As I have a fraction of Welsh heritage, I love Welsh names. [name_f]My[/name_f] favorites are [name_f]Lleulu[/name_f] and [name_f]Glenys[/name_f](and its alternate spellings). Some I love but only think may be Welsh include [name_f]Gwyneira[/name_f], Myfanwy, and [name_f]Delyth[/name_f]. What about you? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you love any Welsh names? If so, why?
Oh my word, I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] Welsh names and have some what of a fascination with them. I am a Linguist and have done a bit of work on Welsh and that is where I fell in love. I love the way they sound (when not butchered by people who simply don’t know how to pronounce them, and let’s face it, it’s not easy) and the way most of them look. I suppose because I see them so often, and I know Welsh orthography to me they don’t look so out there and completely unpronounceable.
[name_f]Myfanwy[/name_f] is certainly Welsh, it means “my fine one” or “my dearest” (prn mee-[name_m]VON[/name_m]-wee) and I also like the nn Myfi (MEE-vee) (f is prn as v, while ff is as f)
[name_f]Gwyneira[/name_f] means “white snow” (in the order “[name_f]Snow[/name_f] White” [name_u]Gwyn[/name_u]/[name_f]Gwen[/name_f] (Masculine (prn [name_u]Gwin[/name_u])/feminine (prn [name_f]Gwen[/name_f])) is white and eira means snow) it is prn gwin-EE-ra or in the south sometimes as gwin-AY-ra (If you want the gwen prn at the beginning, which is the feminine form, you should spell it as such Gweneira). Eirwen (prn [name_f]AIR[/name_f]-wen) means the same thing just the components are swapped around.
Another nice snow name is Eirlys ([name_f]AIR[/name_f]-lees) meaning snow drop.
[name_f]Delyth[/name_f] ([name_u]DEL[/name_u]-ith) means “pretty girl”
[name_f]Lleulu[/name_f] is actually Lleucu, it means bright beloved/dear (lleu is bright or light in Old Welsh and Cu means dear or beloved) and pronounced (HLEE-kee or HLAY-kee). [name_f]Lleulu[/name_f] would be (HLEE-lee or HLAY-lee or -li, u in Welsh is pronounced short as in i in bit, and long as i in machine)
I find that people just can’t pronounce the ll correctly (try putting your tongue as if to say l and then trying to say h instead with a bit of a hiss added in and you may get close), and I much prefer it with the proper pronunciation. It is what would put me off ever using [name_m]Llywelyn[/name_m] or [name_m]Lloyd[/name_m] for my boys.
[name_f]Glenys[/name_f] ([name_u]GLEN[/name_u]-is) has a different prn to [name_f]Glynys[/name_f] ([name_m]GLIN[/name_m]-is). [name_f]Glynys[/name_f] may also have a different meaning, where [name_f]Glenys[/name_f] come from glan and means “Clean, pure, holy”, [name_f]Glynys[/name_f] may come from glyn which means valley.
[name_f]My[/name_f] favourite Welsh names are:
[name_m]Emrys[/name_m] ([name_f]EM[/name_f]-ris)
[name_m]Llywelyn[/name_m] (hloo-[name_f]EL[/name_f]-in)
Rhydwyn (HRID-win)
Elystan (el-ISS-tan)
Meredudd (meh-[name_u]RED[/name_u]-ith) (the dd is pronounced as the voiced th as in then, never the voiceless as in thin (that is represented as th))
Myrddin (MIR-thin)
Aurddolen (air-THO-len)
Arianrhod (ari-YAHN-hrod) (here, the first a is as in father, the second as in pat (long and then short)
Eirianwen (eer-i-YAHN-wen)
Hedydd (HAYD-ith)
Ifanwy (ee-[name_m]VON[/name_m]-wee)
[name_u]Seren[/name_u] (SEH-ren)
I also tend to prefer the Welsh spellings and pronunciation of other names [name_m]Rhisiart[/name_m] (RHISH-art; [name_m]Richard[/name_m]), Dafidd (DAV-ith; Daivd), Cennydd ([name_m]KEN[/name_m]-ith; [name_m]Kenneth[/name_m]), [name_f]Sara[/name_f] (SAR-ah; [name_f]Sarah[/name_f]), [name_f]Alys[/name_f] ([name_m]AH[/name_m]-lis; [name_f]Alice[/name_f]), Fioled (vee-[name_m]OL[/name_m]-ed; [name_f]Violet[/name_f]).
