Alternatives to Anwen?

[DrowsyDragon]

Hello, we’re expecting dd2. (Well probably, scans can be wrong). I’m welsh, though not welsh speaking (dw’in dysgu) and my husband is antipodean as is all of his family. I have a fairly traditional welsh name and I really want to pass welsh names down to my kids. Husband is ok with that as long as they are “not too hard” for non welsh people. DD1 is called Alys.
He’s really set his heart on Anwen for dd2 but my parents were really rude about it when he suggested it last time - old fashioned and frumpy?
I increasingly like it but I am not sure and as my husband has an A name too I worry it seems like we are doing an “a” name theme.
Basically, thoughts on Anwen, Lots of names with the same letter in one family and any other anglophone friendly welsh girls names. [he’s vetoed Eira and Mali to my disappointment). Thanks!

Afryl
Blodwen
Eilir
Lilwen
Medwen
Telyn
Tesni

Really only 77 Megan's in the whole of wales in 2017? At least half of those must be in my DD's nursery...

Please ask your in laws to pronounce Buddug and report back

Afryl - not welsh, just Avril written phonetically.
Blodwen - too old fashioned
Eilir - boy's name
Lilwen - made up name
Medwen - real name for a September-born girl. Dated.
Telyn - not a name, just the word for harp
Tegan - no. It's the word for a toy.
Tesni - yes

@KillerofMen

Please ask your in laws to pronounce Buddug and report back

Yes please do

How very dare you suggest that Australians wouldn't know how to pronounce it!
[Flounce].

I think given the dubious tone with which my in laws said “you’re not going to pick another welsh name are you?” That Buddug in every way would be a step too far!

@DrowsyDragon

I think given the dubious tone with which my in laws said “you’re not going to pick another welsh name are you?” That Buddug in every way would be a step too far!

I have had comments like that from family and friends, except I don't have any DC yet so get told it's cruel, irresponsible and bad parenting to give a child a Welsh name.

I have a Welsh name so not sure why people who don't have Welsh names think they're an authority on this, clearly my experience of having one has been largely positive or I wouldn't consider similar names for my own DC.

My list of names gets Welsher each time I get one of those comments

People are so weird, @CaffiSaliMali, I’m welsh, I live in wales, passing on my culture is not so weird!

Glad I fell on this thread. My DH is pushing for Arwen for our DD but I'm resisting as I'd never heard it before, despite being Welsh. Now I learn it's from Lord of the Rings! Crafty bugger kept that to himself.

OP, the name Anwen has been around for a long time which is why some people might think it old-fashioned. I was in school with a few (I'm late thirties so not THAT old) and while I live abroad these days, I'm fairly sure there are some younger ones still around my hometown. If you like it, go for it! It's as Welsh as they come, pronounceable to non-Welsh speakers and both you and your DH like it. That sounds good enough to me!

Meanwhile, I'm off to persuade DH that Gwenllian is a far better choice than Arwen

Can you not just stick with Anwen but try to make the nickname Annie stick?

Here are names I suggested on another post
Eleri
Dilys
Emlyn
Enid
Gwendolyn
Guinevere
Idelle
Rhiannon
Wynne

Menna. So pretty, and easy to say in both Welsh and English!

Emlyn is a Welsh boys name, not a girls name. Gwendolyn should be Gwendolen, gwen-DOL-en (in Welsh the emphasis is on the penultimate syllable). The anglicised version, Gwendoline, tends to be pronounced gwen-duh-lin.

Guinevere in Welsh is Gwenhwyfar, I suspect that one will be tricky for OP's inlaws to pronounce

I don't think Idelle is Welsh. To an English eye it looks like 'ih-Dell'. In Welsh Ll is a letter in it's own right so Idelle wouldn't work in Welsh, the pronunciation would be very different with the aspirated L sound of Ll.

Eleri is lovely, a bit old fashioned but nice and it fits in the the trend for 'El' names and for short, vowel heavy names. It may be incorrectly rhymed with celery, instead of Terry, but isn't difficult to learn once told.

OP - I think Elin or Elen would go well with Alys. Plus Mari which is currently top of my list.

Eleri - dated, middle-aged
Dilys - dated, granny name
Emlyn - boy's name
Enid - ENN-id not Ee-nid. Very old name.
Gwendolyn - Gwendolen
Guinevere - not welsh, Gwenhwyfar or Gaenor
Idelle - - not welsh
Rhiannon - don't like it anglicised
Wynne - not welsh, Wyn is a boy's name.

Firstly, you clearly need to think up a new supercool fashionable name to tell your parents. Preferably several, so they start to think that perhaps "classic" (old-fashioned, fuddy-duddy) names might not be so bad after all...

Anwen is really pretty but like some pp I would worry about two Miss A [Jones] in one house. Might get a bit fraught with teens opening each other's post.

Catrin is lovely. I also like Branwen and Elen (but no one will spell that right), Madlen and Marged.

Seriously don’t worry about your parents dismissing your names as old granny names - both mine have them, along with the quarter of the playground! My DM said ‘Oh. Yuck’ to both .. but then given what she called me and my sister, she had a nerve!

Anwen is really lovely - no whiff of old lady in the least! Arwen is nice too but I think outside of Wales, people might take you for LOTR geeks. Wouldn’t worry too much about the same initials stuff, three of us in this house do, no biggy.

My children go to a Welsh medium school, I know a child or children under the age of 5 with these names:

Mari
Awen
Rhianydd
Eleri
Bethan (really cute to see this again)
Gwenno
Betsan
Tesni
Magi
Teleri
Haf
Beca
Carys
Nia
Aneira

I love Haf as a middle name.

@MikeUniformMike your response was beyond rude, the post isn't about you and I didn't address you did I? I gave alternatives I'm aware not all of the names were specifically Welsh but instead variants, I also hate to be the one to tell you but we're now in a progressive society where unisex and traditional names are acceptable. Stop being a real Karen.

Menna

Teleri
Telyn
Bethan

I like the radical suggestions. Going to call her Diamond Star, oh you don’t like that!? How about Anwen? The more DH and I check back here and debate I think we are pretty set on either a Anwen or Catrin. But we have til October. Thank you all!

Catrin is lovely too OP, and goes nicely with Alys.

Someone i work with called his daughter arianwen, they call her Ari for short