Welsh Baby Names: 70+ Names From the Land of Dragons
Welsh Baby Names: 70+ Names From the Land of Dragons
The Living Language
Wales did something extraordinary. While most Celtic languages faded under English dominance, Welsh survived—and now thrives. Road signs are bilingual. Schools teach in Welsh. Children grow up speaking a language that's been continuous for over 1,500 years. And Welsh names carry that living tradition into the future.
Welsh names can look intimidating to non-speakers. All those double letters! The 'w' that's a vowel! The 'll' that requires tongue placement no English speaker has practiced! But beneath the unfamiliar spelling lies musical beauty. Welsh names flow like the language itself—lyrical, ancient, connected to myth and landscape.
My friend Rhiannon spent her American childhood correcting pronunciations. 'Ree-ANN-on,' she'd say, not 'RYE-ann-on.' But she never wanted a different name. 'It's Fleetwood Mac famous,' she says, 'and it means divine queen. What's not to love?' Her name connects her to Welsh mythology and 1970s rock simultaneously.
Whether you're claiming Welsh heritage or simply drawn to Celtic beauty, this guide decodes Welsh names for those of us who didn't grow up hearing the language.
Welsh Naming Traditions
Welsh naming reflects a culture that values ancestry, poetry, and language preservation.
The Patronymic Heritage
Traditional Welsh naming used 'ap' or 'ab' (son of): Dafydd ap Gwilym (David son of William). These became surnames like Powell (ap Howell), Pritchard (ap Richard), Bowen (ab Owen). Given names that created these surnames remain available as first names.
The English Overlay
English rule suppressed Welsh language and names for centuries. Many Welsh families Anglicized names: Dafydd became David, Gwilym became William, Megan became Margaret. The 20th century saw Welsh name revival as national identity strengthened.
The Eisteddfod Tradition
Welsh culture celebrates poetry and music through eisteddfodau (festivals). Poets take bardic names. This literary tradition makes Welsh comfortable with names that carry poetic and mythological weight.
Modern Welsh Naming
Contemporary Welsh parents balance tradition with usability. Welsh-medium schools have made distinctly Welsh names more common again. Names like Seren, Ffion, and Carys are now mainstream in Wales.
Welsh Girl Names
Welsh girl names combine Celtic mysticism with approachable beauty.
Popular Welsh Girl Names
- Rhiannon (hree-AN-on) - 'Divine queen.' Celtic goddess. Fleetwood Mac song.
- Carys (KAH-ris) - 'Love.' Modern Welsh. Catherine Zeta-Jones's daughter.
- Seren (SEH-ren) - 'Star.' Nature name. Rising internationally.
- Megan (MEG-an) - Welsh pet form of Margaret. Gone global.
- Ffion (FEE-on) - 'Foxglove.' Flower name. Double-f is Welsh.
- Eira (AY-ra) - 'Snow.' Nature name. Beautiful meaning.
- Anwen (AN-wen) - 'Very beautiful.' Blessing name.
- Bronwen (BRON-wen) - 'White breast.' Pure/fair meaning. Mythology name.
- Cerys (KEH-ris) - Variant of Carys. 'Love.'
- Gwen (GWEN) - 'Fair, blessed.' Short and sweet.
- Lowri (LOU-ree) - Welsh Laura. 'Laurel.'
- Bethan (BETH-an) - Welsh Elizabeth. Sweet diminutive.
- Gwyneth (GWIN-eth) - 'Blessed, happy.' Paltrow familiarity.
- Angharad (ang-HAR-ad) - 'Beloved.' Mythology name. Looks harder than it is.
- Nerys (NEHR-is) - 'Lady.' Distinctive Welsh.
Mythological Welsh Girl Names
- Arianwen (ar-ee-AN-wen) - 'Silver' + 'fair.' Legendary beauty.
- Blodeuwedd (blod-AY-weth) - 'Flower face.' Made of flowers, turned to owl.
