ADERYN f WelshMeans
"bird" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.
AERON m & f WelshDerived either from Welsh
aeron meaning
"berry" or else from the name of the River Aeron in Wales.
AFON f & m WelshMeans
"river" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.
ALED m WelshFrom the name of a Welsh river, of uncertain meaning.
ALUN m WelshWelsh form of
ALAN. This name appears in the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth.
ALWYN m WelshFrom the name of the River Alwen in Wales.
ANDREAS m German, Greek, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Welsh, Ancient Greek, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekAncient Greek and Latin form of
ANDREW. It is also the form used in Modern Greek, German and Welsh.
ANEIRIN m WelshWelsh name, originally spelled
Neirin, which possibly means
"noble". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh poet.
ARIANRHOD f Welsh, Welsh MythologyPossibly means
"silver wheel" or
"round wheel" in Welsh. In Welsh myth Arianrhod was the mother of the brothers
Dylan and
Lleu Llaw Gyffes. In earlier myths she was a goddess of the moon.
ARWYN m WelshFrom the Welsh intensifying prefix
ar- and
gwyn meaning "white, fair".
BERWYN m WelshMeans
"fair head" from the Welsh elements
barr "head" and
gwyn "white, fair".
BEVAN m WelshFrom a Welsh surname that was derived from
ap Evan meaning
"son of EVAN".
BLEDDYN m WelshFrom Welsh
blaidd "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an 11th-century king of Gwynedd and Powys.
BLODEUWEDD f Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans
"face of flowers" in Welsh. In a story in the Mabinogion, she is created out of flowers by
Gwydion to be the wife of his nephew
Lleu Llaw Gyffes. She is eventually changed into an owl for her infidelity.
BLODWEN f WelshMeans
"white flowers" from Welsh
blodau "flowers" combined with
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
BRAN (2) m Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans
"raven" in Welsh. In Welsh legend Bran the Blessed (called also Bendigeid Vran) was the son of the god
Llyr. Later Welsh legends describe him as a king of Britain who was killed attacking Ireland.
BRANWEN f Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans
"beautiful raven" from Welsh
brân "raven" and
gwen "fair, white, blessed". In the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth, she is the sister of the British king
Bran and the wife of the Irish king Matholwch.
BRIALLEN f WelshDerived from Welsh
briallu meaning
"primrose". This is a modern Welsh name.
BRONWEN f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
bron "breast" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
BRYN m & f Welsh, EnglishMeans
"hill, mound" in Welsh. It is now used as a feminine name as well.
BRYNMOR m WelshFrom the Welsh place name
Brynmawr meaning
"great hill".
CADELL m WelshFrom Welsh
cad "battle" and a diminutive suffix.
CADFAEL m WelshMeans
"battle prince" from Welsh
cad "battle" and
mael "prince".
CADFAN m WelshMeans
"battle peak" from Welsh
cad "battle" and
ban "peak". Saint Cadfan, from Brittany, was a 6th-century missionary to Wales.
CADOC m WelshDerived from Welsh
cad meaning
"battle". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who was martyred by the Saxons.
CADWALADER m WelshMeans
"leader of the battle" from Welsh
cad "battle" and
gwaladr "leader". This was the name of a Welsh saint of the 7th century.
CADWGAN m WelshMeans
"glory in battle" from Welsh
cad "battle" and
gwogawn "glory, honour". In the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth, this name is briefly mentioned as the son of Iddon.
CAERWYN m WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
caer "fortress" and
gwyn "white, fair".
CARADOG m WelshWelsh form of
CARATACOS. This is the name of several figures in Welsh history and legend, including a 6th-century king of Gwent and a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian romance.
CARON f & m WelshDerived from Welsh
caru meaning
"to love".
CARWYN m WelshMeans
"blessed love" from Welsh
caru "to love" and
gwyn "white, fair, blessed".
CARYS f WelshDerived from Welsh
caru meaning
"love". This is a relatively modern Welsh name, in common use only since the middle of the 20th century.
CEINWEN f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
cain "good, lovely" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
CERI m & f WelshMeaning uncertain. It could come from the name of the Ceri River in Ceredigion, Wales; it could be a short form of
CERIDWEN; it could be derived from Welsh
caru meaning "to love".
CERIDWEN f WelshPossibly from Welsh
cyrrid "bent" or
cerdd "poetry" combined with
ven "woman" or
gwen "white, fair, blessed". According to medieval Welsh legend this was the name of a sorceress or goddess who created a potion that would grant wisdom to her son Morfan. The potion was instead consumed by her servant Gwion Bach, who was subsequently reborn as the renowned bard
Taliesin.
