Welsh boy names come with their own alphabet rules, and that is the whole challenge: ll, dd, w and y refuse to behave the way English trains you to expect.
Below are 103 of them, each with its meaning, a plain-English pronunciation and the history sitting behind it, from the kings of Gwynedd to the saints who named half the map. Many still carry the ap of the old patronymic system, where Evan ap Thomas meant Evan, son of Thomas, and where surnames like Powell, Price and Pugh began.
Plenty are everyday choices in Wales right now. Osian, Harri, Macsen and Jac all sit inside the country’s top 100, so a Welsh name for your son need not be a museum piece to be a real one.
103 Most Popular Welsh Names for Boys
Choose the perfect Welsh boy’s name to honor the past and present.
Aberthol
Aberthol sits at the far edge of the Welsh name pool, drawn from the vocabulary word aberth rather than from a line of kings or saints. That makes it a genuine rarity, and it also means nobody arrives with a preset idea of what an Aberthol should be like. The three syllables settle into a steady ah-BER-thol once you stop expecting the th to be silent. Abe waits underneath as a ready short form for a school register.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Sacrifice
- Pronunciation: ah-BER-thol
Adain
Adain is the Welsh word for a wing, and it carries that lightness straight into the name. It ends on the same -ain sound as Cain and Owain, so it sits comfortably beside the older names here without borrowing their weight. Wales has no long line of famous Adains, which is exactly the appeal for parents who want something Welsh and unclaimed.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Wing
- Pronunciation: AH-dine
- Variations: Adean
- Namesakes: Adain Bradley, an American soap opera and television star.
Aeron
Aeron has two threads behind it and both are Welsh. It takes its name from the River Aeron in Ceredigion, which may trace back to Agrona, a reconstructed Celtic goddess of battle, and it also matches the Welsh word aeron, meaning berries. So parents get a choice of stories: a river and a war goddess, or a hedgerow in late summer. It reads as unisex in Wales and is often given to a first son. The near-identical Aaron gives it instant familiarity outside Wales, which smooths every introduction.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Berry
- Pronunciation: AY-ron
- Variations: Aaron
- Namesakes: Aeron Clement, a science-fiction author.
Afan
Afan teaches you a Welsh spelling rule the first time you say it out loud. A single f in Welsh carries the sound of an English v, so this is AH-van rather than AH-fan. The name belongs to Saint Afan of Builth, who founded the parish of Llanafan in Ceredigion and is still remembered across Wales, and it also belongs to the River Afan and the valley it cuts through in the south. Rare enough to feel like a find, it gives you a saint’s name without the crowd that follows Patrick or Michael.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Raspberry
- Pronunciation: AH-van
- Namesakes: Saint Afan of Builth, the Welsh founder of Llanafan parish in Ceredigion.
Aidan
Aidan arrived in Wales from Irish, and Welsh keeps its own cousin of it in Aeddan. The two spellings have been trading places for centuries, which is why Aidan turns up on Welsh lists as readily as Irish ones. It reads warm rather than fierce despite the fire sitting in its meaning, and it manages to sound traditional and current at the same time. Aiden, the phonetic respelling, dominates in the United States, so the -dan ending is what marks this out as the older form.
- Origin: Irish, used in Wales
- Meaning: Little fiery one
- Pronunciation: AY-den
- Variations: Aeddan, Aiden
- Namesakes: Aidan Gillen, an Irish actor from Peaky Blinders. Aidan Chambers, a British children, and YA author. Aidan McGeady, a Scottish soccer player.
Alan
Alan travelled into Wales with the Normans and settled so thoroughly that its Welsh form, Alun, now names two Welsh rivers as well as a long list of Welsh men. Every namesake here is an Alun rather than an Alan: the composer Alun Hoddinott, the journalist Alun Anderson, the politician Alun Pugh. Choosing between the two spellings is really choosing how Welsh you want the name to look on paper, since they sound close either way. Alan is the version that needs no explaining outside Wales.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Strong
- Pronunciation: AL-an
- Variations: Alun
- Namesakes: Alun Anderson, a Welsh journalist. Alun Hoddinott, a Welsh classical music composer. Alun Pugh, a Welsh politician.
Aled
Aled takes its name from a river in Denbighshire, and like a lot of Welsh river names its older meaning has simply been lost. What it does have is a living face. Aled Jones recorded Walking in the Air as a boy treble and went on to a long broadcasting career, and he is the reason most people outside Wales know the name at all. It is short, easy for English speakers at AH-led, and has never been common enough to feel worn out. Welsh families often pick it precisely because it is unmistakably Welsh without being hard work.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: From the River Aled
- Pronunciation: AH-led
- Namesakes: Aled Jones, a Welsh singer and entertainment host. Aled Pugh, a Welsh actor. Aled Brew, a Welsh rugby player.
