Welsh boy names associations

[hipstercat]

We're looking for a Welsh middle name (so pronunciation difficulty is not an issue) as my husband's ancestry is Welsh. He didn't grow up in Wales though, and I'm not even British, so I really don't have much of an idea of what names are popular, dated, unusual, etc. there. Some names that we found on lists and like the sound of are below. Do you have any associations with any of these? Would you think of a particular type of person when you heard this name? Are any of them misspellings or otherwise not 'proper'?

Other suggestions are also very welcome!

Cenwyn
Taliesin
Peredur
Cennydd/Cenydd (I've seen both - any preference?)
Emrys
Owain
Emyr
Iestyn
Madoc
Caradoc
Gwynfor
Dafydd
Glyndwr

Of your list, I really like Emrys.
There was an art shop in my childhood called Emrys' Art Supplies and so the association I have with the name is that its for an artistic/creative sort.
My favourite Welsh boys name isn't on your list, it's Osian (pronounced Osh-an).

Tomos is the Welsh versions of Thomas, but a more familiar name to non Welsh ears. You would be setting him up for a lifetime of correcting people on spelling though.

If it's a middle name it wouldn't really matter what associations people make with it or what they think.

I lived in Wales (I'm not British) with XH, but have heard or seen very few on that list. The more common ones I saw were Tomos, Rhodri, Rhidian, Bryn (Brynn?), Dafydd, Llywelyn, Aled and Rhys. I went with Rhys for my own son's middle name as it was Welsh like his father but pronounceable where I lived.

I'm the same as you, both DH and I have strong Welsh roots but we don't live there. My favourite Welsh name is Trystan, pronounced Tristan. He was a Welsh Prince and the name means "Noise" which I'm sure will be very apt for any boy in my family.

I'm Welsh and I like:

Bryn
Emrys

Both names given to very lovely boys.

Not so keen on Rhydian or Tomos

Some friends have named sons with the Welsh variant of quite English sounding names like:

Lewys
Jac
Elis

Gethin and Geraint are my favourite boys names. Also like Bryn. They're all pronounced pretty much as they look too (oh wait, maybe not Geraint actually, it's Ger with a hard G and the end syllable kind of rhymes with pint).

Cenydd would get confused with Kenneth I think, and Kenneth is a name that's yet to roll back in to fashion.

I went to school with a Cenydd and always thought it was a lovely name.

Of your list the one that stands out for me is Peredur. If you like it, you might like Pryderi.
Peredur is pronounced Perr-ED-irr
Pryderi is pronounced Prudd-ERRy

Taliesin is a good middle name too.

Tudor
Llewelyn
Rhys
Bryn
Carwyn
Emyr

Vaughan and Bryn are gorgeous

I've always liked the name Dafydd. I knew someone at uni with this name and I always just liked how it sounded

I wouldn't use Glyndwr as a first name... Glyn yes, it's dated but fine, but not Glyndwr.

Other small boys in schools near me with names not mentioned yet:

Iolo
Dylan
Llyr (lovely but difficult for non-Welsh speakers)
Macsen / Macs
Arfon (Ar-Von)
Celyn
Cellan

I wish we'd used Taliesin, it's a fab name. DS1's middle name is Osian (pron Osh-an)

Wyn is a classic middle name in Wales for both sexes. When I googled to check I wasn't making it up I found this thread which is also helpfully full of Welsh names!

My DS is called Osian, pronounced Osh-an. We call him Oshy :)

I plan to use Rhidian and Gwyn for our newborns middle names (both were my grandfathers names). Other names Osian, Dewi, Dylan.... I love them all