Meinwen f WelshMeans
"slender and beautiful maiden" from a Welsh compound of
main "slender" and
gwen "white, blessed".
Meirion m WelshFrom the name of the Welsh county of Meirionnydd, formerly a part of the kingdom of Gwynedd. It is probably derived from the Roman name
Marianus.
Meredith m & f Welsh, EnglishFrom the Welsh name
Maredudd or
Meredydd, from Old Welsh forms such as
Margetud, possibly from
mawredd "greatness, magnificence" combined with
iudd "lord". The Welsh forms of this name were well used through the Middle Ages. Since the mid-1920s it has been used more often for girls than for boys in English-speaking countries, though it is still a masculine name in Wales. A famous bearer of this name as surname was the English novelist and poet George Meredith (1828-1909).
Mererid f WelshMeans
"pearl, gem" in Welsh, derived from Latin
margarita.
Merfyn m WelshFrom an Old Welsh name (recorded variously as
Mermin,
Merhin or
Merwin), of uncertain meaning. It is possibly from
mer "bone marrow" or
mor "sea" with the second element possibly
mynawg "eminent, noble",
mynnu "wish, desire" or
myn "young goat, kid". This was the name of a 9th-century king of Gwynedd, Merfyn Frych.
Merlin m Arthurian Cycle, EnglishForm of the Welsh name
Myrddin used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century chronicle. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form
Merlinus over
Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French
merde "excrement".
... [more] Merlyn m & f EnglishVariant of
Merlin, sometimes used as a feminine form. It has perhaps been influenced by the Welsh word
merlyn meaning "pony".
Mordred m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian CycleFrom Welsh
Medraut, possibly from Latin
moderatus meaning
"controlled, moderated". In Arthurian legend Mordred was the illegitimate son (in some versions nephew) of King
Arthur. Mordred first appears briefly (as
Medraut) in the 10th-century
Annales Cambriae, but he was not portrayed as a traitor until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth. While Arthur is away he seduces his wife
Guinevere and declares himself king. This prompts the battle of Camlann, which leads to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur.
Morgan 1 m & f Welsh, English, FrenchFrom the Old Welsh masculine name
Morcant, which was possibly derived from Welsh
mor "sea" and
cant "circle". Since the 1980s in America
Morgan has been more common for girls than boys, perhaps due to stories of
Morgan le Fay or the fame of actress Morgan Fairchild (1950-).
Morgan 2 f Arthurian CycleModern form of
Morgen, which was used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century for the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, who was unnamed in earlier stories. Geoffrey probably did not derive it from the Welsh masculine name
Morgan, which would have been spelled
Morcant in his time. It is likely from Old Welsh
mor "sea" and the suffix
gen "born of".
Mostyn m WelshFrom the name of a town in northern Wales, which is probably derived from Old English elements meaning
"moss town".
Myfanwy f WelshFrom the Welsh prefix
my- meaning "my, belonging to me" (an older form of
fy) combined with either
manwy meaning "fine, delicate" or
banwy meaning "woman" (a variant of
banw). This was the name of an 1875 Welsh song composed by Joseph Parry.
Myrddin m Welsh Mythology, WelshOriginal Welsh form of
Merlin. It is probably ultimately from the name of the Romano-British settlement
Moridunum, derived from Celtic *
mori "sea" and *
dūnom "rampart, hill fort". Prefixed with Welsh
caer "fort", this town has been called Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen in English) from medieval times. It is thought that
Caerfyrddin may have mistakenly been interpreted as meaning "fort of Myrddin", as if
Myrddin were a personal name instead of a later development of
Moridunum.
... [more] Nerys f WelshProbably a feminized form of Welsh
nêr meaning
"lord".
Non f WelshPossibly derived from Latin
nonna meaning
"nun". According to tradition, this was the name of the mother of Saint
David.
Olwen f Welsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian CycleMeans
"white footprint" from Welsh
ol "footprint, track" and
gwen "white, blessed". In the Welsh tale
Culhwch and Olwen she was a beautiful maiden, the lover of
Culhwch and the daughter of the giant Yspaddaden. Her father insisted that Culhwch complete several seemingly impossible tasks before he would allow them to marry.
Pellinore m Arthurian CyclePossibly from Welsh
Beli Mawr meaning
"Beli the Great". In Arthurian romance this was the name of a king of Listenois, a son of
Pellehan who pursued the elusive Questing Beast and later joined
Arthur's court. He first appears in the 13th-century
Lancelot-Grail Cycle.
