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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Celtic sounding names?

33 replies

LittleB · 13/01/2010 10:41

Hi, dd has a welsh name and I'm trying to find other welsh or celtic names that I like (we have a Scottish surname so it seems to be in keeping too). So far have;
For a girl;
Clodagh
Bronwyn
Arwen (I know its lord of the rings but I really like it!)
Guinevere
Iona
Isla
Rhiannon
Shannon
Thea
Boys names;
Angus
Caleb
Euan
Finlay
MurphyAny more ideas or thoughts on the above appreciated!

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SnowMuchToBits · 13/01/2010 10:43

Please, please make it Bronwen not Bronwyn if you choose it for a girl - endings in wyn are for boys!

Personally I like Euan and Iona.

itstwins · 13/01/2010 10:47

I really don't like Euan (DH was very keen). Evan, Owen and Euan all blend into one for me!

Caleb isn't celtic is it? I thought it was biblical?

I like Finlay (Finn is one of our chosen names) and Angus (very unusual) and Iona is very nice!

LittleB · 13/01/2010 12:09

Thanks snow will make sure we get the ending right if we go for bronwen - thats baby names books for you. Caleb is biblical, but I still like it anyway! Any other suggestions, need a long list as DH will discount lots of them!

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bellissima · 13/01/2010 13:27

Shannon sounds a bit Irish-American as a girl's name rather than a place/river.

But didn't someone suggest Cara as a proper girl's name - that's lovely. Or Caitlin. Or Fiona.

CuppaTeaJanice · 13/01/2010 13:43

You might have problems with spelling and pronounciation if you choose Clodagh. How is it said - I'd presume Clodd-agg?

Naetha · 13/01/2010 13:47

www.byig-wlb.org.uk/English/using/Pages/Welshnamesforchildren.aspx

weegiemum · 13/01/2010 13:48

Girls: Eilidh, Skye, Rhona, Seona, Morna, Brigi(d)(t), Ailsa, Roisin.

Boys: Lachlann, Calum, Murdo, Donald, Brendan, Duncan, Aidan, Seamus.

(these are all names of children at my kids school, which is Gaelic medium therefore very celtic!)

SqueezyB · 13/01/2010 13:53

I love Welsh names, we used to live in Wales. How about:

Girl: Carys, Nansi (Welsh spelling of Nancy), Catrin, Bethan, Rhian, Seren, Anwen, Ffion

Boy: Gethin, Rhys, Geraint, Tomos, Fergus, Travis

LittleB · 13/01/2010 14:01

Thanks for the ideas - I used to work with a clodagh, she said it cloe - dah, we used to call her Clo.
Thanks for the link Naetha, glad to see dd's name is there, I do like Rhian and Nia alot. And thank you weegiemum - I really like seamus (although it does remind me of a horse I used to ride with the same name!), and Calum. Thanks bellissima - I did wonder that about Shannon, and Rhiannon, I do like Cara, but know a catlin and not keen on Fiona so wouldn't use those.

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notasausage · 13/01/2010 14:02

Murray or Harris for boys

thedollshouse · 13/01/2010 14:02

You could add Bethan for a girl and Rory for a boy.

grammar · 13/01/2010 14:05

for girls
Aoife (pron Eeefa)
Niamh (pron Neave)
For Boys
Oisin (pron Osheen)
Dara (after lovely Dara O'Brian) maybe a bit girlish)
Eoin (pron Owen/Iain)

LittleB · 13/01/2010 14:07

Thanks squeezy, I like Anwen alot and seren. Also Travis for boys, could you tell me how you pronounce Geraint? I like Murry and Bethan too!

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Beasknees · 13/01/2010 14:09

sholto
rory and a million variants
fergus
angus
douglas
if ds2 had been a girl he'd be guinevere

LittleB · 13/01/2010 14:12

Thanks grammar, aoife is pretty and unusual, we know 3 naimh already (2 spelt neive). Will add oisin to my list too, but Dara wouldn't go with our surname (starts with an R - too many R's together!)

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SqueezyB · 13/01/2010 14:15

Geraint is as it's spelt really, with a hard 'G' - 2 syllables Geh-rainte. Ge as in (Bob) Geldof and 'rai' as in ryvita, not rain! If that makes any sense at all...

LittleB · 13/01/2010 14:15

Thanks beasknees, we really like Guinevere, was on the short list when we had dd, just seems long too long when they are only little, and a nightmare when they are learning to write their names, but it is really growing on me, and I do like Gwyn (is that how you'd spell at?) as a nicname!

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LittleB · 13/01/2010 14:17

Thanks squeezy, wasn't sure if it had a hard or soft 'G'.

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SqueezyB · 13/01/2010 14:18

ooh, I forgot one of my favourites - Gwen! Short for either Gwendoline or Gwenllian (the double-l pronounced the welsh way). Or Gwyneth - lovely name that doesn't sound so old-ladyish now thanks to Gwyneth Paltrow.

MaggieMnaSneachta · 13/01/2010 14:25

Olwen, Clodagh or Maeve for a girl
Gregor, Fergus or Diarmuid for a boy

LittleB · 13/01/2010 14:26

I do like Gwen too, Gwendoline is lovely, had a step grandmother Gwyneth so would feel a bit odd about that, but Gwendolin is now on the list - I do have more girls names than boys!

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emmlo · 13/01/2010 14:26

I'd go for Branwen over Bronwen tbh, Bronwen isn't at all popular in Wales.

Other Welsh suggestions:

Girls - Cadi (short for Catrin), Lois, Manon, Nia, Lowri, Gwenno, Elin, Haf (Welsh for Summer), Mai (Welsh for May), Medi (Welsh for September)

Boys - Cai, Cian, Owain, Gwyn (Welsh for White), Glyn, Math, Osian, Dylan.

MaggieMnaSneachta · 13/01/2010 14:27

ps, i love Bruce and Donald too.

Skye is lovely as a middle name I think. Wouldn't use it as a first name. Roisin is nice too and can be Rosie if people struggle with roisin.

MaggieMnaSneachta · 13/01/2010 14:30

ps, shannon is the dreaded C word. I think because it was Americans who labelled it Irish, rather than the Irish! It just has the same vibe as Madison or Taylor for me.

[runs and hides]

LittleB · 13/01/2010 14:31

Branwen is good, like Cadi too. Can't have a name starting with M as thats what dd's name starts with and could lead to confusion with post etc! Roisin and Rosie is a good idea!
Keep them coming!

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