- Branwen (BRAN-wen) - 'Blessed raven.' Tragic mythology heroine.
- Ceridwen (keh-RID-wen) - Goddess of poetry. 'Beautiful poem.'
- Olwen (OL-wen) - 'White footprint.' Flowers grew where she walked.
- Rhiannon - Goddess associated with horses and birds.
Welsh Boy Names
Welsh boy names carry bardic tradition and ancient strength.
Popular Welsh Boy Names
- Dylan (DIL-an) - 'Son of the sea.' Sea god. Bob Dylan took the name.
- Owen (OH-en) - 'Young warrior' or 'well-born.' Classic Welsh.
- Rhys (REES) - 'Enthusiasm, ardor.' Welsh king name.
- Evan (EV-an) - Welsh John. 'God is gracious.'
- Gareth (GA-reth) - 'Gentle.' Round Table knight.
- Griffith (GRIF-ith) - 'Strong lord.' Anglicized Gruffydd.
- Vaughan (VAWN) - 'Small.' Welsh surname as first name.
- Bryn (BRIN) - 'Hill.' Nature name. Gender-neutral.
- Ifor (EE-vor) - Welsh form of Ivor. 'Army of archers.'
- Emrys (EM-ris) - Welsh form of Ambrose. Merlin's original name.
- Gethin (GETH-in) - 'Dark-skinned.' Descriptive name.
- Aled (AL-ed) - Welsh river name. 'Child.'
- Dafydd (DAV-ith) - Welsh David. 'Beloved.'
- Geraint (GEH-rint) - 'Old.' Arthurian knight.
- Ianto (YAN-to) - Welsh diminutive of John. Torchwood familiarity.
Mythological Welsh Boy Names
- Bran (BRAN) - 'Raven.' Giant king whose head protected Britain.
- Gwydion (GWID-ee-on) - 'Born of trees.' Magician figure.
- Lleu (HLAY) - 'Light.' Solar hero figure.
- Pwyll (POOIL) - 'Sense.' Lord of the underworld (briefly).
- Taliesin (tal-ee-ES-in) - 'Radiant brow.' Legendary bard.
- Pryderi (pru-DEHR-ee) - 'Care.' Mabinogion hero.
Names From Welsh Mythology
The Mabinogion and Celtic legends provide rich naming sources.
The Mabinogion
The Mabinogion is a collection of Welsh myths recorded in medieval times but far older. It provides names like:
- Rhiannon - Horse goddess, wrongly accused queen
- Branwen - 'Beautiful raven,' tragic princess
- Blodeuwedd - Woman made of flowers
- Pwyll - Prince who traded places with underworld king
- Pryderi - Rhiannon's stolen and recovered son
Arthurian Welsh Names
King Arthur's legends have Welsh roots:
- Arthur - 'Bear king.' Disputed origin but strong Welsh claim.
- Merlin/Myrddin (MUR-thin) - The wizard. Welsh original.
- Guinevere/Gwenhwyfar (gwen-HWEE-var) - 'White phantom.'
- Morgan/Morgana - 'Sea-born.' The sorceress.
- Gareth - 'Gentle.' Knight of the Round Table.
- Bedivere/Bedwyr - Last knight standing.
Welsh Nature Names
Welsh offers beautiful nature-connected names.
Celestial Names
- Seren - 'Star.' Popular and beautiful.
- Lleucu (HLAY-kee) - 'Light.' Feminine form.
- Haul (HILE) - 'Sun.' Less common.
Landscape Names
- Bryn - 'Hill.' Gender-neutral.
- Dylan - 'Sea.' Sea god origin.
- Aled - Welsh river.
- Afon (AH-von) - 'River.'
- Craig - 'Rock.' Shared with Scottish.
Flora Names
- Ffion - 'Foxglove.' Distinctly Welsh.
- Eirlys (AYR-lis) - 'Snowdrop.' Winter flower.
- Blodwen (BLOD-wen) - 'White flower.'
