Bronwyn?

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Opinions on Bronwyn, or Bronwen? Although we don't have any Welsh connections, I really like the name!

Do you think it's a problem with DS1 name ending with similar sound - although 1 syllable- for example Glenn (not his actual name) and Bronwyn ?

Any other suggestions of girls' names I might like?

Imagine if you had changed the word Welsh for a different nationality, your post would be considered racist @EishetChayil

Bronwen is the correct spelling as '-wyn' is for male names.
I think it's a lovely name, as is Branwen, meaning white raven.
Incidentally, the '-wen' is pronounced like 'when' not 'win', which is where the incorrect '-wyn' spelling has come from.

@GogLais

Imagine if you had changed the word Welsh for a different nationality, your post would be considered racist *@EishetChayil*

And if the previous post accusing English people of ‘mangling’ words was written about another nationality with a dialect, that was also be considered racist wouldn’t it?

@LetHimHaveIt

Can't abide it. A 'wen' is a boil or a cyst, and I strongly dislike all names ending in those three letters. 'Bronwen' always puts me in the mind of a particularly humourless and officious receptionist who labels her pasta salad in the office fridge.

'Wen' or 'Gwen' in Welsh means fair, white, beautiful, pure. Has absolutely nothing to do with boils or cysts 🙄

@AuntDympna

The "cultural appropriation" point is made a bit harshly above. However I do think it would be polite of people using names from other countries to learn the history of the name itself and of the language. Brangwain is a character in the Mabinogion, the most significant set of stories in the Welsh language. The Mabinogion is garbled in both the manuscripts it appears in, as if compiled from memory and/or copied from fragments by scribes unfamiliar with the archaic language. The Act of Union in 1536 made English the official legal language of Wales. Something to think about. Calling a girl Bronwyn instead of Bronwen is most like calling a girl Martin instead of Marta. Is it a problem? IDK.

Both Welsh and English are official languages in Wales. But your point about learning how to correctly pronounce and spell a name from another culture is well made.

It's not mangling because of dialect, @Glassofshloer- you seem to be confusing dialect with accent.

It's mangling by not even attempting to listen to how someone spells or says their own name. It even happens to simple names.

Oh I'll be hated on here .... my DC have traditionally Scottish, Welsh, English and Norse names.

@SeanChailleach

Branwen is Lyr's daughter in the Mabinogion, a Welsh collection of stories. Brangwain is Iseult's handmaid in Tristan and Iseult, a French story.

There is a Welsh name 'Brengain' too, which is similar - but she isn't in the Mabinogi. Very pretty name though and quite modern as I know quite a few teenagers with it.

@GogLais

It's not mangling because of dialect, *@Glassofshloer*- you seem to be confusing dialect with accent.

It's mangling by not even attempting to listen to how someone spells or says their own name. It even happens to simple names.

Why just aim it at the English then? I assume other countries would also mispronounce it?

Branwen not Branwyn. That's the only thing I'd say.

Other than that pretty name and if you like it go for it. Doesn't matter that you aren't Welsh in my opinion. My name is Hebrew in origin and I'm Celtic 🤷🏻‍♀️

Bronwen even 🤦🏻‍♀️😂 apologies

idiotmagnet

Can't abide it. A 'wen' is a boil or a cyst, and I strongly dislike all names ending in those three letters. 'Bronwen' always puts me in the mind of a particularly humourless and officious receptionist who labels her pasta salad in the office fridge.

'Wen' or 'Gwen' in Welsh means fair, white, beautiful, pure. Has absolutely nothing to do with boils or cysts 🙄

Don't misunderstand me; it's a bloody ugly name irrespective of that. But, as I said, 'wen' makes me think specifically of, well, wens. So I dislike it all the more. You might as well say to a French person that 'Peter' is simply the anglicised form of 'Pierre' - all well and good, but it doesn't change the fact that 'péter' means 'to fart' in French.