CLEDWYN m WelshDerived from the Welsh element
caled "rough" combined with
gwyn "white, fair, blessed".
COLWYN m WelshFrom the name of a river in northern Wales.
CULHWCH m Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans
"hiding place of the pig" in Welsh. In Welsh legend he was the lover of
Olwen the daughter of the giant Yspaddaden. Before the giant would allow Culhwch to marry his daughter, he insisted that Culhwch complete a series of extremely difficult tasks. Culhwch managed to complete them, and he returned to marry Olwen and kill the giant. This tale appears in the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth.
DAFYDD m WelshWelsh form of
DAVID. This name was borne by Dafydd ap Gruffydd, a 13th-century Welsh ruler, and Dafydd ap Gwilym, a 14th-century poet.
DAI m WelshDerived from the old Celtic word
dei meaning
"to shine". This name is also used as a Welsh diminutive of
DAVID.
DELWYN m WelshMeans
"pretty and white" from Welsh
del "pretty" combined with
gwyn "fair, white, blessed".
DELYTH f WelshFrom an elaboration of Welsh
del "pretty".
DERYN f WelshPossibly from Welsh
aderyn meaning
"bird".
DEWI (1) m WelshFrom
Dewydd, an old Welsh form of
DAVID. Saint Dewi, the patron saint of Wales, was a 6th-century Welsh bishop.
DILWYN m WelshMeans
"genuine and white" from the Welsh element
dilys "genuine" combined with
gwyn "white, fair, blessed".
DYLAN m Welsh, English, Welsh MythologyFrom the Welsh elements
dy meaning "great" and
llanw meaning "tide, flow". In Welsh mythology Dylan was a god or hero associated with the sea. He was the son of
Arianrhod and was accidentally slain by his uncle
Govannon.
... [more] EIFION m WelshMeaning unknown. This was an old Welsh name that was revived in the 19th century.
EILWEN f WelshPerhaps means
"white brow", derived from Welsh
ael "brow" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed". This is a recently-created Welsh name.
EINION m WelshProbably from the Latin name
Ennianus, a derivative of
Ennius (see
ENNIO). It is also a modern Welsh word meaning "anvil". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh king who is considered a saint in some Christian traditions.
EIRWEN f WelshMeans
"white snow" from the Welsh elements
eira "snow" and
gwen "white, blessed".
ELEN f Welsh, CzechWelsh form of
HELEN, as well as a Czech variant form. This was the name of a 4th-century Welsh saint. It also appears in the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth, belonging to a woman who built the roads in Wales.
ELERI f WelshMeaning unknown. In Welsh legend she was the daughter of the chieftain Brychan.
ELUNED f WelshDerived from Welsh
eilun meaning
"image, idol". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh saint.
EMLYN m WelshProbably from the name of an ancient region in Wales, its name meaning "around the valley". It has also been suggested that this name is a Welsh form of
Aemilianus (see
EMILIANO).
EMRYS m WelshWelsh form of
AMBROSE. Emrys Wledig (or Ambrosius Aurelianus) was a Romano-British military leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century. Tales of his life were used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth to create the character of Merlin, who he called Merlinus Ambrosius or Myrddin Emrys.
EURIG m WelshDerived from Welsh
aur meaning
"gold".
EURWEN f WelshDerived from Welsh
aur "gold" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
GARETH m Welsh, English (British), Arthurian RomanceMeaning unknown. It first appears in this form in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation of Arthurian legends
Le Morte d'Arthur, in which Gareth was a Knight of the Round Table, the brother of Sir
Gawain. Malory based the name on
Gahariet, which was the name of a similar Arthurian character in French sources. It may ultimately have a Welsh origin, possibly related to
gwaredd meaning
"gentleness".
GAWAIN m Welsh, Arthurian RomanceMeaning uncertain, from the Latin form
Walganus used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth. This was the name of a nephew of King
Arthur and one of the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He can be identified with the earlier Welsh hero Gwalchmei, and it is likely that the name derives from
GWALCHMEI. Alternatively it may have a different Celtic or even a Germanic origin. Gawain was a popular hero in medieval stories such as the 14th-century romantic poem
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
GLADYS f Welsh, EnglishFrom the old Welsh name
Gwladus, possibly derived from
gwlad meaning
"country". It has historically been used as a Welsh form of
CLAUDIA. This name became popular outside of Wales after it was used in Ouida's novel
Puck (1870).
GLAW m & f WelshMeans
"rain" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.
GLENYS f WelshElaboration of the Welsh word
glân meaning
"pure, clean, holy". This name was created in the late 19th century.
