Ellis & Cai proper welsh names or chavy?

[firefirejugdypantsonfire]

I need a welsh boys name for DS3. My DH is welsh but never suggests anything. I'm English.

I want something shortish and that can be easily read by non welshies.

Are Cai & Ellis options or not really Welsh names ?

I quite like Euan / Ewan but is the welsh version Iuan ? As sure that would be said differently in welsh and in England ( where we live I guess it would end up as Ian)

In the family there is already Bryn, Gareth, Huw, Dylan, Rhys, Ianto

We know a Llyr, a Gwenllian, and a Mallt. I really love the refusal to worry about whether English people will be able to pronounce them. Different if you actually live in England though.

OP lives in England. Llŷr, Gwenllïan and Mallt are lovely but don't travel well.

Yes I know, I wasn’t suggesting them for the op, more continuing a convo about Welsh names that non welsh people can’t say.

Taliesyn.

Sion, Welsh version of Sean/Shaun

I knew you weren't - Mallt or Gwenllian for DS3. I like names like Lleu, Esyllt, Elliw, Mair, Llio but IRL even names like Eleri and Nia have been too difficult for non-welsh speakers.

I'm not keen on Cai sorry

Evan or Gareth why has no-one suggested Gareth!?

Or Elis, Wyn or Elgan

I like Hedd and Llyr but not sure they would work as well outside Wales.

Nia ? How funny, I would have thought that was one of the names best suited to life outside Wales, but then sometimes Sian seems to cause problems. I know an Eleri, she gets the e turned into a long “air”.
I love Gwenllian, it has such gravitas.

Gareth is a good suggestion.

Have we lost the OP?

Interesting thread though.

Love Gwenllian because Gwen is pretty much foolproof.

I love Esyllt. If I had my time again, DD would be Esyllt.

Iolo

There are some gorgeous welsh names aren't there.

Maybe baby Gareth has arrived! Good luck OP!

Sir, I know an Eleri, non Welsh speakers call her Ellory like the surname. Nia, non Welsh speakers would say Nye-uh. Gwenllian they couldn't pronounce at all.

I assumed that they would see it like Mia, rather than like Maya. Goodness knows what would be make of Mallt, Llyr, or illtyd !!

Non-welsh people often can't distinguish between welsh LL and CH, or will say THL. They will say Gwenllian as Gwenthly-Ann, Gwenly-un or Gwen Lillian, or better still insist that you have misspelt Gwendoline.
The written pronunciation is wrong but the audio version is good:

I’ve also noticed English people using CL rather than Ll, and a K sound for Ch.

Oh god yes. You're right.
Not a baby name but I hate hearing about Plide Coomry and Innis Monn.
(Plide Cumry and Unnis Mone are not too bad).

Some place names are now just referred to by the anglicised pronunciation which is such a shame when the real pronunciation is so much prettier. The same tends to happen with baby names.

Clecryd for Llechryd springs to mind .

Lol, And what about Clanethly?

Ellis, yes, great name.

Cai, no. Too Rooney.

I like Evan or maybe Griff?

Haha to Clanethly. Ditto Clan die low

Although that seems to get Lan die low, rather than Clan, for some reason I can’t fathom !

A friend used to talk about a place he called ‘You’re still our Vera”. It took me a while to figure out he meant ‘Ystalyfera’.

Welsh names are beautiful. We once stayed with an Alwyn on holiday which I always liked.