Alwyn
Alwyn comes from the River Alwen in north Wales, though plenty of families read it instead as a compound ending in -wyn, from gwyn, meaning white or blessed, which closes so many Welsh names. Both stories circulate and neither can be proved. It worked as a surname before it became a first name, which is why it still carries a faintly formal air: Alwyn Rice Jones was Archbishop of Wales, and Alwyn Young teaches economics at the London School of Economics. Say it AL-win and it loses none of that dignity while staying easy on a toddler.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: From the River Alwen
- Pronunciation: AL-win
- Variations: Alwen
- Namesakes: Professor Alwyn Young, from the London School of Economics. Alwyn Schlebusch, a South African Politician. Alwyn Rice Jones, the Archbishop of Wales.
Amlawdd
Amlawdd reaches about as deep into old Welsh tradition as this list goes. Amlawdd Wledig turns up in the medieval tales as the father of Goleuddydd, which makes him a grandfather figure in the Culhwch story rather than a warrior in his own right. The spelling looks forbidding until you learn that Welsh dd is simply the th of these, so the name lands as AM-lawth. It commands attention on a page and it will need explaining every single time. Some parents will find that a fair trade for a name with a thousand years behind it.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Legendary father of Goleuddydd
- Pronunciation: AM-lawth
- Variations: Amlodd
- Namesakes: Amlawdd Wledig, a legendary Welsh King.
Andreas
Andreas is the Greek and Latin form of Andrew, and Welsh borrowed it whole rather than reshaping it the way it reshaped John into Ieuan. The result works across half of Europe, from Wales to Germany to Norway, without a change of spelling. Four syllables give it a formality that the clipped Andrew lacks, while Andy and Dre sit underneath for everyday use. Parents who want a Welsh entry that will not be mangled abroad usually land here.
- Origin: Greek, used in Wales
- Meaning: Courageous
- Pronunciation: an-DREY-ahs
- Variations: Ander, Andres
- Namesakes: Andreas Whittam Smith, a British journalist, and publisher
Aneirin
Aneirin belongs to the oldest layer of Welsh poetry, and its origin is probably not Welsh at all. Name historians trace it to the Latin Honorius, which is where the honourable reading comes from. Aneurin is the modern respelling and the form you will more often see in Wales today. Both feed the same short nickname, Nye, which does a lot of work: it keeps a three-syllable literary name usable at a playgroup. For a family that wants the Welsh bardic tradition in a name, this is the deepest cut on the list.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Honorable
- Pronunciation: a-NEER-en
- Variations: Aneurin, Neirin
- Namesakes: Aneirin, a Medieval Brythonic war poet. Aneirin Talfan Davies, a Welsh poet, broadcaster, and literary critic.
Arawn
Arawn rules the Otherworld in Welsh legend, and an old proverb keeps his name alive: Hir yw’r dydd a hir yw’r nos, a hir yw aros Arawn, meaning long is the day and long is the night, and long is the waiting for Arawn. It is a heavy inheritance for a small boy and it is also unforgettable. Say it a-RAWN, with the second syllable rhyming with dawn. Parents drawn to Welsh mythology rather than Welsh geography usually stop here first.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: King of the Otherworld
- Pronunciation: a-RAWN
- Namesakes: Arawn, the king of the Otherworld in Welsh legend.
Arthur
Arthur is the one Welsh-linked name on this list that needs no introduction anywhere in the world. One long-standing theory derives it from the Celtic artos, meaning bear, which is where the strength reading comes from. Another ties it to the Roman family name Artorius, and nobody has settled the argument. What is settled is the pull of the legend, and Welsh place names still argue over where Arthur fought and where he sleeps. Few legendary names wear both a nursery and a boardroom this easily.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: The strength of a bear
- Pronunciation: AR-thur
- Variations: Arthyr, Arturo, Arty
- Namesakes: Arthur James Balfour, the first Earl of Balfour.
Arwel
Arwel is an Old Welsh name whose meaning has genuinely been lost. The prominent gloss you will find on some lists is a guess rather than a record. That has not held it back in Wales, where it belongs to the rugby fly-half Arwel Thomas and the production designer Arwel Wyn Jones. Two clean syllables, AR-wel, and no pronunciation trap for English speakers. For parents who want Welsh heritage without mythology attached, this is a good pick.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Uncertain
- Pronunciation: AR-wel
- Variations: Arnall
- Namesakes: Arwel Richards, a Welsh journalist. Arwel Thomas, a Welsh rugby star. Arwel Wyn Jones, a Welsh television production designer.
Awstin
Awstin is the Welsh spelling of Austin, which is itself a worn-down Augustine. The w does real work here, because in Welsh it is a vowel sounding like the oo in pool, so the name runs closer to OW-stin than to the English version. Welsh families sometimes choose it for the church of Sant Awstin in Penarth, and it suits a summer baby given the August connection sitting behind it. Very few Welsh spellings let an English speaker make this good a guess.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: August
- Pronunciation: OW-stin
- Variations: Austin
Baglan
Baglan comes from a saint and a place at once: Saint Baglan founded a church in the 6th century, and the village that grew around it near Port Talbot still carries his name, as does Baglan Bay. That makes it a strong choice for families with roots along that stretch of coast and a slightly puzzling one for anyone without them. It has the feel of a surname pressed into first-name service, which is very much a current habit.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Saint Baglan
- Pronunciation: BAG-lan
- Namesakes: Saint Baglan, a Welsh saint.
