ARAWNmWelsh MythologyMeaning unknown. This was the name of the god of the underworld, called Annwfn, in Welsh mythology.
ARIANRHODfWelsh, 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.
ARTHURmEnglish, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceThe meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements
artos "bear" combined with
viros "man" or
rigos "king". Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name
Artorius. Arthur is the name of the central character in Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who resisted Saxon invaders. He may or may not have been a real person. He first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles (some possibly as early as the 7th century) but his character was not developed until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth.
... [more] BEDIVEREmWelsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceFrom the Welsh name
Bedwyr, which is of unknown meaning. In Arthurian legends Bedivere was one of the original companions of King
Arthur. He first appears in early Welsh tales, and his story was later expanded by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century. He is the one who throws the sword Excalibur into the lake at the request of the dying Arthur.
BELImWelsh MythologyProbably a Welsh derivative of
BELENUS. Beli Mawr was a Welsh ancestor deity who established several royal lines in Wales.
BLODEUWEDDfWelsh, 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.
BRAN (2)mWelsh, 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.
BRANWENfWelsh, Welsh MythologyMeans "beautiful raven" from Welsh
bran "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.
CULHWCHmWelsh, 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.
GORONWYmWelsh, 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.
GWALCHMEImWelsh MythologyDerived from Welsh
gwalch "hawk", possibly combined with
mei "May (the month)". This is the name of a character in Welsh legend. He is probably the antecedent of
Gawain from Arthurian romance.
GWYDIONmWelsh MythologyMeans "born of trees" in Welsh. In the Mabinogion, Gwydion was the nephew of
Math, and like him a powerful magician. He was the uncle of
Lleu Llaw Gyffes, for whom he fashioned a wife,
Blodeuwedd, out of flowers.
KAY (2)mWelsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceFrom the Welsh name
Cai or
Cei, possibly a form of the Roman name
GAIUS. Sir Kay was one of the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He first appears in Welsh tales as a brave companion of Arthur. In later medieval tales, notably those by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, he is portrayed as an unrefined boor.
LLEUmWelsh MythologyProbably a Welsh form of
LUGUS. In the Mabinogion, Lleu Llaw Gyffes is the son of
Arianrhod. He was raised by his uncle
Gwydion, who helped him overcome the curses that his mother placed upon him.
LLYRmWelsh MythologyMeans "the sea" in Welsh. This was the name of the Welsh god of the sea. He possibly forms the basis for the legendary King Lear of the Britons.
MATHmWelsh MythologyPossibly from Celtic
matu meaning "bear". According to the Mabinogion, Math ap Mathonwy was a king of Gwynedd and a magician. He was the uncle of the hero
Gwydion.
MORDREDmWelsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceFrom 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.
OWAINmWelsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceProbably a Welsh form of
EUGENE, though it might be derived from 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.
PEREDURmWelsh Mythology, Arthurian RomancePossibly means "hard spears" in Welsh. This was the name of several figures from Welsh mythology. It was later used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Arthurian tales. The character of
Percival was probably based on him.
PRYDERImWelsh, 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.
PWYLLmWelsh MythologyMeaning unknown. In the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh mythology, Pwyll is a king of Dyfed who pursues and finally marries
Rhiannon.
RHIANNONfWelsh, 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] UTHERmWelsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceFrom the Welsh name
Uthyr, derived from Welsh
uthr "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.