Welsh names

[AderynOren]

We are Welsh and looking for some lovely names for either sex. We aren't totally set on using a Welsh name but the right one may sway us

Just googled Caio and it IS a name, meaning Joy. Said Kyo though, not Kayo as I'd have thought.

Macsen
Idris
Gethin
Aneurin

Megan
Alys
Seren

These were on our shortlist - as it happens all are very straightforward for non-Welsh speakers to pronounce. DH is of Welsh heritage but we live in England. We have a Macsen (Max); our friends say Mack-sun ( to rhyme with Jackson, which is popular round here) but we knew that and don't mind.

Placemarking as I need one too and can't decide!

My Welsh name is mispronounced daily. Bit annoying at times, but largely doesn't bother me. It bothers other people (my Mam, her family, DH and good friends) more than it bothers me.

It's always worth thinking about possible mispronunciations and whether you can live with them.

I have a Welsh (but not welsh speaking) colleague who pronounces Seren as 'Serrun' and Osian as 'Oshun' for example. They will be common errors, like 'dill-un' for Dylan and 'Meg-un' for Megan.

Eira will get 'Ay-ruh', Macsen 'macksun' as mentioned above and Tomos 'Thomas'.

For what it's worth I wouldn't change my name. It's very easy to say (has been suggested on this thread) so I'm not sure why so many people get it wrong, every sound in it exists in English, but one syllable has two possible sounds in English and people pick the wrong one most of the time. I like that it reflects my Welsh heritage. I get a few xenophobic comments, but most comments are complimentary.

I forgot to add that some of the suggestions will be middle-aged or old people names. Brian and Carol type names.

@AderynOren @mamansnet, PM me if you want to a view on any possible manglings, but I usually comment anyway.

I'm trying to figure out CaffiSaliMali's name. I think I know.

The slight mispronunciations aren't too bad - Macsen will be Macsun, try to get people to say Macsen and you'll get Mac Sen.

What you get is transposed vowels - Clywd for Clwyd, Gwylim for Gwilym etc
You will get name substitutions like Glenys for Glesni, Bethany for Bethan, Serena for Seren etc

Upthread someone had Fflur as being Fleer - it isn't. I wold say fleer as Flee-er. The u isn't ee, unless you are in some parts of Wales.

The u sound is tongue in a horseshoe shape and say ee.

would not, wold

You need to watch The Snow Spider on BBC Wales. Lovely names for characters and actors. I was quite taken with the welsh spelling Fflyn instead of Flynn

Haven't confirmed the sex yet though I think it's a girl. I've got a Welsh names book, but nothing jumps out at me as it did for DS.

It'll be a middle name so anything goes, the only criteria is that French DH has to be able to pronounce it - why is why I didn't get Llŷr for DS, gutted! He can say Ll but can't roll an R straight afterwards.

This list looks quite long but hand on heart, I can't say I love any of them. Hâf is probably the frontrunner, although I might be accused of stealing the idea from a friend!

Feel free to add, we haven't decided a first name yet so would be good to have several options to try out!

Hâf
Alaw
Aranwy
Arianwen
Carys
Eleri / Meleri
Fflur
Glain
Gwennan
Gwenllian
Lleucu
Llinos
Mair
Menai
Meinir
Myfanwy
Rhiannon/Rhianwen/Rhian
Seirian (can't have Seren)
Tesni

Do you speak welsh, mamansnet and are you in a welsh-speaking part of Wales?

If not I'd scrub out several of those names.

Hâf - ok
Alaw -ok
Aranwy - no. don't like it. is it made up? I'd guess you were from the Bala area.
Arianwen - no. It is Ar-YAN-wen not Arry Anwen
Carys - dated
Eleri / Meleri - yes but it is El-ERRy. Prefer Teleri (Tel-ERRy)
Fflur - Beautiful but not if you can't say it properly. see pp
Glain - Rhymes with Cline. Pretty but quirky. It makes a pretty middle name
Gwennan - Gwenan is the conventional spelling
Gwenllian - has a diaeresis on the i. Beautiful but pronunciation difficulties. Short version is Llio
Lleucu - lovely but won't travel. I'd avoid.
Llinos - avoid outside welsh wales
Mair - avoid outside welsh wales
Menai - lovely and will work outside wales.
Meinir - I should like it but i know several. Avoid outside welsh wales -n they'll only get the consonants right.
Myfanwy - No. Lovely sung by a male voice choir though.
Rhiannon/Rhianwen/Rhian - Nice, not nice, dated. Pronunciation issues
Seirian (can't have Seren) - both awful
Tesni - ok

Thank you all so much.

I think Macsen, Alys, Fflyn and Fflur are my favourites so far. They seem the most universal too. Gorgeous names!

Fflyn is awful

Taliesman

How about Raili, Tedi, Ffrea, Lifai...

@MikeUniformMike Ail iaith ond yn siaradwr, o Ngwynedd yn wreiddiol a tramor dyddiau ‘ma.

Doesn't really matter for the names that don't travel, it's more a nod to my Welsh heritage that I'm after. I had so many options for DS and really struggling if the next one is a DD!

Are you in France? I'd be tempted to look at Breton names. They'll be a bit of nod to your celtic background and will work better. Some of the names are delightful. Some like Yvan are very similar to the welsh versions.

What I mean by not travel is that they will be met with confusion. The tendency is to find the nearest name they know or have a stab at it, or a refusal to use it and just use something else.

An example would be Geraint. You'll get Jeraint, Guh-rant, Grant ...Er WTF
Gwenllian will be Gwenthly-ann, Gwenlillian, Gwenli-un or I'm not even going to try to say that, and worse
Mair will be Mare or Maia
Meinir - My-nur or Men-ee-ur
Llinos - Clee-nose
The child will get this almost daily. Sometimes several times a day.
You can try to teach people but it will get tiresome after the first few hundred times.

I would use a welsh middle name. Fflur and Glain stand out as my current favourites. Haf is a filler middle name.

Some of the names will work in France and whereas they might not work in England or Scotland, they'll be lovely in a french accent. I think Luc is nice, Fflur will sound ok (they'll say Fleur). Gethin is fine in England but won't work in France. Manon is a name in France and Wales.

If your family has a broad welsh accent - I'd consider how the name will sound back home. I wanted Mary for a DD (I know but as much as I love the name Mair, it wouldn't work down here) but it would have been 'Merry' back home.

Cadi
Bronwyn
Mabli
Tegan
Nesta
Anwen
Rhiannon

Iori
Llyr
Iwan
Owain

I wondered how long it would take for someone to suggest Bronwyn.

@RuudGullitOnAShed, It is Bronwen.

@mikeuniformmike we are still in Wales and both we and our families have strong welsh accents. I only worry that maybe DS/DD may want to move or travel. While identity and our roots are important to us, we also want them to enjoy their name and not have to explain how it sounds every day That's what the tough balance is.

DH is happy with Haf but I think it's more of a middle name and he otherwise liked posher sounding names which are completely different... a tough one! I've tried to get him to imagine the posh names with our accents too!!!! Haha!

I also really like Wyn, Gwyn and Griff

@mikeuniformmike - I'm deep in Welsh Wales and I've taught three Bronwyns who all spelt it with a y - I know traditionally that was the male version but I think the name is now generally considered female.

@RuudGullitOnAShed I have two friends who spell it Bronwyn and Bronwynn