Mumsnet "Welsh" names

[TiredWelshMam]

Who on earth wrote this article for Mumsnet?! https://www.mumsnet.com/articles/welsh-baby-names

Mam bach, mae isio mynedd!!!

Oh dear!

Blydi hel! The Welsh Baby Name sites often have dodgy entries on them, but that one is the worst I've seen.

I can't believe how bad it is!! Finley, Isobel, Daisy???!!!!!

153 Afagddu- a moody name with a gothic meaning of ‘‘darkness’. Pronounced a-fag-do

It's not a girl's name. It means 'total darkness'. It's not pronounced A-fag-do
Approximate pronunciation Av-AG-thee (th like is 'these', 'those', 'that')

I have Agadoo in my head for some reason now...

Diolch! @TiredWelshMam . Nearly every entry has something amiss.

Top Welsh baby girl names

1. Aderyn - of Welsh origin, meaning bird. Pronounced ah-der-reen

• Not a name unless you want to call your daughter Bird. Pronounce Ad-DERR-in

1. Anwen - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘fair’, ‘pure’, ‘white’ and ‘very beautiful’. Pronounced ahn-wen

1. Bethan - the Welsh diminutive of Elizabeth, meaning ‘dedicated to God’. This name has proved very popular on our forums, however some Mumsnetters feel it’s a bit dated

1. Daisy - from Old English and Welsh origin, meaning ‘day’, ‘eye’ and ‘flower’. A classic and popular baby name for girls

• Not Welsh

1. Dylan - a gorgeous and trendy gender-neutral baby name. This one is from Welsh origin, meaning ‘of the sea’. One of our Mumsnetters suggested also using the variation Dylana

• Not unisex. Never heard/seen Dylana

1. Eleri - thought by some to be the Welsh version of ‘Hilary’, meaning ‘cheerful’, ‘light-hearted’ or ‘merry’. However, Eleri may also refer to the Welsh river, also known as Afon Leri. Either way, we think it’s an adorable choice. Pronounced e-leh-ree

1. Isobel - a popular choice of French, Welsh, Scottish, Spanish, Scandinavian and Hebrew origin, meaning ‘God's promise’ or ‘God is my oath’

• Not Welsh

1. Lili - the Welsh version of ‘Lily’, meaning ‘flower’

1. Mabli - the Welsh version of Mabel, meaning ‘loveable’. A Welsh twist on a name to bring it back into fashion. Pronounced mab(like cab)-lee

10. Sian - meaning ‘the lord is gracious’. It is the Welsh variant of Jane

• only it is spelt Siân

Top Welsh baby boy names

11. Aled - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘child’

• I don't know what it means but it's the name of a river

12. Barrie - this is the Anglicised version of the Irish Gaelic name Barra, which itself is a form of Fionnbarr, meaning ‘spear’

• Is it a top name anywhere? 33 of then on Darkgreener.

13. Brynn - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘hill’

• Bryn

14. Caden - of Welsh, Irish, and Scottish origin, meaning ‘spirit of battle’ or ‘fighter’. Pronounced cay-den. It appeared to spark quite the debate in our forums, with some liking it and others not

• Not Welsh

15. Cole - of English, Scottish and Welsh origin, meaning ‘dark’, ‘black’, ‘coal’, or ‘king’. Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh chose this name for her baby son

• Not Welsh

16. Dafydd - the Welsh variant of David. Pronounced dav-ith. It means ‘beloved’. But some of our Mumsnetters say the spelling could be confusing

• th like in that, not thing

17. Ellis - a Welsh name, but originally from ‘Elijah’, the Hebrew word for ‘Lord’

• anglicised name

18. Evan - meaning ‘young warrior’, ‘God is good’ or ‘God is Gracious’. It can also be spelled Ifan

• anglicised name

19. Floyd - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘flood’. This one can’t go without mentioning the boxer, Floyd Mayweather, so it might be worth considering if you’re a boxing fan! Our Mumsnetters also felt it had a cool, hipster feel

• no idea unless it's from Lloyd

20. Wynn - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘fair’. Also a girls' name

• It's a surname. Not unisex but Wyn is used as a unisex middle name

...
40. Mali- a common name in Africa, but it also has roots in Wales and means ‘wished for child’

• Popular as a girl's name. Pronounced Mally. Welsh form of Molly

76. Arthur - the name can mean ‘Thor, the eagle’ and ‘strong man’

• Pronounced ARR-thirr (th like in Thing)

82. Harry - a popular name amongst the royal family, this name has Germanic roots and means ‘home ruler’
83. Harri- meaning ‘house owner', the 'lord of the manor' and also 'to rule’. This is a variant of the more popular spelling for Harry