[name_m]Man[/name_m], I really could just go on and on…
Ooh, I love your enthusiasm…it’s adorable. Thank you for all the info, I only just recently found out I’m Welsh, so I’m still getting the hang of this rather confusing language. As for all those gorgeous names, can you tell me what they mean? Any namesakes or places? I would very much appreciate it. Also, if I were to change my name, what would you suggest(boy or girl)? [name_m]Just[/name_m] any one of your preferences-with pronunciation and meaning, please.
[name_m]Emrys[/name_m] ([name_f]EM[/name_f]-ris) - the Welsh form of [name_m]Ambrose[/name_m], meaning “Immortal” (this was [name_m]Merlin[/name_m]'s second Welsh name)
[name_m]Llywelyn[/name_m] (hloo-[name_f]EL[/name_f]-in) - is a compound name coming from evolving Lugubelinos, a compound of two Old British names for the Celtic gods Lugus and Belenus (the Celtic sun God). Due to the popular alternate spelling ([name_m]Llewellyn[/name_m]) some people think it means “lion” as llew is the welsh word for lion. It became popular after [name_m]Llywelyn[/name_m] the Great’s rule (who had four lions on his coat of arms, a compounding of the “lion” meaning belief. If anything the name could have come to mean “leader” or “lion-like leader” after [name_m]Llywelyn[/name_m] the Great.
Rhydwyn (HRID-win) - means “white ford” Rhyd means ford and wyn from [name_u]Gwyn[/name_u] which means white.
Elystan (el-ISS-tan) - is a Welsh form of the Old English name Æthelstan who was [name_m]King[/name_m] of the Anglo-Saxons (924-927) and [name_m]King[/name_m] of the English (927-939)
Meredudd (meh-[name_u]RED[/name_u]-ith) (or Mareddyd) - means “great lord”. iudd means lord and the first part (mere) is not 100% clear but is most often translated as great or splendid.
Myrddin (MIR-thin) - possibly means “sea fort/fortress” or “sea hill” and is the Welsh form of [name_m]Merlin[/name_m] (Anglicised). Môr is Welsh for sea (where as mor is a superlative almost like ‘more’) and din means “hill fort”, it is most likely derived from these two elements.
Aurddolen (air-THO-len) - means “gold ring/link” Aur is gold and dolen means “ring; link; loop”
Arianrhod (ari-YAHN-hrod) - means “silver wheel” arian means silver and rhod means wheel. She was a Welsh [name_f]Goddess[/name_f] of the moon, time, reincarnation and beauty.
Eirianwen (eer-i-YAHN-wen) - means “bright and blessed/ beautiful” eirian means “bright; beautiful” and wen is from [name_f]Gwen/name_f which means “white; blessed”
Hedydd (HAYD-ith) - the Welsh word for “lark” (“skylark”)
Ifanwy (ee-[name_m]VON[/name_m]-wee) - possibly means dear from annwyl. Ifanc is young in Welsh, but I don’t think that has any real relation to this name (may also possibly be a feminine form of [name_m]Ifan[/name_m], which is a Welsh form of [name_m]John[/name_m])
[name_u]Seren[/name_u] (SEH-ren) - Welsh word for star
Welsh seems confusing on the surface, but it is almost a completely phonetic language and once you learn the rules, it’s not so hard. You just have to get used to all the new sounds and how they are represented.
I’ll gather a couple more for you if you’d like. Throw in some place names that would make nice given names.
