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Baby names

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Welsh and Spanish names

34 replies

anotherpieceofcake · 20/01/2018 03:28

I am Welsh (however don't speak welsh well as I moved around as a child) and DP is Spanish.

We would like DC to have a Welsh name with Spanish middle name (or other way around) but are struggling to find names which we like, sound nice together, and have nice meanings (I prefer meanings relating to nature, the ocean or water in particular).

Some we like:

Elvira
Clara
Aderyn
Bryn
Miranda
Robin

Any thoughts welcome :)

OP posts:
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Lucylululu · 20/01/2018 06:19

Alma is a beautiful Spanish name with a lovely meaning. I hear Marina is very popular in Spain as well. Ofelia spelled like that is nice. Beatriz is cute too - I like those names because the different spelling makes them a little more unusual. As for Welsh names I don't have any,sorry!

Lucylululu · 20/01/2018 06:20

Oh and Reuben but spelled 'Ruben' is a nice Spanish boys names which is again pretty popular but the spelling makes it a little different

Welshlovebicuit · 20/01/2018 06:37

Heulwen (sunshine)
Angharad
Gwyneira (Snow white)
Mair
Seren (Star)
Iestyn
Ieuan
Dafydd
Gwain
Kyffin

Go Welsh :-)

Frogletmamma · 20/01/2018 06:46

Paloma, Rhiannon, Corwen, Juanita (mixed)

ProseccoPoppy · 20/01/2018 07:02

For boys (welsh) I like Ilan, Caerwyn and Shön or for girls Elena, Ceri or Siân.

Spanish - for a boy perhaps Mateo, Alejandro or Juan (I think Shön Alejandro would be nice) or for a girl Isabella, or Sofia are both lovely.

alittlepieceofme · 20/01/2018 07:02

My ds is called Dylan, it means son of the wave, born by the sea (which he was!) Smile

KeepCalm · 20/01/2018 07:11

Arwyn/Arwen was always my favourite
Carys

Gareth
Dylan

Inez
Alba
Ana
Marta
Mar
Marina
Alexia
Clara
Maria

ProseccoPoppy · 20/01/2018 07:11

Should have said - Ilan means “tree” so is the closest fit for the nature meaning you mentioned in your OP. The rest have broadly biblical (god is gracious/god’s gift etc) type meanings.

AndhowcouldIeverrefuse · 20/01/2018 07:14

Eleri, Einir - no idea what they mean but they would work in Spanish
Eira (snow)
Seren (star)
There are more hardcore-Welsh nature names that wouldn't work so well in Spanish:
Lleucu equivalent to Lucy / Lucia
Lloer (moon)
Alaw (air)
Grug (heather)
Celyn (holly)
Haf (Summer)
Enfys (rainbiw)

Arfon
Meirion
Ffrancon (probably a non-starter for political reasons)
They are all areas / rivers in North Wales.

MsHippo · 20/01/2018 07:24

What about Marisol for a girl. Kind of a duel meaning...it sounds like Spanish for "sea and sun" but actually derives from a title for the Virgin Mary.

Or Rafael for a boy? That is actually of Hebrew origin I think but it means healer/healed.

WorldPeasAndSweetcorn · 20/01/2018 07:30

david works in both languages

ChocolateCrunch · 20/01/2018 09:15

Dylan
Glyn
Rhiannon
Rhys
Ffion
Rhoslyn

Paloma
Silvino
Estrella
Zita
Rio
Lorenzo

Love Clara and Bryn from your list

Dixiestampsagain · 20/01/2018 10:02

Do you mean Sion (with ^ above the o- don’t know how to do it!!) prosecco?

LinoleumBlownapart · 20/01/2018 20:57

What about Jago or Caio then you've done both in one name.

Sunshinesaz86 · 21/01/2018 11:04

I know a lois pronounced loyce which I think is nice.

Rhys
Cian
Gruff

Ffion
Lois
Mabli

MikeUniformMike · 22/01/2018 02:23

Aderyn - this is just the welsh word for bird, it isn't a name. Deryn is a bit like Darren.

If you use a welsh name, make sure you and your parner can pronounce it.
Some welsh letter combinations are very difficult if you don't speak welsh, including
ei (e.g Eira, Eifion)
eu (e.g. Euros, Lleucu)
ae (e.g. Aeron)
ir (e.g. Mair, Meinir)
uw (e.g. Huw)
wy (e.g. Dwynwen, Mathonwy)
si (e.g. Siân, Siwan, Siôn)
ngh (e.g.Angharad)
yw (e.g Llywela, Hywel)

Rh, Th, Ch, Ll, Ng, Dd, Ph, Ff are single letters in Welsh.

An advantage of the Spanish - Welsh combinations is that both languages emphasise the penultimate syllable.
I would go for a name that has a nice meaning and is phonetic in both languages.

Lloer (moon) - not a name, not nice, and unprounceable if not welsh.
Alaw (air) - Melody
Grug (heather) - never seen or heard it used as a nameand unprounceable if not welsh.
Celyn (holly) - boy's name
Haf (Summer) - difficult to
Enfys (rainbiw) Rainbow. Terrible as a name unless your surname is Presley.

MikeUniformMike · 22/01/2018 02:27

o with ^ is Alt+0244
a with ^ is Alt+0226
I with dieresis (ï) is Alt+0239

MikeUniformMike · 22/01/2018 02:32

You could keep your surname if you are called Jones and name the baby Caio Owen or Cara Olivia.

MikeUniformMike · 22/01/2018 02:35

Sorry, Haf is difficult to pronounce if you're not Welsh. It's pretty though.

If you get a dog, you could call him the popular Welsh dog's name Pero.

MikeUniformMike · 22/01/2018 02:37

umprounceable - unpronounceable.
Sorry.

Beeziekn33ze · 22/01/2018 02:57

Spanish boy: Alejandro, Angelo, Tiego, Raphael
Maybe Tiego is Portuguese and Diego Spanish.

So many pretty Welsh girl's names

AndhowcouldIeverrefuse · 22/01/2018 06:46

Mike please keep your prejudice to yourself. Nothing is "unpronounceable". Welsh people's mouths and brains are the same as everyone else's. I am Spanish and have absolutely not problem with Welsh pronunciation and pass as Welsh every day when speaking Welsh - same for my English-first-language British DH. There is no special mystique to Welsh, it's just another language. I am honestly baffled that you find so many simple sounds so difficult.

All the Welsh names I gave in my post are the names of people I know personally or their children, and no-one would bat and eyelid at them. I live in a fairly Welsh-speaking area but definitely not a Welsh heartland.

I know 2 Celyns, they are both girls. Enfys and Haf are indeed pretty girl names. Enfys Presley hahaha how clever Hmm And what exactly is the problem pronouncing Grug?Confused

MikeUniformMike · 22/01/2018 11:12

Welsh u has a certain sound that is not heard in English or any other language that I know, apart from being close to but not the same as u in French. Grug is not pronounced Greeg and doesn't rhyme with the English word Rug.
I hear the mispronounced names and cringe. An example would be Mair pronounced My-uh.

Names that would work in Spanish and Welsh would be ones that are phonetic in both. e.g. Iago (Jago is Cornish not Welsh).

XxMagpiexX · 22/01/2018 12:09

I love Mateo 😍😍 but I'm Scottish and it sounds like "My tail" in our accent x

MikeUniformMike · 22/01/2018 12:15

Several biblical names would work. Maria, Ana, Mathew, Noah...

Snow White is not Gwyneira it is Eira Wen or Gweneira.
Adjectives take the gender of the noun.