- Celyn (KEL-in) - 'Holly.'
Weather and Elements
- Eira - 'Snow.' Popular modern choice.
- Gwynt (GWINT) - 'Wind.'
- Tân (TAHN) - 'Fire.'
Using Welsh Names Internationally
Welsh names range from accessible to challenging for non-speakers.
Names That Work Globally
- Already mainstream: Dylan, Owen, Megan, Evan, Morgan
- Easy to learn: Rhys (Reese), Seren, Carys, Gwen
- Familiar patterns: Gareth, Bethan, Lowri
The Pronunciation Guide
Key Welsh sounds for name pronunciation:
- 'Dd' = 'th' as in 'the' (Dafydd = DAV-ith)
- 'Ff' = 'f' (Ffion = FEE-on)
- 'F' = 'v' (Dafydd has a 'v' sound)
- 'Ll' = breathed 'l' - put tongue in 'l' position, blow
- 'W' can be a vowel, sounds like 'oo'
- 'Y' sounds like 'uh' or 'ee' depending on position
Names Requiring Explanation
- Anything with 'Ll': Llywelyn, Lleu, Llewellyn
- Double consonants: Ffion, Ddraig
- Complex combinations: Blodeuwedd, Gwenhwyfar
Anglicized Options
Many Welsh names have Anglicized forms:
- Dafydd → David
- Gwilym → William
- Gruffydd → Griffith
- Siân → Jane
You can use either, depending on how strongly you want to mark Welsh identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How do you pronounce Welsh names?
Welsh pronunciation follows consistent rules but different from English. Key: 'Ll' is a breathed l-sound (unique to Welsh); 'dd' is 'th'; 'f' is 'v'; 'ff' is 'f'. Stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable. Online pronunciation guides help—Welsh sounds more musical than the spelling suggests.
Q2: What do all those double letters mean?
Welsh uses digraphs (two letters = one sound) extensively. 'Ll' is one sound (breathed l). 'Dd' is one sound (like 'th' in 'the'). 'Ff' is what English 'f' sounds like (because Welsh 'f' sounds like 'v'). 'Ch' is like Scottish 'loch.' Once you know the patterns, it's consistent.
Q3: Which Welsh names work in English-speaking contexts?
Already familiar: Dylan, Owen, Morgan, Megan, Evan, Gwen. Easy to teach: Rhys (just say Reese), Carys, Seren. Avoid for simplicity: anything with 'Ll' or 'dd' unless you're committed to teaching pronunciation.
Q4: Are Welsh names different from other Celtic names?
Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Cornish, and Breton share Celtic roots but developed separately. Welsh is a Brythonic Celtic language (with Cornish and Breton); Irish and Scottish are Goidelic. Names overlap but have different forms: Welsh Dylan vs. Irish Dillon; Welsh Rhys vs. Irish Rís.
Q5: What are the most popular names in Wales today?
Currently popular in Wales: Seren, Ffion, Eira for girls; Osian, Gruff, Gethin for boys. Traditional names like Megan and Rhys remain common. Wales shows strong use of distinctly Welsh names compared to England's more international naming.
Y Ddraig Goch (The Red Dragon)
Wales has a dragon on its flag and fire in its language. Welsh names carry that energy—not the fire of destruction but the fire that keeps culture alive when empires try to extinguish it. Welsh survived when other Celtic languages didn't, and Welsh names are part of that survival.
My friend Rhiannon never resented explaining her name. 'Every explanation is a tiny Welsh lesson,' she says. 'I'm keeping the language alive one pronunciation correction at a time.' She's not wrong. Names are how languages travel, how cultures spread, how traditions persist.
Whether you're claiming Welsh heritage or simply drawn to the music of the language, Welsh names offer something rare: connection to a living Celtic tradition that refused to die. Your child's Welsh name becomes part of that story.
Find your Welsh name on SoulSeed, where you can explore mythological meanings, practice pronunciations, and discover names that sound like poetry from the land of dragons.