As for changing you name, haha, that is a big task. Of the names listed above I think my favourite meaning combination is Eirianwen [name_u]Seren[/name_u] (beautiful, bright star) but I’m not a fan of the assonance in the final syllable (the -en endings) (even though it’s not the primary stress). So would possibly go with Eirianwen or Aurddolen Hedydd. As for boys, I’d probably go with [name_m]Emrys[/name_m] Rhydwyn. If you tell me your name, I could try and come up with something similarish?
[name_m]Ah[/name_m], thank you. All these names are simply lovely-Welsh is a truly gorgeous language that deserves more attention.
Also, Welsh seems to have similarities to Japanese, if that has any relevance.
As of right now, my name is [name_f]Amaya[/name_f] [name_f]Moon[/name_f]-[name_u]Rae[/name_u] [name_m]Payne[/name_m]-which is nice, but I loathe due to bad connections with my father’s side of the family. I will have two middle names, one of them [name_f]Lucille[/name_f], after my dear great-grandmother. I was originally going to keep [name_f]Amaya[/name_f] as one of my middle names, so it’d be okay for my relatives to call me that. However, I dislike very much-it was ruined by both a celebrity and a very nasty girl I know. [name_f]My[/name_f] surname is the main problem, since nearly any name I say with it sounds horrible. If paired cleverly, though, I bet it would sound badass as hell. I don’t really care for flow with middle names, since I’m not going to introduce myself with my full name, am I?
Many thanks, dear!
[name_u]Morgan[/name_u] and [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] are my favourite Welsh names, and both have family connections for me.
[name_f]My[/name_f] brother is [name_u]Morgan[/name_u], and my nephew also has [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] as a middle name. I’ve always thought it was really cute 
[name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] was the name of my partners grandmother, it’s a lovely name and we both like the nn [name_f]Gwen[/name_f].
I think the -wen names work with [name_m]Payne[/name_m]. In fact a lot of them work well, I know that the whole pain thing makes literal names seem silly, the beauty about Welsh is it has such a different sound, that the combination of sounds seem to work better.
Arianrhod would be a pretty good connection to moon, as it means silver wheel and she was a goddess of the moon.
Some more female names:
[name_f]Nerys[/name_f] (NER-iss) - “lady”
[name_f]Carys[/name_f] (KA-riss) [and the Welsh variant [name_f]Cerys[/name_f] (CARE-is)] - “love”
Hafren (HAV-ren) - The Welsh name for the [name_u]River[/name_u] Severn (Afon Hafren) which is the longest river in the UK
Hafwen (HAV-wen) - “Fair summer”
Morwen/ [name_f]Morwenna[/name_f] (MORE-wen/ more-WEN-ah) - This is also a common name in Cornwall. It either comes from morwyn meaning maiden or from môr meaning “sea” and [name_f]Gwen[/name_f] meaning “white” (so either “maiden” or “white sea”)
Carwen (KAR-wen) - “Blessed love”
[name_f]Ffion[/name_f] ([name_u]FEE[/name_u]-on) - “Fair; white” Welsh form of [name_f]Fiona[/name_f]
Eiddwen (EETH-wen or AYTH-wen) - “Pure fondness”
[name_u]Tegan[/name_u] (TEG-an) - “pretty; beautiful”-- the name of an early saint
Crisiant (KREES-yahnt) - [name_f]Crystal[/name_f]
Dyfi ([name_f]DEE[/name_f]-ve) - A river in [name_m]Wales[/name_m], as well a a forest.
