We all know that Welsh names are some of the most beautiful in the world, with origins that go back centuries. Traditional Welsh names often have meanings related to nature, mythology, or historical figures, carrying meanings, stories, and traditions that connect individuals to their heritage and identity, making them an essential part of Welsh cultural identity.
They are not only a form of identification but also a way to celebrate heritage and language and traditional Welsh names are still popular. There is a growing trend of parents choosing names to preserve the language and culture.
Loads of people have been sharing which Welsh names they think are the most stunning. Some are less usual (and all the more enchanting) while some are more familiar (though not everyone will know they originate from Wales). For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter.
READ MORE: 19 extraordinary places across the world with unmistakably Welsh names and how they got them
There are so many to talk about, but here are just a few which people have been telling WalesOnline they are loving, and what their origins are according to behindthename.com and other sources.
Arianwen
Derived from Welsh arian “silver” and gwen “white, blessed”. This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh saint, one of the supposed daughters of Brycheiniog.
Awen
Derived from Welsh and Breton awen “muse; (poetic) inspiration; poetic gift”. This angelic name is thought to have been in use since the 19th century.
Bronwen
Thought to be derived from Welsh bron “breast” and gewn “white, blessed”, though it has sometimes occurred as a variant spelling of the name Branwen. It has been used as a given name in Wales since the 19th century and was also given to the name of a character in Richard Llewellyn’s 1939 novel How Green Was My Valley, as well as the 1941 movie adaptation.
Eira
It means snow and while this name appears as a male name in Welsh mythology, it is mostly used for girls now.
Elin
This is the Scandinavian and Welsh form of Helen. It’s thought to mean “torch” or “corposant”, or possibly related to σελήνη (selene) meaning “moon”. In Greek mythology, Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, whose kidnapping by Paris was the cause of the Trojan War.
Emlyn
This is from the name of an ancient region of Wales, the name meaning “around the valley” from Welsh am “around” and glyn “valley”. It has also been suggested that this name could be a Welsh form of Latin Aemilianus.
Gwen
From Welsh gwen, this is the feminine form of gwyn, meaning “white, blessed”. It can also be a short form of Gwendolen, Gwenllian and other names beginning with Gwen.
Gwyneira
This means “white snow” from the Welsh element gwyn meaning “white, blessed” combined with eira meaning “snow”.
Morwen
This is derived from Old Cornish moroin,. meaning “maiden, girl” which is related to the Welsh word morwyn, and was the name of a 6th-century Cornish saint thought to be one of the daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog.
Osian
Welsh masculine given name, derived from the Irish legendary poet and warrior Oisín. The name is derived from the Irish for little deer.
Rhiannon
Thought to be from an unattested Celtic name- Rīgantonā, meaning “great queen” (Celtic *rīganī “queen” and the divine or augmentative suffix -on). It is speculated that Rigantona was an old Celtic goddess associated with fertility and horses like the Gaulish Epona.
Seren
Means “star” in Welsh. This is a recently created Welsh name. Seren only recently fell out of the girls’ top 10 in Wales, and ranks just below the top 100 in England and Wales combined.
Taliesin
Means “shining brow”, derived from Welsh tal- brow, and iesin – shining, radiant. This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century Welsh poet and bard, supposedly the author of the collection of poems the Book of Taliesin.
Tirion
Means “gentle; happy” in Welsh. While this name appears as a male name in Welsh mythology, it is mostly used for girls now, with the occasional masculine use.