Barri
Barri is the Welsh spelling of Barry, and in Wales it reads first as a place: the seaside town of Barri in the Vale of Glamorgan, with its island, its pleasure beach and, more recently, its television fame. The double r and the i ending are what set the Welsh version apart on paper. The spear meaning gives it more edge than the friendly sound suggests. Having peaked with an earlier generation of British men, it has reached exactly the point where a name starts becoming interesting again.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Spear
- Pronunciation: BAR-ee
- Variations: Barea, Baree, Barey,Barry
Bedo
Bedo is a medieval Welsh pet form, and its meaning follows the longer name it shortens, Maredudd. Three Welsh poets called Bedo are on record, Bedo Aeddren, Bedo Brwynllys and Bedo Phylip Bach, which is an unusually literary set of namesakes for a two-syllable name. It has the rhythm of a nickname, so it wears well on a small child and stays informal on an adult. The surname Beddow and its many spellings come from the same root.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Great lord, sea lord
- Pronunciation: BEH-doh
- Variations: Beddow, Beddoe, Bedoe, Bedow, Bedows, Bedlow
- Namesakes: Bedo Aeddren, Bedo Brwynllys, Bedo Phylip Bacha, all Welsh poets.
Bedwyr
Bedwyr is the Welsh original behind the Arthurian knight Bedivere, the companion given the job of returning Excalibur to the lake. Welsh tradition puts him at Arthur’s side from the beginning, which makes the name a quieter alternative to Arthur itself. The w is a vowel here, so it runs BED-wir rather than BED-ur. Modern bearers include the artist Bedwyr Williams and the scholar Bedwyr Lewis Jones. Like most of the good ones here, it looks harder than it sounds.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Welsh form of Bedivere
- Pronunciation: BED-wir
- Variations: Bedver
- Namesakes: Bedwyr Williams, a Welsh stand-up comedian, and artist. Bedwyr Lewis Jones, a Welsh scholar, literary critic, and linguist.
Berwyn
Berwyn means white top, from the Welsh barr, meaning top or head, and gwyn, meaning white or blessed. It is also a range of hills in north east Wales, so the name works as landform as much as description. The white hair reading found on some lists comes from stretching those same two elements a different way. Berwyn Price hurdled for Wales and Berwyn Jones played rugby in both codes, so it carries a solid sporting record alongside the scenery. Say it BER-win.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: White top
- Pronunciation: BER-win
- Variations: Berwynn, Berwynne, Berwin
- Namesakes: Berwyn Jones, a Welsh rugby union and rugby league player. Berwyn Price, a Welsh professional hurdler.
Bevan
Bevan is a patronymic surname that turned into a first name. It comes from ab Evan, meaning son of Evan, with the ab worn down onto the front of the word, exactly the way Powell came from ap Hywel and Price from ap Rhys. That makes it a neat way to carry a father’s or grandfather’s name forward without repeating it outright. It reads confidently in English, needs no spelling out, and still says Wales to anyone who knows the pattern.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Son of Evan
- Pronunciation: BEV-an
- Variations: Beavan, Bevon
- Namesakes: C.W.L. Bevan, a Welsh chemist and academic.
Beynon
Beynon follows the same rule as Bevan: it began as ab Einion, son of Einion, and the ab collapsed into a b at the front of the name. Einion is an old Welsh name in its own right, so Beynon quietly carries two generations at once, and it has been worn by the physicist Granville Beynon and the rugby international Ben Beynon. As a first name it is still unusual enough to turn a head on a class list.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Reliable
- Pronunciation: BAY-non
- Variations: Bienon
- Namesakes: Ben Beynon, a Welsh international rugby player. Granville Beynon, a Welsh physicist.
Bleddyn
Bleddyn is built from blaidd, the Welsh for wolf, plus a diminutive ending, so the literal sense is closer to little wolf than to the wolf hero gloss it usually gets. That suits an actual baby rather better. An 11th century Welsh king carried the name, which is where its royal association comes from. Bleddyn Williams captained Wales at rugby in the 1950s and gave it a 20th century face alongside the medieval one. The dd is simply the th of these, so say it BLETH-in and the spelling stops looking difficult. Short, strong, and almost entirely unknown outside Wales.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Little wolf
- Pronunciation: BLETH-in
- Namesakes: King Bleddyn, an 11th-century Medieval Welsh royal.
Bobi
Bobi is the Welsh spelling of Bobby, which began as a pet form of Robert and its Welsh cousin Robat. The bright fame meaning belongs to that older name, and Bobi simply carries it more lightly. Two beats, BOB-ee, no spelling trouble in either language, and a built-in warmth that makes it easy to call across a garden.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Bright fame
- Pronunciation: BOB-ee
- Variations: Bobby, Bobee, Bobey
- Namesakes: Bobi Jones, a Welsh singer. Bobi Jac, a Welsh television host.