• Harri and Hari both fairly popular and both pronounced Harry

83. Jack - a British name that originated in Medieval England as a variant to John and Jacob

• Jac is fairly popular

98. Dylan- it may mean ‘son of the sea’ but this name has also become very popular for girls too

• Doesn't seem "very popular" for girls. see Darkgreener

100. Elis- a name with Hebrew, English and Welsh origins, it means ‘God's promise’

• popular

103. Isaac - a Hebrew name that means ‘one who laughs or rejoices’.

• Is used. Pronounce Yss-ack

106. Tomos - the Welsh variation of the name Tommy, which means ‘twin’

• popular

Unusual Welsh baby girl names

110. Aelfwine - meaning ruler of Elves. Pronounced alf-wine Not welsh
111. Alys - of Welsh, English and Germanic origin, meaning: ‘noble’, ‘nobility’. This spelling is the Welsh version of Alice Not unusual
112. Aneira - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘snow’. A gorgeous choice for a winter baby. Pronounced a-nay-ruh Not gorgeous
113. Betsan - also a Welsh diminutive of Elizabeth Not unusual
114. Blodwyn - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘white flower’. Budding historians will know that in some of the earliest Welsh stories, collected in The Mabinogion, ‘Blodeuwedd’ is a woman created out of flowers. A lovely piece of literary history to inspire a future book-worm It's Blodwen not Blodwyn
115. Branwen - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘white crow’ or ‘fair raven’. Pronounced br-ahn-wehn Not particularly unusual
116. Bronwen - from the Welsh elements for ‘breast’ and ‘white’, meaning ‘fair’ or ‘blessed Not unusual
117. Cadi - of Welsh origin. This one is the affectionate form of Catrin. Super cute for a little one. Pronounced ca-dee Pronounced Caddy. Welsh form of Katie/Cathy. Not unusual.
118. Carys - from the Welsh word for ‘love’ and means ‘loved one’. Pronounced ka-ris Not unusual. Dated
119. Ceinwen - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘beautiful’, ‘white’ and ‘blessed’. Winnie for short? This can be pronounced kayn-wen or kine-wen Cain-wen is nearly right
120. Delwyn - pronounced del-win, it means ‘fair’ and ‘pretty’ Boy's name
121. Deryn - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘little bird’. It’s pronounced like Erin but with a D It's Aderyn without the A. It can be a bit insulting
122. Dilys - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘true’, ‘genuine’, and ‘perfect’ Not very unusual for older women
123. Ffion - a unique feel to this one. Of Welsh origin, meaning ‘fox-glove’. Pronounced fi-yon Not unusual
124. Haf - meaning summer, a bright choice. Pronounced hav Approximate pronunciation is Ha(r)ve
125. Heulwen - another warming choice of Welsh origin, meaning ‘sun-blessed’. It’s pronounced hyle-wen No it's not
126. Nia - this traditionally has Swahili origins and means ‘lustrous, goal, or purpose’ It's the Welsh form of Niamh
127. Rhian - meaning ‘maiden’ Not unusual
128. Seren - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘little star’. Seren is bound to brighten up any room! Pronounced seh-ren Not unusual
129. Wren - stylish and unusual, this one is from Welsh origin, meaning ‘ruler’ Not a girl's name.

