Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

What would Eirianwen be shortened to?

51 replies

Needawelshbabyname · 02/08/2018 17:11

I realise it's a bit of a mouthful so wondering what it would be shortened to. I thought "Anwen", but then wouldn't that be for Arianwen?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
MikeUniformMike · 02/08/2018 18:47

I'm not insisting that the OP isn't welsh. I find you rude Gorgon.

Whatsthisbear · 02/08/2018 18:49

Op you can shorten it to whatever you would like her name to be shortened to and she will soon be known as that. If you want to shorten it and call her Anwen then go ahead, everyone will fall into calling her what she is commonly known as and her full name will only be used in formal settings -or when she is in trouble and you are calling her for a telling off-

Original poster
Needawelshbabyname · 02/08/2018 19:04

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm glad not everyone thinks it's an outdated name as I think it's beautiful.

I don't know what I would want her to be called if it was shortened. I do like Anwen, but hate the name Ann, so wouldn't want her to be shortened to Anwen and then Ann. So if that was the automatic shortening, it would make me reconsider the name. But it seems there's lots of options!

OP posts:
colditz · 02/08/2018 19:07

Arry or Erry

colditz · 02/08/2018 19:07

Here in Leicester it would be shortened to "Ezzah" by her peers

MikeUniformMike · 02/08/2018 19:08

If you love it, then use it. You could shorten it to Eiry which is pretty.

ICJump · 03/08/2018 07:50

I’ve got one of the names listed above. My nickname is a male contraction of my surname. Like Joe from Jones. But I was called my full name until I was 10. It was only at school I got a nickname that stuck

crrrzy · 03/08/2018 07:51

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for privacy reasons.

Ledehe · 03/08/2018 07:54

Is this pronounced Ear - E - Ann - when?

MikeUniformMike · 03/08/2018 18:46

More like Eyr-yan-wen

confusedandemployed · 03/08/2018 18:49

I'm Welsh, I'd shorten it to Eiri.

I know loads of Anwens (and lots of other -wens) well under 30 btw.

WhyOhWine · 03/08/2018 18:53

What about Annie?

KateMcD451 · 03/08/2018 18:54

How do you pronounce the bit before Anwen? Is it Arry? I'd say it will get shortened to however you pronounce this first part.

I know a Bronwen who is in her late 20s so these are definitely not for oldies.

MikeUniformMike · 03/08/2018 19:13

Arianwen is pron. Arr-YAN-wen (the Arr is like in Barry or Harry)

Cosmoa · 03/08/2018 22:33

Such a pretty name 😍

Picknickers · 03/08/2018 23:14

Gorgeous name. My cousins OH is Welsh and they live in Wales very happily with their Bronwen who is 4.

MikeUniformMike · 04/08/2018 14:24

Bronwen is lovely. It means stoat.

AntiqueOlive · 04/08/2018 14:27

Winnie

UnconsideredTrifles · 04/08/2018 14:46

I have an Eirianwen. It's a beautiful name (not that I'm biased at all) and we call her Eiri (Ei like hay, ri like the start of Rhian). Lots of uncertainty from English friends/family with pronunciation but they'll get there in the end!

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 04/08/2018 15:02

Mike in your very first post on this thread you made the assumtion that the Op wasnt welsh because Wen nanes were dated and therefore were under the impression that the op wasnt welsh thats what gorgon has found rude, and has proved you wrong on, thats the thing with forums you can check back on what people have written previously

Especially when its in the same thread

Lovetosinglalala123 · 04/08/2018 15:24

Mike is a self-appointed expert on Welsh names and often comments on correct pronunciation and her/his opinion on the names.

If I'd had a girl she would have been Blodwen, known as Gwen.

Nothing wrong with names ending with wen and definitely not old lady names.

MikeUniformMike · 04/08/2018 18:02

I am.
Here's a link that might be of interest: www.bbc.co.uk/cymrufyw/41332552

Shortening Blodwen to Gwen doesn't seems obvious. The Blodwen's I knew were all Blods.

MikeUniformMike · 04/08/2018 18:03

no '

Lovetosinglalala123 · 04/08/2018 19:35

As was my grandmother, but I wouldn't have wanted a child saddled with the uglier part of the name (makes me think of blodfresych), so I thought that putting the G back on the wen part would be a more modern alternative.

MikeUniformMike · 04/08/2018 19:46

Ah. Ok. I know a Wena but it's short for Alwena.
The Gwens I know are Gwenhwyfar, Gwendoline or Gwenllian.
Wen would be quite sweet - not heard of it. I like Wyn but it seemed a bit wet as a first name when it was hugely popular as a middle name.