[name]Hi[/name], I’m looking for a Welsh boys name that I can love as much (or more) than the sadly vetoed [name]Emrys[/name].
My partner chose [name]Emrys[/name] off a list of names and said he loved it. Then when I brought it up weeks later he said he hated it and it sounded like a “scruffy old man’s name”! He’s so fickle! I thought it was growing on him again but now he says it isn’t. So although I’m still quietly holding on to it, I need a back up name. The surname is [name]Morgan[/name]. I would really appreciate opinions on the following:
[name]Trystan[/name] (this is the traditional Welsh spelling)
[name]Bryce[/name]
[name]Rhodri[/name] ([name]ROD[/name]-ree) - my partner’s not keen so may not be worth listing but I love the nn [name]Roddy[/name]!
Dyfri/Dyfed/[name]Dyfan[/name] ([name]DOVE[/name]-ree/[name]DOVE[/name]-ed/[name]DOVE[/name]-an)
Neirin/Aneirin (NAY-rin/ah-NAY-rin)
Cynon (CU-non)
Teifion/Eifion/Neifion ([name]TAY[/name]-vee-on/AY-vee-on/NAY-vee-on)
Awstin (OW-stin)
[name]Ianto[/name] ([name]YAN[/name]-to)
[name]Caio[/name] ([name]KAI[/name]-o)
Ceidiog ([name]KAY[/name]-dee-og)
[name]Cadog[/name]
Euros/Eurys (AY-ross/AY-riss)
Rhydian (RID-ee-an) - my partner’s not keen on this one either
[name]Mael[/name] (MILE)
[name]Rhett[/name] (I do find conflicting information on the origin of this name though)
[name]Deian[/name] ([name]DAY[/name]-an)
[name]Sulien[/name] ([name]SEAL[/name]-ee-en)
[name]Iefan[/name] (YE-van)
Gwion (GWEE-on)
Sorry there are so many! I do love [name]Trystan[/name] but it’s quite popular and ends in “an” like our surname so those reasons hold me back from it. It’s not in the top 100 in [name]Wales[/name] though so the popularity isn’t too bad.
The following names are in the top 100 in [name]Wales[/name] and therefore “out” for me: [name]Dylan[/name], [name]Rhys[/name], [name]Evan[/name], [name]Harry[/name]/[name]Harri[/name], [name]Owen[/name], [name]Tomos[/name], [name]Cai[/name], Osian, [name]Jac[/name], Gethin, [name]Ieuan[/name], [name]Ioan[/name], [name]Ellis[/name], [name]Owain[/name], [name]Iwan[/name], Iestyn, [name]Sion[/name], [name]Steffan[/name] and [name]Lloyd[/name].
Can’t wait to hear which names you guys love and hate! Thanks guys
[name]Rhodri[/name] ([name]ROD[/name]-ree) - I’ve always loved this name. Maybe your partner will come around.
Aneirin (ah-NAY-rin) - Only a tad matchy with your surname [name]Morgan[/name] but I like it! At least it ends with an “in” and not an “an”.
Teifion/Eifion/Neifion ([name]TAY[/name]-vee-on/AY-vee-on/NAY-vee-on) - Any of these would be ok with [name]Morgan[/name]. I think the T and the E look better with your surname.
[name]Ianto[/name] ([name]YAN[/name]-to) - Unusual but then I do have a soft spot for boys names ending in “o”. [name]Ianto[/name] [name]Morgan[/name] looks pretty good!
[name]Caio[/name] ([name]KAI[/name]-o) - [name]LOVE[/name]. This sounds like a very “happy” name to me.
Rhydian (RID-ee-an) - Looks and sounds like a cool boys name. The three syllables may offset the similar ending with [name]Morgan[/name].
[name]Mael[/name] (MILE) - [name]Love[/name] the spelling and the unexpected pronunciation. It’s kind of like a Welsh [name]Miles[/name]. Ok, [name]Mael[/name] [name]Morgan[/name] and [name]Mae[/name] [name]Morgan[/name]? Which do you like best?
[b][name]Sulien[/name] /b - Along with [name]Rhodri[/name], probably my fave from your list!
[name]Emrys[/name], [name]Rhodri[/name] and [name]Sulien[/name] - what a great trio of Welsh brothers!
I think I’ll try him with [name]Rhodri[/name] and Rhydian again once I have a nice short list of favourite boys names because they just are so lovely
I had the same thought as you regarding [name]Mael[/name] and [name]Mae[/name] and have decided I prefer [name]Mae[/name] so [name]Mael[/name]'s off the list.