Unusual Welsh baby boy names
130. Alwyn - a good one for Lord of The Rings fans. Alwyn means: ‘friend of elves’. Pronounced all-win
Not unusual. Not Welsh. Is used as a Welsh name.
131. Bleddyn - of Welsh origin. It has been translated as meaning ‘wolf’. This one is packed with powerful associations and is a unique baby name. Pronounced bled-inn
Love it but it's pronounced bleh-thin (the like in the, this, that etc)
132. Cai - of Scottish and Welsh origin, meaning: ‘rejoice’. Pronounced like sky but with a C
Not unusual
133. Cedwyn - the name of a Welsh saint, meaning ‘‘hard’ and ‘fair’. Pronounced said-win
Pronounced Ked-win
134. Dillon - a name of Gaelic, Irish, and Welsh descent, meaning ‘lion’ and ‘loyal’. Pronounced like the traditional Dylan
No it's not.
135. Geraint - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘loved one’. Pronounced geh-rinet
It really isn't pronounced like that.
136. Iestyn - the Welsh variant of Justin, meaning ‘fair’. It’s pronounced yes-tin
137. Ifor - of Welsh origin, meaning, ‘Archer’. It is pronounced eye-vuh
It's pronounce Yvvor
138. Inigo - of Basque, Welsh and Latin origin, from the word: ‘unknowing’. Inigo oozes originality and is a lovely unique choice for your baby. Pronounced like in-ne-go
I think it's of Latin origin
139. Ioan - the Welsh variant of John, meaning ‘graced by God’. Pronounced yoh-wun
Pronounced Yo-an
140. Lewys - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘fame and war’. Pronounced like Lewis
Pronounced Leh-wis
141. Llewellyn - a famous name of Welsh origin, meaning: ‘like a lion’ or ‘leader’. If you’re after one with a traditional feel, this is for you! Pronounced loo-well-in
Anglicised name.
142. Llion - derived from the name of ‘Caerleon’, a legendary Welsh giant and king, whose name is derived from Welsh ‘caer’, meaning ‘fortress’. Pronounced L-ee-on
It's not pronounced like that
143. Lloyd - of Welsh origin, from a surname which was derived from the Welsh word, ‘llwyd’, meaning ‘grey’ or ‘wisdom’
144. Luc - the Welsh variant of Luke, meaning ‘light’, ‘illumination’. Pronounced like Luke.
It's not pronounced like that
145. Maddex - originally of English origin, meaning ‘Son of Madoc’
Maddox?
146. Selyf - the Welsh variant of Solomon, meaning ‘peace’. Pronounced sell-iv
147. Seren - a unique and gender-neutral choice (also on our girls’ list above). This one is of Welsh origin, and means ‘star’. Pronounced like Erin but with an S
I've only heard/seen it as a girl's name
148. Taliesin - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘intelligent’. Pronounced ta-lee-eh-sen
It's not pronounced like that
149. Taran - a cracker of a name! This one of Welsh origin means ‘thunder’. This one is sure to inspire compliments with its unique meaning. Pronounced tar-an
150. Teilo - the name of a 6th century Welsh Saint who has a cathedral named after him in Llanduff. An interesting alternative to ‘Taylor’. Pronounced tee-low
It's not pronounced like that. Where's Llanduff?

Evan (can be spelled Ifan) just killed me

Traditional Welsh baby girl names

151. Adda - the Welsh version of Adam, meaning ‘son of the red earth’ Traditionally a BOY'S NAME
152. Afagddu - a moody name with a gothic meaning of ‘‘darkness’. Pronounced a-fag-do See pp
153. Aldith - meaning ‘ancient battle’, this name is a cute alternative to Edith Not Welsh
154. Angharad - meaning ‘loved one’ or ‘dear’ one, this Welsh name has been used for centuries
155. Beca - the shortened form of Rebecca, which means 'to tie' or 'bind'
156. Begw - this name is the shortened form of Megan that means ‘strong as pearl’. Pronounced be-wuh It's pronounced BEG-oo
157. Blodeuwedd - a unique name that means ‘flower face’. Pronounced blo-de-weth It's not pronounced like that
158. Catrin - the Welsh form of Catherine, which means ‘pure’
159. Cranogwen - a name linked to the Welsh village of Llangrannog. Pronounced cran-og-wen AFAIK there was one Cranogwen and it was a pseudonym
160. Dafina - the Welsh spelling of Davina, which means ‘beloved’
161. Ebrill - this name is the Welsh word for April. Pronounced phonetically Is it a name
162. Eirwyn - meaning ‘golden and pure’, this comes from the Welsh words Eira and Gwyn. Pronounced er-win Boy's name
163. Elffin - meaning ‘white’, this name is a variation of the Anglo-Saxon name elf-win Is it a name? Elfyn (EL-vin) is a boy's name
164. Ffraid - this is the Welsh form of Bridget and means ‘strong’. Pronounced like 'afraid' but without the A Pronounced Fry-d
165. Lona - a feminine version of Leon, which comes from the Greek word meaning 'lion' Don't know the meaning, but it is used in Wales
166. Mererid - the Welsh form of Margaret that means ‘pearl’. Pronounced mare-ree-rid It's pronounced Merr-ERR-id
167. Myfanwy - a gorgeous name for your little one that means ‘my lovely little one’. Pronounced mee-van-wee. It's pronounced approximately Muv-ANN-wy
168. Non - meaning ‘nun’, the legendary St. Non was the mother of St. David
169. Olwenna - a variant of the Welsh girl’s name Olwen, which means ‘white footprint’. Pronounced phonetically
170. Rhonwen - meaning ‘fair’ and ‘slender’. Pronounced ron-win. Pronounced RHon-wen