GLYNDWR m WelshFrom a Welsh surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"valley water". This name is often given in honour of Owain Glyndwr, a 14th-century Welsh patriot who led a revolt against England.
GLYNIS f WelshEither a variant of
GLENYS or an elaboration of the Welsh word
glyn meaning "valley".
GORONWY m Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeaning unknown. In the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth, he was the lover of
Blodeuwedd. He attempted to murder her husband
Lleu Llaw Gyffes but was himself killed.
GRUFFUDD m WelshFrom the Old Welsh name
Grippiud, the second element deriving from Welsh
udd "lord, prince" but the first element being of uncertain meaning (possibly
cryf "strong"). This was a common name among medieval Welsh royalty. Gruffudd (or Gruffydd) ap Llywelyn was an 11th-century Welsh ruler who fought against England.
GRWN m WelshMeans
"ridge" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.
GWEN f Welsh, EnglishFrom Welsh
gwen, the feminine form of
gwyn meaning "white, fair, blessed". It can also be a short form of
GWENDOLEN,
GWENLLIAN, and other names beginning with
Gwen.
GWENDA f Welsh, EnglishDerived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
da meaning "good". This name was created in the 20th century.
GWENDOLEN f WelshMeans
"white ring", derived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
dolen meaning "ring, loop". This was the name of a mythical queen of the Britons who defeated her husband in battle, as told by Geoffrey of Monmouth.
GWENFREWI f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
ffrewi meaning "reconciliation, peace". Saint Gwenffrewi or Winifred was a 7th-century Welsh martyr.
GWENITH f WelshVariant of
GWYNETH, perhaps influenced by the Welsh word
gwenith meaning "wheat".
GWENLLIAN f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" and probably
lliain meaning "flaxen". This name was popular among medieval Welsh royalty. It was borne by the 14th-century daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.
GWYN m WelshMeans
"white, fair, blessed" in Welsh.
GWYNEDD f & m WelshFrom the name of a region in Wales, named after an ancient kingdom, which may be derived from the old Welsh given name
Cunedda.
GWYNEIRA f WelshMeans
"white snow" from the Welsh element
gwyn meaning "white, fair, blessed" combined with
eira meaning "snow".
GWYNFOR m WelshDerived from the Welsh element
gwyn meaning "white, fair, blessed" combined with
mawr meaning "great, large".
HAUL m WelshMeans
"sun" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.
HEDDWYN m WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
hedd "peace" and
gwyn "white, fair, blessed".
HELEDD f WelshMeaning unknown. This was the name of a semi-legendary 7th-century Welsh princess.
HYWEL m WelshMeans
"eminent" in Welsh. This was the name of a 10th-century king of Wales.
IAGO m Welsh, Galician, PortugueseWelsh and Galician form of
Iacobus (see
JAMES). This was the name of two early Welsh kings of Gwynedd. It is also the name of the villain in Shakespeare's tragedy
Othello (1603).
IDRIS (2) m WelshMeans
"ardent lord" from Welsh
udd "lord, prince" combined with
ris "ardent, enthusiastic, impulsive".
IDWAL m WelshMeans
"lord of the wall", derived from Welsh
udd "lord, prince" combined with
gwal "wall, rampart".
ILLTYD m WelshMeans
"multitude of land" from Welsh
il "multitude" and
tud "land, people". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who founded the abbey of Llanilltud in Glamorgan.
IORWERTH m WelshMeans
"handsome lord" from Welsh
ior "lord" and
berth "handsome". This name is used in the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth, where it belongs to a son of Maredudd. This name is sometimes used as a Welsh form of
EDWARD.
ISLWYN m WelshFrom the name of a mountain in Wales that means "below the grove" from Welsh
is "below" and
llwyn "grove".
ITHEL m WelshMeans
"generous lord" from the Welsh elements
udd "lord, prince" and
hael "generous".
IVOR m Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English (British)From the Old Norse name
Ívarr, which was derived from the elements
yr "yew, bow" and
arr "warrior". During the Middle Ages it was brought to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders, and it was adopted in Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
LLEUCU f WelshMeaning unknown, possibly derived from
LLEU. This name appears in the 14th-century poem
Marwnad Lleucu Llwyd, written by Llywelyn Goch ap Meurig Hen for his deceased lover Lleucu Llwyd.
LLINOS f WelshMeans
"linnet, finch" in Welsh. The linnet (species Linaria cannabina) is a small European bird in the finch family.
LLYWELYN m WelshPossibly a Welsh form of the old Celtic name
Lugubelenus, a combination of the names of the gods
LUGUS and
BELENUS. Alternatively it may be derived from Welsh
llyw "leader". This was the name of several Welsh rulers, notably the 13th-century Llywelyn the Great who fought against England.
