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Welsh Baby Names: The New Trend

Written by Monica Beyer

If you have some Welsh ancestry in your family tree, hail from Wales yourself or just love different and unique names, you may be considering a Welsh name for your new baby. Find out the history behind these beautiful names and ideas on finding the perfect Welsh baby name.

The gorgeous Welsh language, history and culture has given the world a bevy of beautiful names. Welsh names are not overwhelmingly popular or too trendy, so if you are concerned about the name you choose being too popular, you probably won't have to worry about your child being one of 3 or 4 other children in her class with the same name.

Many Welsh names incorporate the Welsh word gwen or gwyn in them. It is a lovely word that means white, fair and blessed. It is a fitting and suitable comoponent in a child's name.

One thing to keep in mind about Welsh names is that the pronounciation can be a little less obvious for speakers of other languages. Welsh is not related to or derived from English, even though Wales is a part of the United Kingdom. Welsh is a Celtic language, as is Irish Gaelic and Scots Gaelic -- although they do come from different language families. So, for your consideration (and your future child's) I have chosen names that are easy to pronounce -- once you know how! The following names include a pronunciation guide within brackets [ ], with the capitalized syllable being stressed.

Welsh Girl Names

Arwen [AR wen]: Again using the gwen component, this name can be recognized from the beautiful Elven character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

Branwen [BRAN wen]: This name contains the components brân which means "raven" and gwen. This is a name from Welsh mythology as she is the goddess of love and beauty.

Meinwen [MINE wen]: Compound name derived from the Welsh main (which means slender), and gwen.

Carys [KARE iss]: This name comes from the Welsh word for "love."

Dilys [DIL iss]: This name comes from the Welsh word meaning "genuine, steadfast and true."

Gwyneth [GWEN eth]: This beautiful name is the feminine form of the Welsh name Gwynedd, which in turn is derived from gwyn and is also the name of a largely Welsh-speaking portion of northern Wales. This name was made popular by the actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

Luned [LOO ned]: Derived from the Welsh word llun, which means "shape or form."

Meleri [MEL eh ree]: This is the name of one of the many daughters of Saint Brychan, who was a 5th century king of South Wales.

Rhiannon [rhee AN nun]: Ancient Celtic name which may be derived from the Old Celtic word for "great queen" (Rīgantonā). It is also the name of a Welsh horse goddess as well as that of a Fleetwood Mac song.

Sioned [SHAN ed]: This is the Welsh form of Janet, which in turn is a diminutive form of Jane, which means "God is gracious."

Want more baby name ideas? Click here for more Welsh baby girl name ideas.

Welsh Boy Names

Andras [AN dras]: Andras is the Welsh form of Andrew, which means "manly."

Bran [BRAN]: This name is derived from brân, which means "raven." In Welsh mythology, Bran was the brother of Branwen (Welsh goddess of love and beauty). Great name for a dark-haired baby boy.

Brychan [BRY chan]: This name comes from the Welsh word that means "speckled."

Emrys [EM riss]: This is the Welsh form of Ambrose, which is derived from the Greek ambrosios, which in turn means "immortal."

Meilyr [MI ler]: This name is derived from the Old Celtic name Maglorix, which means "chief ruler."

Mostyn [MOSS tin]: This name is actually the name of a small village in North Wales that was once a port.

Owain [O wen]: If you choose this name, your baby will share his name with Owain Glyndŵr, who was the last native Welsh person to hold the title, "Prince of Wales."

Rhys [REES]: This name comes from the element rhys which means "ardor." Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers has made this name recognizable.

Rhodri [ROD ree]: This name is a compound name that comes from the Old Welsh word rhod ("wheel") and rhi ("ruler or king").

Taliesin [TAL eh sin]: This is the name of a 6th century Welsh poet.

Click here for more Welsh baby boy name ideas.