Traditional Welsh baby boy names

171. Aethon - a Welsh version of Ethan and pronounced the same way. It means ‘fiery’ or ‘strong’ No idea
172. Broderick - a strong name that means ‘descendent of Bruadar’. Pronounced phonetically Anglicised form of Prydderch?
173. Cadfael - meaning ‘battle prince’, this moniker is pronounced kad-file. Nearer KAD-vile
174. Caradoc - pronounced phonetically, it means ‘beloved’ or ‘strong’
175. Devaughn - meaning ‘of a little deer’. Another name pronounced as it’s written What???
176. Efan - a gorgeous name that means ‘God is gracious’
177. Gareth - a common name outside of Wales too, with many actors and sportsmen bearing the moniker. It means ‘gentle person’
178. Gavin - another classic name that is popular in and outside of Wales, meaning ‘white hawk’ Form of Gawain, I think. Isn't Gavin scottish?
179. Huw - the Welsh variant of Hugh, this name means ‘bright mind’
180. Ianto - meaning ‘gift of God’ and pronounced yan-toh. Despite its classic roots, many of our Mumsnetters appear divided over using it as a baby name
181. Irving - this moniker is also common as a surname and means ‘green river’. Many of the Mumsnetters in our forums love the classic feel of this name
182. Jeston - a cute name that means ‘clever’ Not Welsh. No J in Welsh. Anglicised form of Iestyn?
183. Macsen - pronounced max-en, it means ‘potential for greatness’
184. Math - of Welsh origin. This name is made famous by The Mabinogion in which Math is the name of the king whose story forms one of its branches. A rich literary history in this one, making it a unique choice!
185. Meirion - of Welsh origin, this name is derived from the old county of Merionethshire. It also means ‘manly’
186. Morgan - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘circling sea’, ‘great brightness’ or ‘bright sea dweller’. Some of our Mumsnet users are torn over whether this suited a boy or girl more Only know of it as a boy's name
187. Osian - of Welsh origin, and another good baby name for literature lovers. It’s derived from the Irish legendary poet and warrior Oisín, and means ‘little deer’. Osian was the 22nd most popular name for baby boys in Wales in 2017. Pronounced oh-sheen Pronounced OSH-an
188. Owain - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘well-born’. Pronounced oh-whine. Despite some confusion over the pronunciation, this seems to be a well-liked Welsh name amongst Mumsnet users
189. Rhidian - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘red’. Pronounced phonetically Pronounced RHid-yan
190. Urien - a strong name that means ‘privileged birth’ and is pronounced your-ree-inn Pronounced IRR-yen

Cute Welsh baby girl names

191. Dilys - pronounced dihl-ihss, this is such a cute choice that means 'genuine'. It has proved a hit on our forums, with one user saying, “It has the advantage of being one of the easier Welsh names to spell” Is it cute?
192. Gladys - pronounced glad-ihss, we love how this once old-fashioned baby name has come back in style. It means ‘land’, ‘nation’ and ‘sovereignty’ Is it cute?
193. Glenda - a name that means ‘pure’ and ‘good’, we think this name is due a revival Not sure I'd say it was cute but it's OK
194. Gwendolen - pronounced gwehn-də-lin, this name is truly unique and means ‘fair bow’ or ‘blessed ring’ It's pronounced Gwen-DOL-en
195. Heulwen - this beautiful name means sunshine and is pronounced hayl-wehn.
196. Mabli - pronounced ma-blee, this name sounds exactly like its meaning, which is ‘loveable’
197. Meinir - pronounced may-neer, this name means ‘slender’ and ‘tall’ Pronunciation isn't right. Nearer MEYN-irr
198. Nerys - pronounced nuh-reece, this cool name means ‘lady’ It's pronounced NERR-iss
199. Tarian - a strong name for a little girl that means ‘shield’. It’s pronounced tar-e-on. It's not a name, and it's pronounced TARR-yan
200. Tesni - another name that’s a nod to the sun, this means sun’s warmth. It’s pronounced phonetically

Cute Welsh baby boy names

201. Carwyn - pronounced car-win, this adorable name means ‘love’ and ‘blessed’ Pronounce CARR-win
202. Celyn - a perfect name for the festive season, meaning 'holly'. It’s pronounced kel-in
203. Ceri - pronounced like Kerri, this name means 'to be loved' Usually a girl's name but unisex
204. Dai - this bold name means 'beloved' and is pronounced like dye
205. Glaw - a magical name to treasure on a gloomy day, this name means 'rain' and is pronounced gl-ouw It's not a name. Pronounced Glahoo (one syllable)
206. Heulog - pronounced hay-log, this happy and upbeat name means ‘sunny’
207. Pryderi - pronounced pri-deh-ree, this unusual baby name means 'care'
208. Talfryn - a strong and geographical name that means ‘high hill’ and is pronounced tahl-vrrin
209. Trefor - pronounced t-re-for, the meaning of this unique name is ‘big village’ Pronounce TREV-orr
210. Yale - like the American Ivy league school, this name could mean your little one is destined for academic success. Pronounced ee-ah-leh, it means ‘fertile upland’ Pronounced Yail. Anglicised form of Iâl.