MABYN f WelshMeans
"youth" in Welsh. This was the name of an obscure 6th-century Welsh saint. She was one of the daughters of Saint Brychan.
MACSEN m WelshWelsh form of
MAXIMUS. Magnus Maximus (known as Macsen in Welsh) was a 4th-century co-ruler of the Western Roman Empire. In Wales he was regarded as the founder of several royal lineages. He appears in the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth.
MADOC m WelshPossibly derived from Welsh
mad meaning
"fortunate" combined with a diminutive suffix.
MAIRWEN f WelshCombination of
MAIR and Welsh
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed".
MARI (1) f Welsh, Breton, Estonian, Finnish, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishWelsh, Breton, Estonian and Finnish form of
MARIA, as well as a Hungarian diminutive of
MÁRIA. It is also a Scandinavian form of
MARIE.
MEGAN f Welsh, EnglishWelsh diminutive of
MARGARET. In the English-speaking world outside of Wales it has only been regularly used since the middle of the 20th century.
MEINWEN f WelshMeans
"slender and white" from Welsh
main "slender" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
MEREDITH m & f Welsh, EnglishFrom the Welsh name
Maredudd or
Meredydd, possibly meaning
"great lord" or
"sea lord". 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).
MERVYN m Welsh, EnglishFrom the Welsh name
Merfyn, which possibly meant
"marrow famous". This was the name of a 9th-century Welsh king, Merfyn Frych.
MIHANGEL m WelshWelsh name of the archangel Michael, formed from a contraction of
MICHAEL and "angel".
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-).
MORWENNA f Cornish, WelshMeans
"maiden" in Cornish (related to the Welsh word
morwyn). This was the name of a 6th-century Cornish saint.
MOSTYN m WelshFrom a Welsh place name meaning
"moss town" in Old English.
MYFANWY f WelshMeans
"my woman" from the Welsh prefix
my "my" combined with
banw "woman".
NERYS f WelshPerhaps an elaboration of Welsh
ner "lord", with the intended meaning of "lady".
NON f WelshPossibly derived from Latin
nonna meaning
"nun". This was the name of the mother of Saint David.
OLWEN f WelshMeans
"white footprint" from Welsh
ol "footprint, track" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed". In Welsh legend Olwen 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, and Culhwch was successful with all of them.
OWAIN m Welsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceProbably a Welsh form of
EUGENE, though other theories connect it to Welsh
eoghunn meaning "youth". This was the name of several figures from Welsh history and mythology. In Arthurian legend Owain (also called
Yvain in French sources) was one of the Knights of the Round Table, the son of King Urien and husband of the Lady of the Fountain. His character was based on that of Owain ap Urien, a 6th-century Welsh prince who fought against the Angles. This name was also borne by Owain Glyndwr, a 14th-century leader of Welsh resistance against English rule.
PADERAU f & m WelshMeans
"beads" or
"rosary" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.
PARRY m WelshFrom a Welsh surname that was derived from
ap Harry meaning
"son of HARRY".
PRICE m WelshFrom a Welsh surname that was derived from
ap Rhys meaning
"son of RHYS".
PRYDERI m Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans
"care" in Welsh. According to Welsh legend this was the name of the son of
Pwyll and
Rhiannon. A central character in the Mabinogion, he succeeds his father as king of Dyfed, but is ultimately killed in single combat with
Gwydion.
RHIAN f WelshDerived from Welsh
rhiain meaning
"maiden".
RHIANNON f Welsh, English, Welsh MythologyProbably derived from the old Celtic name
Rigantona meaning
"great queen". It is speculated that this was the name of an otherwise unattested Celtic goddess of fertility and the moon. The name
Rhiannon appears later in Welsh legend in the Mabinogion, borne by the wife of
Pwyll and the mother of
Pryderi.
... [more] RHODRI m WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
rhod "wheel" and
rhi "king". This name was borne by a 9th-century Welsh king.
RHONWEN f WelshWelsh form of
ROWENA, appearing in medieval Welsh poems and stories. It also coincides with Welsh
rhon "spear" and
gwen "fair, white, blessed".
RHYS m Welsh, EnglishMeans
"enthusiasm" in Welsh. 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 Germanic elements
hrod "fame" and
ric "ruler, mighty". This name was in use among the Visigoths; it was borne by their last king (also known as 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 Sir Walter Scott's 1811 poem
The Vision of Don Roderick.
TAFFY m WelshAnglicized form of
DAFYDD. It has been used as a slang term for a Welshman.
TALFRYN m WelshFrom a Welsh place name meaning
"high hill", derived from Welsh
tal "high" and
bryn "hill".