Macsen - calling any Welsh people

[Sleepinglemon]

I'm Welsh, living in England and on the hunt for easily pronounced Welsh names for DC2. I think I like Macsen, but having never met one when I grew up in Wales not sure if it's pronounced MAC-sen or MACS-en?

I’m Welsh and have never heard the name. Is it an old or new welsh name?

Not technically welsh but lived here for years. I’ve only heard it pronounced
Macs-en

I can't link, sorry, but do an advanced search on the name. There was a thread on it recently.

I’m not welsh but nearby and my friend just named her baby this! I think it’s more the latter pronunciation. Lovely name!

Macsen is a great name connected to a fantastic legend. Don’t think you’d have any pronunciation issues.

I’m Welsh and have never heard the name. Is it an old or new welsh name?

It’s been around for about 1600 years........

Lol at is it a new Welsh name!! Look up Macsen Wledig. For English ears it's pronounced Max-en, and the two I know both go by Macs (Max). I really like it.

I know a couple of them. It’s pronounced MACsen.

I can’t see a difference between the two pronunciations!

I like the name though.

The excellent British Baby Names has an entry on Macsen. It is the Welsh form of Maximus and has existed since the 4th century.

At the other end of the scale, it was the name of Iwan Rheon’s character in Pobol y Cwm in the early 2000s.

I can’t see a difference between the two pronunciations!

It’s hard to explain but you would hear a difference. Most English speakers saying ‘maxen’ would put equal stress on both syllables and slightly swallow the ‘en’ sound to make ‘un’. A Welsh speaker would stress the first syllable and pronounce the second syllable with a clear ‘eh’ sound, MAC-sen.

DS (aged 21) went to school in England with one-he also had welsh parents.

Pronounced MAC-sen although I can't see any difference between that and Max-en

He went by Macs

Yes the first syllable is definitely stressed, I should have written it MAX-sen. But I think when you write it MAC-sen non-Welsh seperate the 's' and 'c' sounds, as though it was a Scottish Mac. Whereas in real life it would be shortened to Macs, not Mac.

Thanks for all the opinions, although I'm not sure I'm any clearer! 😂 I do appreciate the difference in pronunciation doesn't sound like much to a non Welsh ear.

MoreSlidingDoors I am welsh and growing up i never came across this name so it must've not been in fashion back in the 80s and 90s (I am also from south wales so it might not be the area it is popular in)...lots of boys at school ie Rhys, Iestyn, Ioan, Owain, Gwilym, Gareth, Rhodri, Iestyn but never Macsen.

I would go for it, i live in England and they'll just have to learn the pronunciation of a perfectly normal name.

Used to love Pobol y Cwm but obvs never took note of names :)

There was a recent thread about the name. It's pronounced MAX-en (en like in English end, then, hen etc). It doesn't rhyme with Jackson.
It is an old name but hardly used until recently.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/baby_names/3567542-Maxen-Macsen

I think you'll find that Welsh speakers like it and those outside Wales think it dreadful.

I am welsh and growing up i never came across this name so it must've not been in fashion back in the 80s and 90s (I am also from south wales so it might not be the area it is popular in)...lots of boys at school ie Rhys, Iestyn, Ioan, Owain, Gwilym, Gareth, Rhodri, Iestyn but never Macsen.

Me too. It’s a matter of Welsh history though!

It sounds as it is. I'm from South Wales and would say "Max-en" with stress on the first part of the word. Lovely name

MoreSlidingDoors chill out!
i don't think this thread is about nationalism and being a terrible welsh traitor if I don't know all of our history and heritage and every welsh name!

Nice name — sounds good and is unusual but with history to it.
I’d go for it!

When a Welsh word has more than two syllables 🤣 the emphasis is on the penultimate syllable. As this name only has two syllables then the emphasis is on the last syllable.
Macsen
Ma as in margarine then run cSEN together. With a very soft c and emphasis on the SEN
I know how to say it irl but it's so hard to describe in words.
There is no X in Welsh, so Macsen would never be pronounced Max-en, despite what pp have said
As an aside op, if you're not certain how to pronounce the name, maybe it's time to think of another name. Ieuan, that's a good one and you'll spend years correcting that one.

I’m really sorry absolute but that might be the most confusing pronunciation guide I’ve ever seen on MN (and I know how to pronounce Macsen!) 😂

What about Mabon instead?

@Absolutepowercorrupts...there may not be the LETTER x in welsh, but the ‘cs’ SOUND is phonologically identical to ‘x’ in this context.
We don’t have a letter V either but Hâf has the same sound at the end.
Macsen is a lovely name. I have one. It’s MACS-en.