And I’ve also decided against [name]Caio[/name] and [name]Ianto[/name] since, although I love them, I think it will be hard for the non-Welsh speakers in my life (most of my family and friends!) to pronounce the “o” correctly.
I think I’ve decided I really do prefer just Neirin to Aneirin although both are lovely. Neirin is definitely a fav and I’m also really starting to like [name]Sulien[/name]. I agree with you re Teifion/Eifion/Neifion and I think Teifion is my fav of the 3 because I really like “Tave” for short.
Thanks for the help! Would love to hear more opinions
These are all so interesting and beautiful to my US eyes! I second pp in loving the Dyf- variants…can’t put my finger on why…just so nice!
Euros/Eurys feels closest to [name]Emrys[/name] to me by sound…trying to pay attention to prns as well as letters and I think that’s still the case, but being the Welsh naive that I am, I might be imagining it wrong despite your kind phonetic guides.
@Erem, thanks for the suggestions but to be honest I’ve looked through so many Welsh names at this point that I was more looking for opinions on the above names that anything. Are there any on my list you like? A lot of the names you listed are nice but sadly quite a few aren’t actually Welsh, like [name]Fane[/name], Crandal, [name]Darren[/name], [name]Elian[/name], [name]Kyndall[/name], [name]Kerwin[/name], Kerig etc. Some are anglicised forms of Welsh names (like [name]Howell[/name] for Hywel, [name]Ivor[/name] for [name]Ifor[/name], [name]Kendrick[/name] for Cynwrig) etc but I prefer the Welsh forms and my partner has already shot down Hywel and [name]Ifor[/name]!
@[name]Molly[/name] - I’m really glad you like Dyfri, I adore it but wasn’t sure if it sounded “weird” to a non-Welsh ear. [name]Just[/name] to clarify (since someone asked me this once in an older post), the [name]DOVE[/name] is like the bird, not like “he dove into the water”. [name]Do[/name] you still like it?
@Jesba - another vote for the Dyf names yay Which is your fav of the 3? I think [name]Dyfan[/name] is my favourite. Dyfed is lovely, but also a place name. You are right though that Euros and Eurys are closest and sound to [name]Emrys[/name].Thanks!!
Oh, the more think about it, Dyfed is my favorite. I guess I love the name [name]David[/name] – I get that it’s pretty different, but you know I think I like that same opening and beginning, I feel similarly about [name]Desmond[/name] and even [name]Donald[/name] if I can stop myself thinking about how dated it sounds and how [name]Donald[/name] Duck and [name]Donald[/name] Trump it is. But I do like the other names in general, and the other variants of this, a lot. I think Dyfen is perfectly nice with your last name. And as I think I wrote in another thread, I like plenty of -n names with your last name as long as the rest of the name is different enough. Dyfri is kind of unexpected and fresh! I like Dyfri and Dyfen equally well and very close to Dyfed, who is in the lead for me. But if place names aren’t your thing, I can understand.
With [name]Claudia[/name]…Hmm…Most are fine, none’s really awful…[name]Cadog[/name] and Ceidiog feel a little close. Maybe Rhydian too. Rydia is also a sci-fi/fantasy culture allusion, I recently learned. [name]Don[/name]'t know how much that matters, just some knowledge. There was some discussion of the name Rydia for a girl on here a while back, many people wrote they heard “rid of you” like “rid a ya” at least in some varieties of English. Rhydian somehow doesn’t evoke that to me as much, the ee sound is longer I think…it evokes Meridian : D.
He does!! I guess it’s me who’s not quite on board with this one. I love the sound of it, but it feels “American” to me. Not that that’s a bad thing, but I want the name to have a Welsh feel. [name]Do[/name] you get that vibe from it?
[name]Trystan[/name] - I love [name]Trystan[/name]. Medieval night swoon-worthy!
[name]Bryce[/name] - Because this is a surname (with the pronunciation anglicised) it doesn’t feel particularly ‘authentic’ for me. [name]Rhodri[/name] - I love this to. Rhod and [name]Roddy[/name] are great nics. Dyfri/Dyfed/[name]Dyfan[/name] - [name]Dyfan[/name] is definitely my fave. I like it a lot. The other two are great although Dyfed is very (albeit a very beautiful part of the country) place-namey for me
Neirin/Aneirin - Aneirin [name]Bevan[/name] springs to mind. Not a bad association to have. Teifion/Eifion/Neifion - I like but I’d go for Teifion or Neifion as Eifion is too much like the water [name]Evian[/name] to me. [name]Ianto[/name] - [name]LOVE[/name]! But then I did have a big crush on [name]Ianto[/name] from Torchwood [name]Cadog[/name] - I like a lot. Great medieval vibe. Slightly prefer [name]Cadoc[/name] I think. Euros/Eurys - Euros feel stronger to me.
