wales and has a lot of good memories from there. What do you think? Would you automatically assume a Gwilym was Welsh?

I don't know of any young Gwilyms. It has always been an old man's name. Oh I think there might have been one but he chose to go by Wil.

I'd definitely assume a Gwilym was Welsh. As others have said, Seren, Iwan etc are starting to become more mainstream so don't immediately make you think "they must be Welsh", but names like Gwilym, Geraint, Dafydd etc are definitely inescapably Welsh.

Go for it.
There is no guarantee that little gwylim will live in England all his life.
There are lots of non-English names around. Have been for years.
I know several Joannas. Joanna is a Hebrew name.
Rachel, I think is the same.
A few Liams. Another variation on William.
How many people question Harry now?
Harry was the nn for Henry.
Just like jack was the nn for John. (Never understood that one!)
But all accepted as proper names now.

Nick names becoming proper names is not the same thing at all. Nor is using a non- English name. Do you know the English version of Joanna? Thought not. Not the same thing. Try reading the whole thread first.

From john, or versions of, we get Jankin (a dim, with a suffix), then Jackin (this bit French influence), then Jack. Many years ago now. Jock similarly for Scottish

I agree with Rita on the first page.
It would just get so annoying having everybody ask you about your Welsh roots and then why you had a Welsh name if you weren't Welsh, after they'd asked you how to spell it every time you gave your name anywhere.

I like it. Different but not daft. In DD's nursery class there's 2 Ionas ( no Scottish connection) a Pierre ( no French connection) and a Heidi ( Deffo not Swiss.) So what? I say go for it its cool.

There is no alternative, established English version of Heidi or Iona, though. Get it? This isn't about 'foreign' names.

Using Pierre instead of Peter, with no French connection, is daft. I'll let them off if they're Tolstoy fans

Loads of non French amelies

Welsh is a fiendishly difficult language though so I'd be very cautious indeed with this one
I've never heard of gwillam and I've been to Wales a lot.
Rita is spot on with her mirror advise

Also, some Welsh can be very anti English so that could be another whole can of worms

It definitely raises my welsh hackles tbh. We have been mocked by the englsih for so long, our language scorned and almost destroyed, so culturally as an english person to use a welsh name because it "sounds nice" and you "like Wales" is not a million miles away from choosing an afro carribean name as a white person because you "identify with black culture". Or men who want to wear women's dresses but still don't want to do the washing up..

Loads of non French amelies

It's a known fact Amelie popularity is due to the film (Amelie). From obscurity, with a handful of Amelie registered every year, the film catapults it to top 100 within a couple of years.

For what it's worth. I like it. I am Welsh living in England. He will spend the rest of his days spelling it however and explaining why etc. I speak from experience I go by middle name rather than my first name (it even specifies known as xxxxxx on my birth certificate) and people seem to have a real problem with it. I don't know why they just do

OP, I'm welsh but unlike Vix you have my permission to use it if you like.
We are not all anti English ????.

I would assume he was welsh. But does that matter? There is no insult in that! Its a fine name. I like it (i'm not welsh so not biased) if you like it, use it. Not everything has to pander to english tastes! There is a whole world outside of england

I'm Welsh living in England and must admit I really like it. Can't see it would cause any issues, loads of people use non English names with no connection to that country. Also, it'll get shortened to Gwil which is very cool indeed. Also rather baffled as to how an English couple using a Welsh name for their DS is somehow insulting to Wales. The precise opposite surely.

It's a nice and different name. If he doesn't like it when he's older he could go by 'Will'.

Welsh here - with English living, Welsh names (female) relatives.

Be prepared as others have for it to be mispronounced at every possible opportunity despite it not really being that difficult

G-why-lime
Gwei-lim
G-wee- lime

and to have to spell it to every person you meet. Ever.

And he will ask when he's 13 if he can change it to WIlliam becuase he's sick of it.

What about Bwion or Wupert?

I'm not anti English. I lived in england for some time, half my closest friends are english. But I live in a welsh speaking but very beautiful part of Wales, where many of the english people moving here still laugh at the "unpronouncable" (To whom? ) place names, and don't bother to learn them even after over a decade or more. And this annoys my English friends who have made the effort as much as it does the locals. There is an enormous lack of respect in england for the welsh language and culture and incomers here think of us as Cornwall, but cheaper (as we were described in one Sunday supplement, and by someone on the beach to my DH the other day). Of course it is just a name, its a very nice name, I know a couple of small boys with it. But to appropriate bits of another culture that has been mocked and trampled on by yours for centuries feels offensive to me, I am being brutally honest, because you asked for opinions. I am not spending my spare time burning holiday cottages and flying the Ddraig Goch from my washing line. But it genuinely bothers me, and I thought you might like to know that.

My son is Gwilym and we live in England - and not near the border. But my DH is Welsh, first language and my Gwilym speaks pretty good Welsh at home. Don't know if it makes a difference! We have two other children, also with Welsh names.

Vix

I didn't interpret your comments as anti English by the way. I think you express why this would be an uncomfortable choice very well in fact.

Live in Gwynedd by any chance Vix?

I'm Irish and certainly don't feel it's 'offensive' when English people name their children Aoife or Aidan or any other Irish names.

I find that quite a regressive attitude.

I don't think it's offensive but surprising. Would an English person with no Irish connection really call their chilld something like Aoife or Caiomhe? I would find that odd. Things like Amelie and Heidi have crossed over but I think there are some names where I would expect a cultural link. Gwilym is such a name.

Yep. There are tons of Aoifes and Niamhs and Conors and Aidans all over the UK these days. Lots of them without any family link to Ireland.