[name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f] (ker-ID-wen) - “fair poetry”
[name_f]Rhonwen[/name_f] (HRON-wen) - “slender and fair”
Awsta (OW-stah) - “Majestic; revered” Welsh for of [name_f]Augusta[/name_f]
[name_f]Eluned[/name_f] (el-IN-ed) - “a waterfall”
[name_f]Tanwen[/name_f] ([name_m]TAN[/name_m]-wen) - “white; blessed; holy fire”
[name_f]Iola[/name_f] (EEOLAH) - Valued by the lord
[name_f]Bronwen[/name_f] ([name_m]BRON[/name_m]-wen) - fair breasted (note, never [name_f]Bronwyn[/name_f] for girls, the -wyn ending is strictly masculine in Welsh)
[name_f]Megan[/name_f] ([name_f]MEG[/name_f]-an) - a pearl
[name_f]Lowri[/name_f] - (LO-ree) - Welsh form of [name_f]Laura[/name_f]
[name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] (gwen-DOH-len) - White ring
Gwendydd ([name_f]GWEN[/name_f]-deeth) - [name_f]Morning[/name_f] star; [name_f]Venus[/name_f]; beauty
[name_f]Gwyneth[/name_f] - ([name_u]GWIN[/name_u]-eth) - place name
[name_f]Rhiannon[/name_f] (hree-AN-on) - pure maiden, a Welsh moon [name_f]Goddess[/name_f]. Also [name_f]Rhiain[/name_f] (HREE-an) “Maiden”, Rhianwen (hree-AN-wen) “blessed maiden”, Rhianydd (hree-AN-ith) “maiden”, Rhiangar (hree-AN-gar) Maiden + car “love”
Seirian (see-RHI-an/ say-RHI-an) - sparkling
Ithela (ee-THEL-a) - generous lord/lady from udd (prn EETH) “lord” and hael “generous”
Heledd - (HEL-leth) - Semi-mythical princess
Lilwen - ([name_f]LIL[/name_f]-wen) - White lily
Rhoslyn (HROS-lin) - rhos “moor; roses” and glyn “valley”
Teleri (tel-EH-re) - a river in [name_m]Wales[/name_m]
Ynyra (ih-NEE-ra) - “honour” Feminine of Ynyr (or Inyr). Welsh cognate of [name_f]Honora[/name_f]; form of Latin [name_m]Honorius[/name_m].
Some town names that could work as a given name:
Caerffili (KARE-filly) - a town outside of Cardiff.
Afonwen ([name_m]AVON[/name_m]-wen) - a town in Flintshire, [name_m]Wales[/name_m]
Caerwys (KEYER-wees) - a larger town in Flintshire. (KEYER rhymes with tyre, remembering that r’s are trilled in Welsh.)
[name_m]Ah[/name_m], thank you love. [name_f]My[/name_f] favorite are [name_f]Ffion[/name_f], Rhoslyn, Ithela, Seirian, Dyfi, Carwen, Hafren, [name_f]Nerys[/name_f], and Caerwys. They actually sound good with [name_m]Payne[/name_m], a huge improvement. I really appreciate it. Sorry if I sound selfish, but can you post some male names, as well? [name_f]My[/name_f] mother works at a hospital, so I like to go to the help people around, and there are lots of pregnant woman who can’t decide on a name for the baby. Plus, I’m a writer. Thank you, again!
[name_f]My[/name_f] favorite are:
[name_f]Arwen[/name_f]
[name_u]Gwyn[/name_u]
[name_f]Olwen[/name_f]
[name_u]Seren[/name_u]
[name_m]Llewellyn[/name_m]
[name_f]My[/name_f] favourites are:
[name_f]Eira[/name_f]
[name_f]Gwyneira[/name_f]
[name_f]Enid[/name_f]
[name_f]Eluned[/name_f] ([name_f]El[/name_f]-een-ed)
[name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f]
[name_f]Morgana[/name_f]
[name_f]Ffion[/name_f]
Enfys (En-vis)
[name_f]Rowena[/name_f]
[name_f]Morwenna[/name_f]
Eirawen
[name_f]Isolde[/name_f]
[name_f]Bronwyn[/name_f] ([name_u]Love[/name_u] this)
[name_u]Morgan[/name_u]
[name_m]Emrys[/name_m]
[name_m]Llewellyn[/name_m]
Sorry, I don’t have many boys names.
