name meaning opinions & welsh speakers

[anonmam9]

I am pregnant. I thought that I had decided on a name I really like for a boy and girl. The problem is the boys name is Ardal - an Irish name that we love.
But we are Welsh, live in Wales and have just discovered that it means something in the Welsh language area/zone.
Will Welsh speakers laugh when they here the name? Should it put us off!?

[WhyStannisWhy]

If I heard someone say their name was Ardal, I'd assume they are Irish (Ardal O'Hanlon) and think "Ah, that's quite funny, it means 'area' in Welsh", but then I'd be totally over it and it wouldn't bother me.

The Welsh use a lot of 'thing' names. Seren - star. Celyn - holly. Bryn - hill.

I went to Welsh-medium high school as well as primary, in a very Welsh area, and it really wouldn't stand out to me. Now 'Antur'... I see that as similar to naming your child 'Perygl' (Welsh for danger and NOT a name in the slightest! )

Trying to think of some of the names I know... DD is Celyn. We know lots of Seren Hafs... 'Star Summer'. 'Deryn', which means bird. 'Eira' is snow. Lots and lots of 'thing' names in Wales :)

[WhyStannisWhy]

anon It's 'pidyn', but most people just say 'coc' in my experience.

[anonmam9]

My cousin is Gwyneira! But she lives in oz.
My ther cousin is a Welsh speaker and named his son Blaidd which I always thought was odd! Though cool.
Thing is I also think we could get away with it if we were Irish but the Irish is generations ago on husbands side!
Asking myself questions like could there be a rugby player with the name Area!!

[anonmam9]

I could use the Irish spelling but then no-one would be able to pronounce it from seeing it written down!

Árdghal ?

[GingerCuddleMonster]

Pidyn is penis and coc is well cock

Blaidd means wolf and that is a pretty cool name!!

[GingerCuddleMonster]

oh not sure on the Irish spelling could cause a few dramas with a English keyboard

[Chillywhippet]

This is making me think of a family who went to work in USA. Their kids were called Bronwen and Llewelyn.

Loads of people thought they had called their son Lou-Ellen.

Aneurin - lovely name, nn Nye apparently means f**k in South Africa

[anonmam9]

Yeah ginger I know it means wolf that is why I thought it was strange. That's the thing I am Welsh though not Welsh speaking - childrens Welsh so know enfys Eira etc just area doesn't come up much in pre 5 year old conversation.

I'm really torn now!

[anonmam9]

And could spell it with a normal A not Á

Ardghal just seems extra letters would confuse. And my daughters Irish first name has the Anglisized spelling for that reason.

[GingerCuddleMonster]

Honestly anon I'd stop worrying, its clear you love the name and want to use it , so do.

don't over think this, honestly. It's a lovely name for a boy and infitting with his siblings name.

area shmerea I say

[BumpAndGrind]

My DD is a Celyn too.

You don't get many :) only 23 the year DD was born.

[harryhausen]

I was born, brought up and schooled in Wales but Welsh is my second language and I'm very rusty. However, I don't think I'd do a double take at Ardel, the Irish pronunciation anyway.

As said up thread, Bryn is very normal.

This reminds of years ago, young student couple friends of mine had a baby and wanted to honour her welsh heritage and they chose 'Arian' because some baby name book had said it meant 'silver' - which looking at it simply it does, however in day to day it means 'Money'. She was horrified when I told her. I had to

[WhyStannisWhy]

A friend of a friend of a friend moved to Wales and wanted to call their child something Welsh. They spoke no Welsh but saw the name on a sign and liked it so much they went for it.

It'd probably be okay if it was a town name or something, but no. They called her 'Allanfa-Dan', which means 'Fire Exit'.

[harryhausen]

Whystannis, that's so funny! Sorry for the poor girl but.....

[WhyStannisWhy]

Apparently as soon as she'd left home she started going by Ally.... can't imagine why

One of my best friends knows her very well and apparnetly the parents wouldn't allow her to shorten her name as a child - she had to be Allanfa-Dan, or just Allanfa

[florascotia]

OP - just a thought: there is a Scottish Gaelic word/name 'Ardan' that means 'high place/hilltop'. Pronounced in similar way to Irish initial 'Ar', ie 'AAHH-dun' or 'AAHH-dan'.

Don't know what it means in Welsh, however.

[littlejohnnydory]

It would stand out to me and probably would at school. It's worth noting that in Welsh school they probably won't give it an Irish pronunciation but a Welsh one and pronounce it as 'Area'. I would give it the Irish spelling Arghdal then it wouldn't look odd in Wales at all.

As an aside, my maiden surname meant 'arse' in Welsh. I had a hard time at school but survived!

[littlejohnnydory]

Arian is a perfectly normal Welsh name though, Harry, your friend neednt have been horrified. It does mean Silver as well as Money (Prês being a more commonly used word for money)

[littlejohnnydory]

Antur is not good and 'Ardal Antur' is a comedy name - sounds like an adventure playground. Don't do that!

[CeriBerry]

I'm fluent Welsh- it's my first language. As pp said, Arian is a completely acceptable Welsh name so really nothing strange about that! As for Ardal, hmm well it definitely would strike me as being area straight away but once I knew it would Irish, I wouldn't bat an eyelid. Having worked in several Welsh schools, I reckon it would be pronounced the Welsh way by staff and children but I already know a Cenin (leek), Gwenith (wheat), Seren (star), Eira (snow) and Deryn(bird- though this is mentioned a lot on mumsnet as being a common Welsh name but really isn't in my experience) and Heulwen (sunshine)- my point being that many nouns are acceptable as names in Welsh, in fact I have two siblings called Bryn (hill) and Seren!

[littlejohnnydory]

I know an Aderyn (bird) and it did strike me as odd but as others have said, names that are nouns are quite common in Welsh.

[WhyStannisWhy]

Hopeful DD2 would be Deryn if the ending wasn't so similar to Celyn Love Welsh names.