Ok so my cousin is almost here and the parents are down to two choices, we need your help again. Some info you need: The parents are Welsh and want a Welsh name and do not care about the fact if the name is ‘too Welsh’, in fact that is the aim. But the baby will live all around the world.
The choices are [name_f]Angharad[/name_f] and Lleucu. Middle name will be [name_u]Wyn[/name_u]. Here are the pros and cons according to the parents and the part we need your honest opinions:
[name_f]Angharad[/name_f]. Pros: The meaning (‘much loved’). The fact that it is more usable around the world when compared with Lleucu. The history and mythology connection (just google the name and you’ll understand). The nn options like [name_u]Harri[/name_u], [name_f]Annie[/name_f]. Cons: No one assumes that it’s Welsh, mostly seen as [name_f]Indian[/name_f] or Middle Eastern for some reason and that annoys the parents a bit. This is the second choice, they don’t love the name, but just like it.
Lleucu. Pros: This name is the actual first choice of the parents, they love this name and want to use it. Means ‘beloved light’. Cons: Unusable outside of [name_m]Wales[/name_m]. Doesn’t have a nn option. If they use this name, they will either let people pronounce it Ley-kee outside of [name_m]Wales[/name_m], or they will use the middle name.
[name_m]Both[/name_m] names present difficulties so the parents should go with name they love most. I thinl [name_f]Lu[/name_f] or [name_u]Lee[/name_u] might be natural nick names.
[name_m]Both[/name_m] names present difficulties so the parents should go with name they love most. I think [name_f]Lu[/name_f] or [name_u]Lee[/name_u] might be natural nick names.
Well I definitely know angharard is welsh,but prefer lleucu although the spelling will always be a problem and pronounciation. Since it’s the welsh version of lucy/lucia can you not use lulu or something similiar as an easy to use nickname?
There are other Welsh names that are easier to pronounce. I know you said they want a Welsh name, but Yikes!
[name_f]My[/name_f] name is a Welsh name and people don’t have too much trouble with it.
[name_f]Angharad[/name_f] and Lleucu are going to be difficult names to grow up with outside of [name_m]Wales[/name_m].
Sometimes we can’t always choose the one we love the most. I think they should go with [name_f]Angharad[/name_f]. She can go by a nickname. Why don’t they use Lleucu in the middle?
@frobskottle - because it’s actually not a version of [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], just a similarity in looks & meaning. Lleucu doesn’t even have an ‘l’ sound when pronouncing
@jd - well I didn’t wrote the pronunciations because they don’t really want any opinons about that, they think people doesn’t really like too Welsh sounding names, but to our ears they’re totally normal and really good names. Besides the fist name, whichever they choose, wouldn’t be used abroad probably just in [name_m]Wales[/name_m] and at home. But you can find them here and here.
One thing is certain: both names will face considerable problems with spelling and pronunciation outside of [name_m]Wales[/name_m].
For me, [name_f]Angharad[/name_f] is prettier and the pronunciation actually sounds quite similar to the spelling itself so I like this name better.
I love the look of Lleucu but the pronunciation for non-Welsh speakers is a nightmare. Sorry to say but for this English speaker the first syllable sounds like someone has just hacked up mucus or phlegm. I can’t figure out whether it’s a cough or a sneeze - or both. Not a very attractive sound to me.
However, if your cousin LOVES Lleucu then that’s the name that should be chosen and used. There’s no point in choosing a name you love and then proceeding to call the girl by the middle name because it’s too difficult for others to grasp. They are fully aware of the obstacles that will be faced outside of [name_m]Wales[/name_m] and if they think the name is worth the trouble and think they will have patience with all of misspellings and mispronunciations, then they should fully embrace it and bear the consequences.
Lleucu – [name_u]Love[/name_u] this name, but yes it will be tortured by any other language! And even after correcting, that first syllable is difficult for non-natives to say. That said, [name_f]Angharad[/name_f] is going to be subject to some butchering as well so I think they should go with the one they love. Either way, they’ll find themselves using a nickname or the middle name for convenience sake.
Though there isn’t the obvious “[name_u]Lou[/name_u]” sound in Lleucu, I do think it would work as a nickname, or [name_f]Lulu[/name_f]. Another thought is [name_u]Lee[/name_u]. I know a couple girls named [name_u]Lee[/name_u] and they are lovely.
About the first part, this actually helps a lot! You know we always thought [name_f]Angharad[/name_f] must look very ugly and harsh to non-Welsh!
About the second part, well, this is why we didn’t want to give the pronounciations haha. Because to us it’s pretty (or at least really normal) sounding name. But yes, it is a shame that it’s not possible for non-Welsh speakers to pronounce it, even when taught.
After reading the comments here, their current choice is [name_f]Angharad[/name_f], but it’s not easy when you don’t exactly ‘love’ a name right?
Although [name_f]Angharad[/name_f] is somewhat easier to pronounce than Lleucu, it still poses many of the same challenges, so I don’t really see the sense in settling for a name that they don’t love as much. I think they should go with Lleucu and just be willing to be flexible with others using her middle name, a nickname (which I’m sure will evolve over time, even if none are apparent), or close approximations of the correct pronunciation. It’s an amazing opportunity to raise your children overseas, but I love that they want to keep a strong connection to their heritage and give their daughter a Welsh identity. I think she will grow up to appreciate that as well
What about [name_f]Kiki[/name_f] as a nickname for Lleucu? To my American ears, the second syllable sounds like “key,” so why not Key-[name_u]Wyn[/name_u], [name_f]Kiki[/name_f] (or just [name_u]Wyn[/name_u]) for the use of non-Welsh friends? Use the name you love!
Not a very attractive sound to me.