Percival m Arthurian Cycle, EnglishCreated by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his poem
Perceval, the Story of the Grail. Chrétien may have derived the name from Old French
perce val "pierce the valley", or he may have based it loosely on the Welsh name
Peredur. In the poem Perceval is a boy from Wales who hopes to become a knight under King
Arthur. Setting out to prove himself, he eventually comes to the castle of the Fisher King and is given a glimpse of the Grail.
Percy m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the name of a Norman town
Perci, which was itself perhaps derived from a Gaulish given name that was Latinized as
Persius. The surname was borne by a noble English family, and it first used as a given name in their honour. A famous bearer was Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), an English romantic poet whose works include
Adonais and
Ozymandias. This name can also be used as a short form of
Percival.
Peredur m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian CycleMeaning uncertain. It possibly means
"hard spears" from Welsh
peri "spears" and
dur "hard, steel". In early Welsh poetry and histories, the brothers Peredur and Gwrgi were chieftains in Cumbria who defeated
Gwenddoleu at the Battle of Arfderydd. This name was later used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in the Latin form
Peredurus for an early (fictitious) king of Britain. Entering into Arthurian romance, Peredur is an aspiring knight in the 14th-century Welsh tale
Peredur son of Efrawg (an adaptation or parallel of Chrétien de Troyes' hero
Percival).
Perry m EnglishFrom a surname that is either English or Welsh in origin. It can be derived from Middle English
perrie meaning "pear tree", or else from Welsh
ap Herry, meaning "son of
Herry". A famous bearer of the surname was Matthew Perry (1794-1858), the American naval officer who opened Japan to the West.
Price m EnglishFrom a Welsh surname that was derived from
ap Rhys meaning
"son of Rhys".
Pryderi m Welsh, Welsh MythologyFrom Welsh
pryder meaning
"care, worry" (or perhaps from a derivative word *
pryderi meaning
"loss"). Appearing in Welsh legend in all four branches of the
Mabinogi, Pryderi was the son of
Pwyll and
Rhiannon, eventually succeeding his father as the king of Dyfed. He was one of only seven warriors to return from
Brân's tragic invasion of Ireland, and later had several adventures with
Manawydan. He was ultimately killed in single combat with
Gwydion during the war between Dyfed and Gwynedd.
Pwyll m Welsh MythologyMeans
"wisdom, reason" in Welsh. In the First Branch of the
Mabinogi, Pwyll is a king of Dyfed who pursues and finally marries
Rhiannon. Their son was
Pryderi.
Reese m & f Welsh, EnglishAnglicized form of
Rhys. It is also used as a feminine name, popularized by the American actress Reese Witherspoon (1976-).
Rhian f WelshDerived from Welsh
rhiain meaning
"maiden, young woman".
Rhodri m WelshFrom the Old Welsh name
Rotri, derived from
rod "wheel" and
ri "king". This name was borne by several medieval Welsh rulers, including Rhodri the Great, a 9th-century king of Gwynedd.
Rhydderch m Welsh (Rare)From the Old Welsh name
Riderch, probably derived from
ri "king" combined with
derch "exalted". Rhydderch Hael was a 6th-century king of Strathclyde. It has sometimes been Anglicized as
Roderick.
Rhys m Welsh, EnglishFrom Old Welsh
Ris, probably meaning
"ardour, enthusiasm". Several Welsh rulers have borne this name, including the 12th-century Rhys ap Gruffydd who fought against the invading Normans.
Roderick m English, Scottish, WelshMeans
"famous ruler" from the Old German elements
hruod "fame" and
rih "ruler, king". This name was in use among the Visigoths; it was borne by their last king (Gothic form *
Hroþireiks, also known by the Spanish form
Rodrigo), who died fighting the Muslim invaders of Spain in the 8th century. It also had cognates in Old Norse and West Germanic, and Scandinavian settlers and Normans introduced it to England, though it died out after the Middle Ages. It was revived in the English-speaking world by Walter Scott's 1811 poem
The Vision of Don Roderick.
... [more] Seren f WelshMeans
"star" in Welsh. This is a recently created Welsh name.
Talfryn m WelshFrom a Welsh place name meaning
"front hill", derived from Welsh
tal "front, extremity" and
bryn "hill".