[name_f]My[/name_f] name is [name_f]Glenys[/name_f]! Thank you! I am in [name_f]Canada[/name_f] and having a Welsh name is a bit tough at times. I do appreciate my name now that I am older and I do love some other Welsh names.
[name_f]My[/name_f] fave Welsh names for girls are:
[name_u]Seren[/name_u]
Morwen
[name_f]Arwen[/name_f]
[name_f]Rhiannon[/name_f]
[name_u]Tegan[/name_u]
[name_f]Brynn[/name_f] (except it is used for boy’s in [name_m]Wales[/name_m] and I know a guy named [name_u]Bryn[/name_u])
[name_f]Celyn[/name_f]
[name_f]Carys[/name_f]
[name_f]Nerys[/name_f]
[name_f]Betrys[/name_f] (form of [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f])
[name_f]Briallen[/name_f] (never quite sure if I am pronouncing it properly)
Boys:
[name_m]Gavin[/name_m]
[name_m]Gethin[/name_m]
[name_m]Macsen[/name_m]
Renfrew
[name_u]Tristan[/name_u]
[name_m]Vaughn[/name_m]
[name_f]My[/name_f] name is [name_f]Bethan[/name_f] and I’m Welsh, I can also speak welsh fluently so I’ll write the pronunciation as best as I can! There have been so many names mentioned so I do apologise if you’ve seen these ones before!
Boys
Arwel (Ahhr-well)
[name_m]Owain[/name_m] (Oh-wine)
Rhydian (Hrid-ee-an)
Efan (Ev-an)
Carwyn (kar-win)
[name_m]Geraint[/name_m] (gehr-eye-nt)
Emyr (em-ir)
[name_m]Iestyn[/name_m] (yes-tin)
[name_m]Macsen[/name_m] (max-en)
Aled (al-ed)
Iowan (yo-an)
Girls
[name_f]Mared[/name_f] (mah-red)
[name_f]Cerys[/name_f] (ker-iss)
[name_u]Rhian[/name_u] (hree-an)
[name_f]Bronwen[/name_f] (bron-when)
Cariad (karr-yad)
[name_f]Elowen[/name_f] (el-oh-wen)
Gwenllian (gwen-hllee-an)
[name_f]Anwen[/name_f] (an-wen)
Enfys (en-viss)
[name_f]Betsan[/name_f] (bet-san)
Alaw (al-ahw)
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps
Welsh names are nice. I have no Welsh heritage whatsoever though so I don’t really feel a connection to them. But I do like [name_f]Carys[/name_f], [name_f]Efa[/name_f], [name_f]Cerys[/name_f] & [name_f]Eira[/name_f] for girls and Aled, [name_u]Cai[/name_u], [name_m]Macsen[/name_m], [name_u]Bryn[/name_u] & [name_m]Geraint[/name_m] for boys.
Cornish I’m afraid 
The only name on my list that I know is definitely Welsh:
[name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f].
<3
I love [name_f]Anwen[/name_f], [name_f]Arianwen[/name_f], [name_f]Arwen[/name_f], [name_f]Cambria[/name_f] (not a Welsh name exactly, but is another name for ‘[name_m]Wales[/name_m]’), [name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f], Eirlys, Eirwen, Eirys, [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f], [name_f]Nerys[/name_f], [name_u]Seren[/name_u], [name_f]Winifred[/name_f].
And [name_m]Caradoc[/name_m] and [name_m]Idris[/name_m] for the boys.
Fascinating! Many thanks for the pronunciation guides.
[name_f]My[/name_f] favourites are
[name_f]Ceridwen[/name_f]
[name_f]Arianwen[/name_f]
[name_f]Rhiannon[/name_f]
Eirys
[name_f]Ffion[/name_f]
[name_u]Seren[/name_u]
[name_f]Cerys[/name_f]
[name_f]Cadi[/name_f]
[name_f]Delyth[/name_f]
[name_f]Gwen[/name_f]