Brân
Brân means raven or crow, and the circumflex marks a long vowel, so it is BRAHN rather than the short English bran. Bran the Blessed is one of the giants of Welsh legend and the reason the name carries such weight. Fantasy writers have borrowed it heavily since, which cuts both ways: instant recognition for some readers, an unwanted association for others. Blunt and genuinely old, it pairs well with a longer Welsh middle name.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Raven, crow
- Pronunciation: BRAHN
- Namesakes: Bran The Blessed, spoken about through Welsh legends and folklore for his formidable strength.
Bryce
Bryce is one of the anglicised entries here, and it has been read as Welsh for long enough that the label has stuck. Its appeal is simple: one syllable, no spelling questions in English, and a hard c sound that keeps it from turning soft. Bryn and Bryson sit close by if you like that sound but want a different shape.
- Origin: Welsh, anglicised
- Meaning: Ambitious
- Pronunciation: BRISS
- Namesakes: Bryce Hall, an American YouTube Influencer.
Brychan
Brychan comes from brych, the Welsh for speckled or freckled, with a diminutive ending, so it is affectionately literal: the freckled one. Brychan Brycheiniog founded the kingdom of Brycheiniog in central Wales and is remembered for fathering dozens of children, a great many of whom were later counted as saints. The name of that kingdom survives in modern Brecon, and the national park there now goes by Bannau Brycheiniog. The ch is the sound in Scots loch, so it is BRUKH-an. Few names manage to be this old and this warm at the same time. It is also one of the few here that comes with a map reference you can visit.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Speckled, freckled
- Pronunciation: BRUKH-an
- Namesakes: Brychan Brycheiniog, the legendary founder of the kingdom of Brycheiniog in central Wales.
Bryn
Bryn simply means hill or mound in Welsh, which makes it one of the plainest and most durable names here. It is the same element you hear in Brynmawr, great hill, and in the longer Brynmor. In Wales it reads male, while in the United States it is often heard as a short form of Brynn for girls, so expect the occasional double take. The bass-baritone Bryn Terfel has done more than anyone to fix the male reading abroad. One syllable, no silent letters, and it grows up well.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Hill
- Pronunciation: BRIN
- Variations: Brynmor, Brin, Brinn, Brynn
- Namesakes: Bryn Terfel, a Welsh opera singer. Bryn Williams, a Welsh chef, based in London.
Cadfael
Cadfael comes from Old Welsh Catmail, meaning battle prince, and it belongs to the cad family of names built on the Welsh word for battle. Most readers meet it through Brother Cadfael, the 12th century monk and former crusader who solves murders in the novels of Edith Pargeter, written under the name Ellis Peters, and in the television series that followed. That is an unusual gift for a name: a fictional bearer who is thoughtful rather than martial. Say it KAD-vile, remembering that a Welsh f is an English v. Your son would almost certainly be the only one in his year.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Battle prince
- Pronunciation: KAD-vile
Cadoc
Cadoc is built on cad, the Welsh word for battle that runs through so many of the oldest names here. Saint Cadoc became one of the major saints of south Wales, and churches there still keep a feast day in his name, so the warlike meaning and the monastic life sit oddly together in one word. KAD-ok in English, and Cadog in the Welsh spelling.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Warlike one
- Pronunciation: KAD-ok
- Variations: Cadog
- Namesakes: Saint Cadoc, the patron saint of deafness, glandular disorders, and famine victims.
Cai
Cai is the Welsh form of the Arthurian Sir Kay, the boy Arthur was raised alongside and one of the first knights named in the old Welsh tales. It has a second life as a modern short name, helped along by the Hawaiian and Japanese Kai, which sounds identical and looks simpler to English eyes. Choosing the Welsh spelling is a small act of allegiance. Say it like the word kite without the t. Three letters, one syllable, and a thousand years of story behind it.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: To rejoice
- Pronunciation: KYE
- Variations: Kai
- Namesakes: Cai Brigden, an aspiring actor, known for starring in the film Protectors of the Dawn.
Cain
Cain is the Welsh word for fair or beautiful, the same element that closes Ceinwen. The obvious hurdle is the biblical Cain, spelled identically in English and entirely unrelated in origin. Some Welsh families sidestep it by using Cein or by keeping the name in the middle slot. Said the Welsh way it is closer to KINE than to KAYN. If the association does not trouble you, it is a short, clean and genuinely Welsh choice.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Beautiful, white and blessed
- Pronunciation: KINE
- Variations: Ceinwen, Kaine
- Namesakes: Cain Madden, an All-American titled football player.
Caio
Caio is a village in Carmarthenshire, and the name has come into modern use largely as a place name pressed into first-name service. It also reads as a Welsh cousin of the Latin Gaius, which is where the joyful gloss comes from. Pronounced KY-oh, it is short, vowel-heavy and easy for English speakers, which is rarer among Welsh names than you might expect. Julian Cayo-Evans, who led the Free Wales Army, gave it a distinctly political edge in the 1960s.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Joyful fortune
- Pronunciation: KY-oh
- Variations: Caeo, Cayo
- Namesakes: Julian Cayo-Evans led the ‘Free Wales Army’ in 1960.
