Gwenifer?

[Tirnanogg]

I'm looking for a proper unicorn of a name. I would like a first and middle name, ideally allowing Gwen as a nickname, with a nod to the name Jennifer in there somewhere (both grandmothers!) AND be a legitimate, not totally made up name.

We're Welsh-speaking Welsh and Cornish, living in Wales, but I'd like it to be something the English side of the family can say.

I came across Gwenifer this morning, which seems to satisfy most criteria, but is it a real name?!

How about Linda?

This

Gwenyth?

Gwenllian? - Great if you can say it. PITA otherwise
Gwyneth? - nice but a granny name, Some will say it as Gwenneth (Ugh!)
Gwendolen? Wrong syllable will get stressed
Gwenan - that spelling is best. Sems dated.
Gweneira - A bit too Snow White. Ey-ra/Eye-ra and stressed syllable issues.

Gwenifer - dreadful sorry @Tirnanogg . I wouldn't know if it was Gwennifer to rhyme with Jennifer or gwen-YV-err.

Guinevere or Genevieve

Gwenyth - misspelling of Gwenith or Gwyneth
Gwynne - surname. Anglicised version of a boy's name.

@Tirnanogg , if both grandmothers were Jennfer, why not use Jennifer.

Gwenhwyfar is a nice enough name but the 'hwyf' doesn't have an English equivalent.

A pretty and underused version of Guinevere is Gaenor. It will get anglicised as Gaynor.

Just Gwen as a standalone is nice.

Wallace and Gromit fans might smile kindly if she doesn't like cheese.

I know a little girl called Gwenore in Wales, I’m not saying the name is Welsh as I’ve no idea where parents got the name but it obviously is a name! OP didn’t say the name needed to be Welsh.

No it's awful.
Like Bennifer (Jlo and Ben Affleck)

Sorry but It sounds like a speech impediment.

just no go for an actual name with Gwen in it or Gwen it’s self which Is nice

Guinevere is perfect. Cornish and Welsh connections through King Arthur.
I think having a cousin called Arthur is quite sweet! If they're not at the same school it won't be a connection made all the time.
Could always go the whole hog and get a pet named Merlin!

@MolkosTeenageAngst , it's a name because someone used it as a name. It's not showing on Darkgreener.

Is it said as 'Gwen Or'? (if Welsh it would be Gwen-OH-reh)

Gwenno (GWEN-oh) is a name. I think there's a Welsh singer (who sings in Cornish) with the name

I prefer Gwen.

Gwenaelle / Gwenaëlle is lovely imo.
Edit: No, it is not Welsh (it´s Breton). Yes, it is a name.

Yes, said Gwen-ore, I would say it has the same ending sound as Eleanor in my accent. I’m a welsh speaker and aware of the name Gwenno although only ever known it used for sheepdogs, can’t really see it on a human baby myself hence not suggesting it.

I never said Gwenore was a Welsh name, the OP didn’t ask for a welsh name and I haven’s stated it’s a classic or Welsh name so not sure why it matters how it would be pronounced in Welsh. Several of the names suggested on this thread are not Welsh, OP did not say the name needed to be Welsh - Gwennifer which she likes obviously isn’t!

Maybe my friends did make the name Gwenore up if it’s not on dark greener, I just assumed it was a known name as the friends aren’t particularly out there and their other kids don’t have ‘yooneeq’ names at all but never actually investigated the name! A quick Google just now and it is coming up though so presumably exists as a name in some sense even if it’s not used enough in England & Wales to be on dark greener. Anyway it was just a suggestion, not saying the OP has to use it and certainly not trying to argue it’s a classic or Welsh name, neither of which were the OP’s criteria!

My first thought was The Witcher.

@MolkosTeenageAngst , but people reading the thread might think it was .
If your friends like it and it works for them, great.

If you read the OP, she did say something not made up. She wanted something people could say

A quick search and I only found Gwenore on baby name sites (along with Olwyn and the like) and fantasy.

I have a friend called Gwenno and she's not a sheepdog. A cousin has a DD called Gwenno, and she's not a sheepdog either. It would be a normal and unremarkable name for a girl/woman.

@PumpkinsAndCoconuts , it's pretty but I'm not sure it works as a Welsh/Cornish name. I think it would get said as Gwena-yell. (cf . Rapha-yell or Rapha-YELL! that I hear where I live)
The Welsh version, Gwenhael won't really work.

I’ve heard of Gwenifer but only in the context of my favourite book series and it’s not great 🤣.

That said I don’t think it would stick in the mind of anyone that wasn’t a bit of fan girl and it does to tick your boxes, especially the Welsh/Cornish connection.

@MintyCedric , you're a star. I think I have my perfect baby user name.

Sorry but Gwennifer does sound like a bit like a speech impediment. No offense intended to those so afflicted.

Beautiful name.

It simply seemed to tick OP´s boxes.
But I´m not from Wales (nor do I speak Welsh) and therefore in no way qualified to judge whether it would or wouldn´t work linguistically.

OP didn´t state that she wanted a Welsh/Cornish name but (presumably) wants something that works in that particular linguistic context or did I miss something?

Gwena-yell (not YELL) actually sounds good to me personally!

Why wouldn´t the Welsh version work? I´m genuinely curious and not trying to be goady, btw.

@PumpkinsAndCoconuts , the 'ae' doesn't have an English equivalent. 'hael' would probably get said as 'heil'.

Gwenaëlle is Gwena-el. There's no 'y' in it. Same as Raphael/Rafael/Rafaella. The stray 'y' also sneaks into Naomi.

Gwenwyn would be pronounceable and would shorten to Gwen