Rhydian - I really love the sound of Rhydian. Of course Rhydian from X-[name]Factor[/name] is now the visual I get :? [name]Iefan[/name] - [name]Love[/name] it but perhaps a bit too rhymey with [name]Morgan[/name].
Gwion - nice but I think I prefer Gwydion as it feel a bit stronger and ‘fuller’ for me.
From your new list I still like [name]Ianto[/name], Neirin and [name]Bryce[/name]. [name]Bryce[/name] would be the easiest to live with in Australia (assuming this is still a consideration for you!) but there is just something so damn cool about [name]Ianto[/name].
Names that I don’t like from your list:
[name]Trystan[/name] - I’ve never been a fan of this name. To me it seems dated, and the [name]Trystan[/name] spelling looks tryndy (I know it’s not, but I think that’s how people would see it!)
Awstin - The spelling and the pronunciation don’t do it for me. Again, it could just come across as a butchered version of [name]Austin[/name].
[name]Cadog[/name] - All I see is “cad” and “dog” smooshed together.
Euros - The common currency? I don’t mind the Eurys spelling though.
The others are all kind of so-so. Looking at it again, I do actually quite like [name]Iefan[/name], as long as you’re willing to explain spelling and pronunciation constantly.
[name]Hi[/name] [name]Sienna[/name]! Yes Australia is still very much on the cards…I spend all my days dreaming about it hehe!
I can live with people thinking the [name]Trystan[/name] spelling is trendy because the name means so much to me. “[name]Trystan[/name] ac Esyllt” is the Welsh version of “[name]Tristan[/name] and [name]Iseult[/name]/[name]Isolde[/name]”. To me it looks more correct, but I guess it’s just what you’re used to. I do worry about it sounding dated though :?
Also thank for pointing out the Euros thing! I’d never noticed it and I don’t think it’d bother me but my partner doesn’t speak Welsh so I’m sure the first thing he’ll see is the currency! I think I’ll strike it off the list cos I don’t think he’ll be able to see past that.
[name]Hi[/name] again! : D. [name]Glad[/name] the Dyfed-[name]David[/name] point was interesting to you, and I just continue to think [name]Dyfan[/name] is a completely fine name with your last name and it seems you’re settling into that idea too : D! Dyfri doesn’t really feel abrupt to me, no, I think because it looks so foreign to my eyes that usual rules probably wouldn’t apply. I guess boys’ names don’t often end in -i in English (it’s rare for girls names, too, actually, but a bit more frequently, [name]Naomi[/name] and maybe some others, plus creative spellings of lots, and [name]Eleri[/name] for girls in Welsh, is that right? [name]Do[/name] names end in -i a lot for both sexes in Welsh?), so that might be a reaction to the spelling.
As far as the sound - I think plenty of boys’ names end in that sound, [name]Henry[/name] and all the surname names just to get started. Anyway, if it is a reaction you’re getting frequently, something to think about even if I don’t see it. Could a [name]Dyfan[/name] be nicknamed Dyfri? Or are they too much their own proper names? If it would work, that could be one way around your issues with both names : D.
To be honest I’ve never met or heard of a [name]Dyfan[/name] or a Dyfri, and I’ve only known one Dyfed
Dyfri could work as a nn for Dyfed or [name]Dyfan[/name], but I think Dyf or Dyfi would be more natural.
I’ve also decided Eurys is too close to [name]Iris[/name]…lol.
So this is the list as I see it now:
[name]Trystan[/name]
[name]Emrys[/name] (can’t give it up!)
[name]Bryce[/name]
And also in consideration:
Neirin
[name]Dyfan[/name]/Dyfed/Dyfri
Teifion
Awstin
[name]Deian[/name]
[name]Sulien[/name]
[name]Iefan[/name]
Gwydion
[name]Ianto[/name]
P.S. What about Braith? Pronounced like [name]Bryce[/name] but with the “th” on the end. Does it sound too lispy? It seems more authentically Welsh to me. There’s also an Australian rugby player called Braith Anasta so it should be pretty recognisable in [name]Oz[/name].
I don’t mind the Eurys spelling though.