Gwena

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If you're a welsh speaker would you consider Gwena a name? I know it's more usual to have Gweno, but I don't think Gweno works with English speakers. Or would you just think it means Smile! and sounds wrong?

There was a thread on here recently about names beginning with Gwen if you want some inspiration.

It's Gwenno. The o sounds like the o in of and it's not on 'oh' sound.
Gwena is a bit wrong, and it sounds like an instruction for somebody to smile.
You could have Ogwena - river name with a added at the end but it would be very regional.
Gwenda is a bit dated.

Gwenan is also a bit dated and is pronounce GWEN-an with the an as in the english words can or tan. It isn't pronounced Gwenun.
If you like Gwenno, Gwennol might be an alternative. It's the welsh word for a swallow.

Gwenith is another. (Wheat)
Gwenllïan doesn't work outside the welsh community.
Gwendolen (Gwen-DOLL-en) or Gwendoline (the anglicised form) might work.
Guinevere (the welsh is Gwenhwyfar) could be shortened to Gwen.
Gweneira (Snow White).
There are Breton names like Gwenaelle that you could use.

Wenna is a welsh name and is usually a short form of a name ending in -wenna (e.g. Alwenna)

Thanks @MikeUniformMike. That's exactly what I was asking, if Gwena sounds like a command to smile. I guess it does then!

Yeah, I know how Gwenno is pronounced (although not how to spell it! ). I'm Welsh, but living in England. I don't think it would get pronounced correctly in England at all. It's funny it has two ns, that doesn't seem very typical of the Welsh language.

Thanks! I think Gwen names are off the table then.

Gweneira is lovely and not a name I've heard before. Thank you.

Not quite what you were asking, but I know a little girl called Smile...

Gweneira is lovely. Gwena for short works too.

you're welcome. Gweneira is a fairly 'made up name'.
Gwen means white or blessed, and eira is snow. Snow White is Eira Wen in Welsh, and Gweneira is the same names but the other way around. Eirawen doesn't work because the accent would be on the 'aw' - Eir-AW-en. Eira crops up a lot on here - and the welsh pronunciation is Ey-ra, with the ey bit quite short.

The nn I think indicates that a syllable has been added. A bit like in English, Dan being lengthened to Danny not Dany.
Rhiannon has two ns because it is Rhian+Non - both are acceptable standalone names.

Gweneira might be made up, but it is lovely.

I'm not sure it's made up. My mother in law has a friend called that in her 70s. So it's been made up a long while if it is :-)

Gwenlais?

Gwenlais sounds like a street name.

I think that just Gwen by itself is lovely!

I have a Welsh friend who has a Gwenna. I think it’s lovely.

Not Welsh but Gwena sounds lovely