indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Meaning & History
Meaning uncertain, perhaps from the name Gwenhwyfar combined with Welsh ach, a suffix which "evokes unpleasantness" (according to Patrick Sims-Williams). This was the name of Gwenhwyfar's sister, found in the Welsh triads and 'Culhwch and Olwen', who "may represent an unpleasant or evil form of Gwenhwyfar herself;" according to two triads, Gwenhwyfach instigated the battle of Camlann when she struck her sister. Their names have been falsely interpreted as Gwen-hwy-fawr "Blessed the great" and Gwen-hwy-fach "Blessed the lesser".