Welsh name experts help!!

[RWeatherwax]

Hi all!

Help me settle a debate here. We both really like the name Celyn. However, we are stuck whether it is a girls name or a boys name! To me it’s a boys name and I’m from West Wales. DH is from the North and says it’s a girls name! What’s your opinion?

I know a boy and a girl named Celyn. Not helpful I know! Doesn't it mean Holly?

How is it pronounced?

I am from the North and I would say it is a boy's name.

Yep, it means holly - like the Christmas decoration!

I would pronounce it like Ceh-lin

I live in North West Wales. The only people I know who are called Celyn are girls.

South Wales. Girls name for me too. I know of two female Celyn's.

Can be either!

Girl's name. Yes, it means Holly.

I'm a first language Welsh speaker from West Wales and would say that Celyn is used for girls around here. However, I used to teach at a school in a predominantly English speaking area of South East Wales, and remember being surprised when a male Celyn turned up in my classroom as I was expecting him to be a girl.

I’m from west wales and know it as a girls name

I know of boys and girls called Celyn too (also SE Wales).

I don't see it as a name.

If pushed, boy.

@Houseplantmad, Pronunciation is Kellin

I’m in South Wales and only know one who is female, I think it’s a lovely name

I’m a North Walian and never come across a Celyn. I would say boy.

I know both.

South Wales here and I only know female Celyns

I know of a female one but would see it as unisex. My family are North Walian if that helps (Anglesey).

Do you know whether you're having a boy or a girl?

I know one who is male.

salimali no, we haven’t found out if they are a boy or a girl yet. It’s just the differing opinions on the feel of the name if you see what I mean. I don’t particularly want to name a child and then have them picked on with ‘you have a girls/boys name’ all through school! You know how kids can be!

Boys name to me. I’m north. I spent ages scrolling through welsh name lists, it always came up on the boys list, never on the girls. I really love it but it clashes with surname a bit

Even if I liked it, it is too similar to the word for enemy.

I'm in pembrokeshire and its definitely a girls name, never came across a boy with that name before

Only know girls with the name.

Traditionally more of a boy's name, I think. I knew of one in the 70s, when I was a child in N West Wales. Maybe now, because of the influence of the name Holly in English, it's become more of a girl's name?

North West Wales - boy. But it can be used for both.