Cassian
Cassian is a Roman name that reached Wales through the church rather than through the Welsh language, and it has stayed on Welsh lists ever since. Cassian Andor in the Star Wars films and series has carried a formerly bookish saint’s name into everyday use. Three syllables, KASS-ee-an, with Cass as an easy short form. Parents who want something that sounds old without sounding rural tend to stop here.
- Origin: Latin, used in Wales
- Meaning: Curly hair
- Pronunciation: KASS-ee-an
- Variations: Cassius
- Namesakes: Saint Cassian of Imola. Cassian Elwes, a British film producer.
Cedric
Cedric owes its existence to a novelist. Walter Scott coined it for Ivanhoe, apparently reworking the older Cerdic, and the Welsh Caredig, meaning loving or kind, is the form that gives the name its warm reading here. Little Lord Fauntleroy then fixed it in the Victorian imagination as a boy of impeccable manners, and it has kept that slightly formal charm ever since. The painter Cedric Morris, born in Swansea, is the Welsh bearer worth knowing. Ced is the obvious short form.
- Origin: English, used in Wales
- Meaning: Loving, kind
- Pronunciation: SED-rik
- Variations: Caredig, Cerdic, Cedrych
- Namesakes: Cedric Morris, a Welsh painter. Cedric Belfrage, a British writer.
Cybi
Cybi belongs to Saint Cybi, the 6th century holy man who gave his name to Caergybi, the Welsh name for Holyhead on Anglesey. A town carrying your name in its own is about as concrete as a saint’s legacy gets. He gave up a life of nobility for the church and is remembered as a scholar as much as a preacher. The name is pronounced KUB-ee and has a bounce that most saints’ names lack. Even in Wales it stays rare, so this is a genuine find rather than a revival.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: To bring laughter
- Pronunciation: KUB-ee
- Namesakes: Saint Cybi, a Welsh 6th-century Cornish bishop and saint.
Dafydd
Dafydd is the Welsh form of David, and it sits about as close to the centre of Welsh identity as a name can, given that Dewi Sant, Saint David, is the patron saint of Wales. The double d at the end is the th of these, so the whole thing lands as DAH-vith. Dafydd ap Gwilym is widely held to be the finest poet Wales has produced, and the folk singer and activist Dafydd Iwan gave the language one of its anthems. Dai is the standard short form and a name in its own right in the valleys. Dewi is the other Welsh route back to the same saint, and it comes with a national day on March 1st attached. Few names here carry so much of a country in a single word.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Beloved
- Pronunciation: DAH-vith
- Variations: David, Daithi
- Namesakes: Dafydd Iwan, a Welsh political activist, and folk singer. Dafydd ap Gwilym, a Welsh poet.
Dilwyn
Dilwyn joins dilys, meaning genuine, to gwyn, meaning white or blessed, so the sense is something close to truly blessed. That -wyn ending is the single most recognisable feature of Welsh male names, and this is one of its prettier combinations. Do not confuse it with Dylan, a different name entirely built from the Welsh words for toward and tide. There is also a children’s book, Dilwyn the Welsh Dragon, which hands a small boy an easy way to explain his traditional name to a classroom.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Genuine and blessed
- Pronunciation: DIL-win
- Variations: Dillwyn, Dylan
- Namesakes: Dilwyn John David Lewis, a Welsh fashion designer who later became a Roman Catholic priest.
Elis
Elis is the Welsh form of Elias, itself the Greek form of Elijah, and it has been in Welsh use since the Tudor period through the chronicler Elis Gruffydd. The single l and single s are what mark it out from the English Ellis, which began life as a surname taken from the same root. The comedian Elis James, who performs in both Welsh and English, is its most visible bearer today.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: God’s promise
- Pronunciation: EL-iss
- Variations: Ellis, Ellys, Elys
- Namesakes: Elis James, a Welsh comedian. Elis Gruffydd, a Welsh writer.
Emyr
Emyr means king or lord in Welsh, which is a great deal of authority packed into two short syllables. It has stayed in steady Welsh use without ever crossing into England, so it still sounds specifically Welsh rather than generally British. The novelist Emyr Humphreys, who wrote in both Welsh and English, is the bearer most often cited. Say it EM-ir. Pair it with a longer English middle name and it holds its own.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Ruler
- Pronunciation: EM-ir
- Namesakes: Emyr Humphreys, a Welsh author published in English and Welsh. Emyr Llewelyn, a Welsh political activist. Emyr Huws, a Welsh football player.