Taliesin m Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans
"shining brow", derived from Welsh
tal "brow, head" and
iesin "shining, radiant". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century Welsh poet and bard, supposedly the author of the collection of poems the
Book of Taliesin. He appears briefly in the Welsh legend
Culhwch and Olwen and the Second Branch of the
Mabinogi. He is the central character in the
Tale of Taliesin, a medieval legend recorded in the 16th century, which tells how
Ceridwen's servant Gwion Bach was reborn to her as Taliesin; how he becomes the bard for Elffin; and how Taliesin defends Elffin from the machinations of the king
Maelgwn Gwynedd.
Tangwystl f Medieval WelshFrom Welsh
tanc "peace" and
gwystl "hostage, pledge". This name was borne by a mistress of the 13th-century Welsh ruler
Llywelyn the Great.
Taran m Welsh Mythology, PictishMeans
"thunder" in Welsh, from the old Celtic root *
toranos. It appears briefly in the Second Branch of the
Mabinogi. The name is cognate to that of the Gaulish god
Taranis. It was also borne by the 7th-century Pictish king Taran mac Ainftech.
Teagan f English (Modern)Variant of
Tegan. It also coincides with a rare Irish surname
Teagan. This name rose on the American popularity charts in the 1990s, probably because of its similarity to names like
Megan and
Reagan.
Tegan f Welsh, English (Modern)Means
"darling" in Welsh, derived from a diminutive of Welsh
teg "beautiful, pretty". It was somewhat common in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada in the 1980s and 90s. It was borne by an Australian character on the television series
Doctor Who from 1981 to 1984.
Tegid m WelshPossibly derived from Welsh
teg "beautiful, handsome", or possibly from the Roman name
Tacitus. This is the name of a lake in Wales, called Bala Lake in English. It also occurs in medieval Welsh legends as the husband of
Ceridwen.
Tegwen f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
teg "beautiful, pretty" and
gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the 19th century.
Trahaearn m Medieval WelshMeans
"very much like iron", derived from Welsh
tra "very, over" prefixed to
haearn "iron". This name was borne by an 11th-century king of Gwynedd.
Trevor m Welsh, EnglishFrom a Welsh surname, originally taken from the name of towns in Wales meaning
"big village", derived from Middle Welsh
tref "village" and
maur "large". As a given name it became popular in the United Kingdom in the middle of the 20th century, then caught on in the United States in the 1960s.
Tudwal m Welsh (Rare)From the Old Welsh and Breton name
Tutgual, derived from
tut "people, country" and
gual "ruler, leader". This was the name of a 6th-century Breton saint.
Tydfil f WelshAnglicized form of Welsh
Tudful, of unknown meaning. This was the name of a (probably legendary) saint who is supposedly buried in the town of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. It is possible the saint was named after the town. She is said to have been one of the daughters of
Brychan Brycheiniog.
Urien m Arthurian CycleFrom the Old Welsh name
Urbgen, possibly from the Celtic root *
orbo- "heir" and the suffix
gen "born of". This was the name of a 6th-century king of Rheged. Passing into Arthurian tales, he became the king of Gore, the husband of
Morgan le Fay, and the father of
Owain.
Uther m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian CycleFrom the Welsh name
Uthyr, derived from Welsh
uthr meaning
"terrible". In Arthurian legend Uther was the father of King
Arthur. He appears in some early Welsh texts, but is chiefly known from the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth.
Vaughan m Welsh, EnglishFrom a Welsh surname that was derived from
bychan (mutated to
fychan) meaning
"little".
Venetia f English (Rare), GreekFrom the Latin name of the Italian region of Veneto and the city of Venice (see the place name
Venetia). This name was borne by the celebrated English beauty Venetia Stanley (1600-1633), though in her case the name may have been a Latinized form of the Welsh name
Gwynedd. Benjamin Disraeli used it for the heroine of his novel
Venetia (1837).
Winifred f English, WelshFrom Latin
Winifreda, possibly from a Welsh name
Gwenfrewi (maybe influenced by the Old English masculine name
Winfred). Saint Winifred was a 7th-century Welsh martyr, probably legendary. According to the story, she was decapitated by a prince after she spurned his advances. Where her head fell there arose a healing spring, which has been a pilgrimage site since medieval times. Her story was recorded in the 12th century by Robert of Shrewsbury, and she has been historically more widely venerated in England than in Wales. The name has been used in England since at least the 16th century.
Winnie f EnglishDiminutive of
Winifred. Winnie-the-Pooh, a stuffed bear in children's books by A. A. Milne, was named after a real bear named
Winnipeg who lived at the London Zoo.
Wyn m WelshDerived from Welsh
gwyn meaning
"white, blessed".