I adore the name [name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f]. It’s on my own list. I love that it’s got mythology links but it’s not super well-known as far as people making stupid remarks about, say, [name_m]Apollo[/name_m]. I also love [name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f]'s sound and rhythm.
I do like [name_f]Briar[/name_f], for a girl. I love briars as plants though. It sounds floral to me without being sugary. I like the multi-faceted mix of pretty and fierce/resilient/wild. I find [name_f]Briar[/name_f]-[name_f]Rose[/name_f] a bit too much to ask a real girl to wear though. For some reason I have a hard time seeing it on a girl who might want to be an attorney or a [name_f]Marine[/name_f]. [name_f]Briar[/name_f] by itself goes well with current trends for [name_u]Harper[/name_u], [name_u]Piper[/name_u], etc. though.
I personally like [name_f]Briar[/name_f]-[name_f]Rose[/name_f] better than [name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f] just because I have never seen the latter before and have literally NO IDEA how to pronounce it. [name_f]Briar[/name_f]-[name_f]Rose[/name_f] reminds me of sleeping beauty. Yes, it’s really unconventional and I much prefer something like [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] or [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] when it comes to unconventional [name_f]Rose[/name_f] names, but that’s just me.
[name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f] is just way out of my comfort zone. Too celtic or Arthurian for my tastes.
I prefer [name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f], though there are other Welsh names I personally like a lot more. It’s OK though. Honestly, I think the problem is it reminds me of the word cerumen (ear wax), but that’s probably not something very common - professionally I had to learn a lot about earwax (fun I know : D) at one point, and they don’t even sound that similar just somehow my brain merges them.
[name_f]Briar[/name_f]-[name_f]Rose[/name_f] is pretty but yeah, it’s a little too much of a connection for me.
eriset: I just have to say that I [name_f]LOVE[/name_f] your kids’ names! They are lovely. Cerridwen [name_f]Willow[/name_f] is so pretty (I love [name_f]Willow[/name_f]!). [name_m]How[/name_m] is it having a [name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f]/Cerridwen?
rhiataylor: I love your imagery! I am totally falling in love with [name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f] even more! I have a love/hate relationship with [name_f]Briar[/name_f]-[name_f]Rose[/name_f] too. It’s been on and off my list for a while. Some days I’m completely and totally in love with it! And then other days, I still love it, but I feel like it’s not 100% what I’m looking for. I probably need to keep it off if I’m feeling that way! [name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f] [name_f]Eira[/name_f] is beautiful!
lexiem: I like the “thorny rose” meaning. To me, it feels sweet, beautiful and delicate, like a rose, but strong, fierce and wild like a thorny bush.
collmcc523: [name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f] is pronounced “keh-rid-wen”.
jesba: I really love the princess-y, Sleeping Beauty connection!
Thanks to everyone else who replied! I am totally in love with [name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f], and I’m keeping it on my short list! I don’t know what middle name I would pair with it though, I was thinking maybe something sparkly/shimmery, and starry/moony and/or earthy? I [name_f]LOVE[/name_f] [name_f]Briar[/name_f]-[name_f]Rose[/name_f] too, but like I said, my feelings towards this name keeps changing, and I think that means it’s not 100% what I’m looking for. Thanks again!
I didn’t realize you were the same thread creator as the one I just posted in lol. Having a real-life Cerridwen is mixed. In her preschool class (she’s only 3 right now), the other kids can’t say her name…it comes out like Care-ah-wen, which is pretty close. A lot of times she goes by [name_f]Willow[/name_f]. My grandmother can’t remember her name for the life of her, but she has alzheimers so I’m not sure if that is the reason or it’s just too unfamiliar. Most people love the name once they’re taught how to say it. Most of the time, people who first come across it pronounce as [name_f]Sarah[/name_f]-dwen, still a pretty name but people learn quickly the correct way to pronounce it. Be ready to explain the origins of the name though as most are unfamiliar with the myth or anything Welsh.
I love [name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f]. It won’t get trendy and is lovely and classic. I am not a fan of [name_f]Briar[/name_f]-[name_f]Rose[/name_f], particularly because you’ve hyphenated it, but also because I just don’t like the SOUND of it, because it sounds very unfeminine despite it’s meaning. It’s like [name_u]Rory[/name_u]; I find lots of R’s and O’s to be too heavy for a female name, and that is just my opinion. Aside from that, my daughter’s first and middle names will be based on a goddess and a literary fictional place, so I have no problems with that. It’s how LITERAL the name is, that I guess strikes me as surprising. If the SOUND we something I considered really nice it would actually make the name more…spunky and daring. So, to people who also have a problem with naturey and literature inc]\pired names, this is a big no-no. People seem more at east with names that have more obscured meanings or meanings in arcane languages; but you are not only picking a type of flower, you are picking the English spelling AND getting specific about the species of rose and using the common term and not even the latin term.
[name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f] [name_f]Eira[/name_f] is beautiful! 