Eurion
Eurion is built on aur, the Welsh for gold, the same element behind Eurig and Eurwyn. That puts it in a small set of Welsh names drawn from precious materials rather than from battle, weather or hills. It is pronounced closer to EYE-ree-on than the spelling suggests, because Welsh eu is a diphthong English does not have. The rarity is real, and this is a name you will spell out every time. For families who want gold in a name without reaching for Aurelius, it is the quiet option.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Gold
- Pronunciation: EYE-ree-on
- Variations: Eurig
Floyd
Floyd is what happens when English speakers meet the Welsh ll. The name began as Llwyd, meaning grey, and since English has no equivalent for that sound the surname came out first as Lloyd and then as Floyd. It is the only name here that is essentially a pronunciation accident, which is a story worth having. Grey in this sense means grey-haired and therefore wise, not drab. That mid-century American vintage is exactly what tends to come back around.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Gray
- Pronunciation: FLOYD
- Namesakes: Sally Jean Floyd, a computer scientist. Keith Floyd, a British chef.
Folant
Folant is the Welsh form of Valentine and carries the same Latin root, valens, meaning strong or healthy. The f is an English v, so it is VOL-ant, and that V to F shift is a regular feature of how Welsh writes borrowed names. Dydd Sant Folant is Valentine’s Day in Welsh, which gives the name a fixed date in the calendar and an obvious charm for a February baby. As a given name it is genuinely rare, even in Wales.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Strong, healthy
- Pronunciation: VOL-ant
Gareth
Gareth has resisted every attempt to pin down its meaning. Name historians list it as uncertain, and the gentle gloss is a later guess. What it does have is Sir Gareth, the youngest of Arthur’s knights, who arrives at court disguised as a kitchen boy and earns his place the hard way. Wales added a sturdier layer through the rugby player Gareth Edwards. GAR-eth, stress on the first syllable, and no spelling trouble anywhere. Sounding solid rather than showy is a large part of why it has lasted.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Uncertain
- Pronunciation: GAR-eth
- Variations: Gariff, Garith, Garyf, Garyff
- Namesakes: Sir Gareth, a knight of the round table, and a close friend to King Arthur. Gareth Edwards, a Welsh rugby player.
Gethin
Gethin means dark or swarthy in Welsh, and it began as a nickname for someone with dark hair or a dark complexion before settling in as a first name. The strong lord reading circulating on some lists confuses it with a different name entirely. The g is hard and the th is the one in thin, so it runs GETH-in. Gethin Jenkins propped for Wales for well over a decade, which has kept the name firmly in circulation there. Wales knows it well and almost nobody else does, which is part of the draw.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Dark, swarthy
- Pronunciation: GETH-in
- Variations: Gethen, Gethon, Gethun
- Namesakes: Gethin Jenkins and Gethin Robinson, Welsh Rugby players.
Glyn
Glyn means valley, the same word you meet in Glyndwr, valley water, and in the anglicised Glen. In Wales it works as a first name, a middle name and a surname, and it slots naturally beside Bryn, its hill-shaped counterpart. The outdoors is built in without any of the self-consciousness of a nature name.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Valley
- Pronunciation: GLIN
- Variations: Glen, Glenon
- Namesakes: Glyn Wise, a Welsh reality television star and presenter on the Welsh radio show, Radio Cymru. Glyn Pardoe, a Manchester City soccer player.
Gruffudd
Gruffudd goes back to Old Welsh Grifud, and its first element is generally read as strong. It belonged to a long line of Welsh princes, including Gruffydd ap Rhys, who fought the Normans in the south in the early 12th century, and it survives in English as Griffin and as the surname Griffith. The double d is the th of these, so a Welsh speaker says GRIFF-ith, which surprises English readers every time. Guto is the traditional Welsh pet form and does the work that Griff does in English.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Strong
- Pronunciation: GRIFF-ith
- Variations: Griffith, Griffin, Gruffud, Gruffydd
- Namesakes: Gruffudd Glyn, a Welsh actor.
- Popularity: Spelled Gruffydd, the name was the 82nd most popular boys’ name in Wales in 2023, according to Office for National Statistics figures.
Gwilym
Gwilym is the Welsh form of William, not of Liam, though all three grow from the same Germanic root joining will to helmet. It has been in Wales since the Norman period and appears in the name of the country’s greatest medieval poet, Dafydd ap Gwilym. Say it GWIL-im and use Gwil as the short form, which is what Welsh speakers do. That initial gw is one of the most Welsh sounds there is, which makes this a stronger statement of heritage than any anglicised alternative.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Protector
- Pronunciation: GWIL-im
- Namesakes: Dafydd ap Gwilym, the medieval Welsh poet. Meinir Gwilym, a Welsh singer and composer.
Harri
Harri is the Welsh spelling of Harry and one of the clearest examples of how Welsh absorbs an English name: double the r, drop the y, and it is naturalised. It is also one of the genuinely popular Welsh-language choices in Wales today rather than a revival still waiting for its moment. Harri Webb, the poet and nationalist, gave it a literary edge, while the singer Harry Styles gives the English spelling a contemporary one. Two beats, HAR-ee, and it needs no explanation on either side of the border. For families outside Wales, that double r is a quiet way to mark the Welsh side without choosing a name nobody can say. Underneath it all sits Henry, so a boy has a formal option if he ever wants one.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Leader of the army
- Pronunciation: HAR-ee
- Variations: Harry, Harold
- Namesakes: Harry Styles, a British singer. Harri Webb, a Welsh poet, journalist, and nationalist.