There are so many errors, and they've missed out completely normal names.
Apologies for taking up so much of the thread but the article made me cross.

Do you think that it is important to be able to pronounce names properly? I was listening to a Radio 4 programme where a woman of Bengali origin said that she quite liked the name 'Durga' but thought that the English would mangle it and make it sound like 'burger'.

She said she chose 'Ishana' instead but pronounced it incorrectly. I have studied Indian languages and I know that the sounds are different from English. Consonants are either aspirated or unaspirated, not semi-aspirated as in English (for example).

Nobody in India or Bangladesh would recognise that name from her pronunciation, so it's not really fitting in with a tradition is it? If you give your son the name 'Dewi' but pronounce it the way an English person would are you really celebrating your Welsh roots?

O diar.

The Dewi I used to work with got called Dewy. If he corrected them they'd say Dowey. I'd say it like Jonathan Ross saying Derry.

I've no idea about Indian languages, but if I am learning a language I need to watch someone carefully to see how they say it, and it takes a few attempts to get it right. Not sure why the woman of Bengali origin would pick a name and then mispronounce it.

Does it matter? I think it depends on the name to some extent. I probably wouldn't be too bothered if they said Huw as Hugh or Rhian as Ree-ahn, but I would be if they said Huw as Hoo and Rhian as Reanne more than once.

I know an Aderyn. Parents aren’t fluent welsh though. I’ve always assumed it’s a usual name because I’ve heard it on her but my friend from mid wales was horrified when I said my daughter is with her friend Aderyn. She couldn’t get over that someone had chosen that name!

I'm Irish - hello Celtic cousins! - this is even worse than Irish name lists I've seen on American websites.

The writer (AI?) really didn't make much of an any effort, the description of Barrie, as 'the Anglicised version on an Irish Gaelic name' doesn't smack of Welsness.

@TiredWelshMam , the article was written by Kat Romero, who also wrote 200+ Top Scottish Baby Names with Unique Meanings | Mumsnet and 200+ Top Irish Baby Names With Unique Meanings and Pronunciation | Mumsnet
She studied Journalism at Solent University.

@Patchesofdrizzle , Croeso i Draignet! I think the author researched the subject by looking at a few baby name websites and 'Welsh Baby Name' threads.
Feel free to let us know if the Irish list is as bad.

Barry Island was named after Barrwg, but the name might be from 'son of Harry'. The surname Parry is from 'ap Harri' (son of Harry), Bowen from 'ab Owain' (son of Owen), Bevan from 'ab Ifan' (son of Evan) etc. H is sometimes treated as a vowel. Is Barra an Irish first name?

Who on earth wrote that article? The pronunciations 😂

@igor , the author is named as Kat Romero but @Patchesofdrizzle suggests it might have been AI-generated.

19. Floyd - of Welsh origin, meaning ‘flood’....
Hmm. The Welsh word for flood is dilyw (deluge) or llif (pl. llifogydd, floods). named - Map your surname across the UK (publicprofiler.org) suggests that Floyd might not be Welsh, with the surname being more frequent in the South West of England.

There are some bad ones on here
100 Beautiful Welsh Girl Names (With Meanings & Pronunciation) (honeyname.com)

To be fair I know 3 little Aderyns. Strange choice but it's growing in me. That list though 😂

I am not Welsh but I really enjoyed reading your corrections 😊

Cecette anyone? Apparently from Seissylt. I think she meant Seisyll or Seisyllt, a man's name.
Cragen? Braith? Terrwyn?
Gaynor unisex?
🙄

Mumsnet is my go-to for so much but Iesu Grist o’r Nef, there is so much wrong in there it’s beyond ignorant! So disrespect.

also includes my pet peeve- not all Welsh names are “the Welsh version of” an English name. Ffs Welsh is an older language!

never heard of this explanation. It’s the name of a 14th century princess:

1. Eleri - thought by some to be the Welsh version of ‘Hilary’, meaning ‘cheerful’, ‘light-hearted’ or ‘merry’. However, Eleri may also refer to the Welsh river, also known as Afon Leri. Either way, we think it’s an adorable choice. Pronounced e-leh-ree

are MN on glue?