IdiotMagnet wrote:
Both Welsh and English are official languages in Wales.
...since 1993, when the Welsh Language Act reversed the words on the Act of Union.

In some ways Bronwyn could be described as an English girls' name. In the end, it is just a name.

@Glassofshloer, I have only encountered it from monoglot English speakers. They are not necessarily english - they may be welsh by birth, scottish by birth, german by birth, american or canadian etc.

[quote GogLais]@Glassofshloer, I have only encountered it from monoglot English speakers. They are not necessarily english - they may be welsh by birth, scottish by birth, german by birth, american or canadian etc.[/quote]
Well not really. Very few names have not been adopted by other cultures or languages & spelt/pronounced differently. Edward is an English name which now has an equivalent in other languages, for example Edouard in French. I don’t lose any sleep over it 🤷🏼‍♀️

@Glassofshloer, there's a bit of a difference between using Edouard as a french name and using the name Bronwyn and claiming that it is welsh. Bronwyn might be welsh in origin but it isn't a welsh name.

Similarly, Edouard might be english in origin but it isn't an english name.

[quote GogLais]@Glassofshloer, there's a bit of a difference between using Edouard as a french name and using the name Bronwyn and claiming that it is welsh. Bronwyn might be welsh in origin but it isn't a welsh name.

Similarly, Edouard might be english in origin but it isn't an english name.[/quote]
So Bronwyn is now an Anglicized version of a Welsh name 🤷🏼‍♀️ what’s the issue?

The issue, @Glassofshloer, is that it is suggested on nearly every ''welsh girl's name' thread. The spelling makes no sense to those of us who speak Welsh.
The welsh were oppressed by the english.
Anti-welsh bigotry exists.

As an anglicised name, it is a fairly new name

I know a Bronwyn and she was not born in the UK and doesn't as far as she is aware have any welsh heritage

@GogLais

The issue, *@Glassofshloer*, is that it is suggested on nearly every ''welsh girl's name' thread. The spelling makes no sense to those of us who speak Welsh. The welsh were oppressed by the english. Anti-welsh bigotry exists.

As an anglicised name, it is a fairly new name

I know a Bronwyn and she was not born in the UK and doesn't as far as she is aware have any welsh heritage

So? The spelling of Edouard makes no ‘sense’ to me. The English were oppressed by the French going back in history 🤷🏼‍♀️ Move on.

You're the one prodding @Glassofshloer.
Various forms of Edward have been in use for a long time. Edvard, Eduardo, Edouard etc.
Nobody says that the derived names are english.

What your tone suggests is that you think that I have no right to be puzzled or offended by misspelt names or by having my name mangled.

If you had on several occasions had your name mispronounced or misspelt or been told it was ridiculous or 'why do you say your name is Nia when it's Nina' and the like, then you might have some sort of understanding

@GogLais

You're the one prodding *@Glassofshloer*. Various forms of Edward have been in use for a long time. Edvard, Eduardo, Edouard etc. Nobody says that the derived names are english.

What your tone suggests is that you think that I have no right to be puzzled or offended by misspelt names or by having my name mangled.

If you had on several occasions had your name mispronounced or misspelt or been told it was ridiculous or 'why do you say your name is Nia when it's Nina' and the like, then you might have some sort of understanding

Why would you be offended?

** GogLais

Greenmarmalade
Cultural appropriation 😆

It’s a lovely name.

We totally and intentionally use an anglicized pronunciation of our child’s welsh name because everyone here (not wales) would get it wrong all the time.
That's the equivalent of someone naming their child something like Cian or Sorcha and pronouncing it See-un or Sortcha.

Not great**

It’s fine. We’re happy. It’s more the Irish pronunciation of the same name… fits in better where we live anyway.

Name snobbery and purism doesn’t serve a purpose. If someone chooses a Welsh name for their child, it’s usually a sign that they have some affinity with Wales- I can’t imagine many Welsh-haters would do so.

The welsh were oppressed by the english.

I’d suggest this is totally irrelevant in this context.