- Popularity: Harri was the 21st most popular boys’ name in Wales in 2023, according to Office for National Statistics figures.
Heini
Heini is the Welsh word for lively or energetic, which is a fairly bold promise to make about a newborn. It is often mistaken for a Welsh form of Henry, but the two are unconnected, and Henry’s actual Welsh relative is Harri. The teacher and author Heini Gruffudd has spent a career writing Welsh-language learning material, so the name carries a quiet association with the language movement. Say it HAY-nee. Two syllables of warmth, and almost never seen outside Wales.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Lively, energetic
- Pronunciation: HAY-nee
- Namesakes: Heini Gruffudd, a Welsh teacher, and writer, published in English and Welsh.
Hywel
Hywel comes from Old Welsh Higuel, meaning eminent or prominent, and it belongs to the most consequential name in Welsh legal history. Hywel Dda, Hywel the Good, drew the Welsh laws together in the 10th century, and the code that carries his name shaped Welsh life for centuries afterwards. The English surname Howell descends directly from it, as does Powell, which began as ap Hywel, son of Hywel. The broadcaster Hywel Gwynfryn hosted the first Welsh-language pop radio show, which keeps the name attached to something other than medieval statute. Say it HUH-wel rather than HIGH-well. Few names give a child a better story about where he comes from.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Eminent
- Pronunciation: HUH-wel
- Variations: Howell, Hywell
- Namesakes: Hywel Dda, or “Hywel the Good,” a Welsh ruler. Hywel Gwynfryn, the host of the first Welsh-centric pop radio show, “Helo Sut Dach Chi?”
Iago
Iago is the Welsh form of Iacobus, the Latin name behind both James and Jacob, and the same name that Spanish turned into Santiago. Two kings of Gwynedd carried it, three and a half centuries apart. The obvious hurdle is Shakespeare, since Iago in Othello is one of the most calculating villains in English literature, and that association is not going anywhere. Welsh speakers say ee-AH-go, which is softer than the stage version. If the Othello problem does not trouble you, it is a regal and genuinely old choice.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: To supply, to replace
- Pronunciation: ee-AH-go
- Namesakes: Iago ap Beli (c. 560 to c. 616), king of Gwynedd, and his successor Iago ap Idwal, who ruled from 950 to 979.
Ieuan
Ieuan is the medieval Welsh form of Iohannes, the Latin John, and it heads a whole family of names: Ifan is its modern form, Iwan the modern spelling, Ianto the affectionate diminutive, and Evan the anglicisation that travelled the world. That makes it the ancestor of more Welsh names than anything else on this list. The spelling looks impossible and the sound is not, at YAY-an. It has stayed in real use across Welsh-speaking Wales rather than becoming a museum piece, which is why it belongs among the handsome classics rather than the curiosities.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Gift of God
- Pronunciation: YAY-an
- Namesakes: Ieuan ab Owain Glyndŵr (c. 1380 to c. 1430), a son of the last native Prince of Wales. Ieuan ap Hywel Swrdwal, the first Welsh poet to publish in English.
Iorwerth
Iorwerth means worthy lord, from the Old Welsh ior, meaning lord, and gwerth, meaning value or worth. The Edward comparison you will see on some lists is a habit of translation rather than a shared root, since the two names simply landed on similar meanings by accident. Iolo is the traditional diminutive and is now far more common than the full name, which tells you something about how three syllables fare in daily use. Iorwerth Peate founded the St Fagans National History Museum, and the poet Iorwerth Beli takes the name back to the medieval courts.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Worthy lord
- Pronunciation: YOR-weth
- Namesakes: Iorwerth Beli, a Welsh poet. Iorwerth Peate, the founder of St. Fagans National History Museum.
Iwan
Iwan is the modern Welsh form of Ieuan, which places it in the John family alongside Evan, Ifan and Ianto. It is also a Polish form of Ivan, so the spelling turns up in two unrelated corners of Europe. Say it YOO-an rather than EE-wan. The drummer Iwan Griffiths keeps it visible outside Wales. Short, current, and unmistakably Welsh in spelling if not in origin, it makes a good bridge name for a family split between two countries.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: God Is gracious
- Pronunciation: YOO-an
- Variations: Ifan, Ivan, Evan
- Namesakes: Iwan Griffiths, a drummer for the Welsh rock band The Automatic. Iwan Roberts, a Welsh soap-opera star.
Jac
Jac is the Welsh spelling of Jack, and dropping the k is all it takes to move the name across the border. It is one of the Welsh-language names that genuinely charts in Wales today rather than one that only appears on lists like this. Jac Glan-y-gors wrote radical pamphlets in Welsh at the end of the 18th century and is the bearer worth knowing. One syllable, said exactly like Jack, so nobody outside Wales will stumble over it. It is the easiest possible entry point into cute, short Welsh naming.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: Jack
- Variations: Jack, John
- Namesakes: Jac Glan-y-gors, a Welsh poet and radical pamphleteer.
- Popularity: Jac was the 30th most popular boys’ name in Wales in 2023, according to Office for National Statistics figures.
Jareth
Jareth is a modern invention rather than an inherited Welsh name, most likely a blend of Jared and Gareth, and it owes nearly all its use to one source: David Bowie’s Goblin King in Labyrinth. That is a specific kind of appeal. It has the shape of a Welsh name, the -eth ending in particular, without the history behind it, which will bother some parents and not others. JAR-eth, easy to say and easy to spell. If the film means something to you, this unique boy’s name will too.
- Origin: Modern invention
- Meaning: Gentle descendent
- Pronunciation: JARE-eth
Jeston
Jeston looks like a surname and behaves like one, which is very much the current fashion in boys’ names. It is usually read as a variant of Justin, meaning just or righteous, dressed up with the -ton ending that English place names supply. It is rare to the point of near-invisibility, so a boy called Jeston will spend his life spelling it and never once meet another.
- Origin: English, used in Wales
- Meaning: Righteous
- Pronunciation: JESS-ton
- Variations: Jesstin, Joston, Justin
- Namesakes: Jeston Cade, a Nashville up-and-coming country music star.
Kai
Kai reached Wales the long way round. The genuinely Welsh form is Cai, from Arthurian legend, but the K spelling arrived through Hawaiian, where it means sea, and through Japanese and Scandinavian names that sound identical. The result reads as international rather than specifically Welsh, which is either the point or the problem depending on what you want from it. Three letters and one syllable work in almost every language a family is likely to speak, and it slots neatly among names drawn from nature. The Welsh actor Kai Owen keeps a Welsh claim on it.
- Origin: Welsh, Hawaiian
- Meaning: Fire
- Pronunciation: KYE
- Variations: Cai, Kaea
- Namesakes: Kai Owen, a Welsh television and film actor.
Kendryck
Kendryck is a respelling of Kendrick, which comes from the Welsh Cynwrig, built from cyn, meaning chief, and gwr, meaning man or hero. The route from Cynwrig to Kendrick runs through centuries of English clerks writing down what they thought they heard. This particular spelling, with the y and the ck, is a modern preference rather than a historical form. Ken and Dry both work as short names, and the second is considerably more interesting than the first. If you want the etymology without the invention, Cynwrig is still available.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Royal ruler
- Pronunciation: KEN-drik
- Variations: Kendric, Keondrik
Kenn
Kenn is a short form rather than a full name in its own right, standing in for Kendrick, Kenneth or the Welsh Cynwrig depending on the family. The doubled n is what distinguishes it on paper and is a purely modern flourish. It has the clipped, unfussy feel that suits a family with a long surname, and it works just as well in the middle slot.
- Origin: Welsh, English
- Meaning: Clearwater
- Pronunciation: KEN
- Namesakes: Kenn Andersen, a Danish actor. Kenn Woodard, an American theatre actor. Ken’ichirō Ōhashi, a Japanese actor, better known as Kenn.
Kynan
Kynan is a modern spelling of Cynan, an old Welsh name usually read as chief or high one, and Cynan turns up repeatedly in Welsh genealogy and legend. The K makes it look Cornish or invented rather than Welsh, so purists prefer Cynan while everyone else finds the K version easier to place. Strong-sounding and never common enough to feel used up, it has plenty of room left in it.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Leader
- Pronunciation: KY-nan
- Namesakes: Kynan Robinson, an Australian trombonist, and composer. Kynan Forney, an American football player.
Llacheu
Llacheu appears in Welsh tradition as a son of Arthur, celebrated in the early poetry and then largely forgotten once the French romances rebuilt the legend around other figures. Recovering him is the whole appeal of the name. It is also the hardest word on this list for an English speaker: the ll has no English equivalent, and the closest approach is to put your tongue where you would for an l and breathe out around it. Realistically, a boy with this name outside Wales will answer to something approximate. Inside Wales it is a striking and deeply traditional choice.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Legendary son of Arthur
- Pronunciation: LLAKH-ay
- Namesakes: Llacheu ab Arthur, one of King Arthur’s sons.
Llew
Llew does double duty. It is a variant of Lleu, a hero of Welsh legend, and it is also the ordinary Welsh word for lion. Not many names hand you a myth and a menagerie in three letters. Llewelyn is a separate name that was pulled toward Llew over time because of that lion sense, which is why the two look related. The ll at the front is the sound English does not have, so most people outside Wales will settle for a breathy L and get on with it.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Lion
- Pronunciation: LEW
- Variations: Lleu
- Namesakes: Llew Smith, a British politician.
Mabon
Mabon is the later Welsh form of Maponos, a god whose name is built on a root meaning son or youth. In the tale of Culhwch and Olwen he is a prisoner freed by Arthur’s warriors so that he can help hunt the great boar Trwyth, and his mother is the goddess Modron. That is a rich inheritance for two syllables to carry. The name also belonged to the miners’ leader William Abraham, who used Mabon as his bardic name and became one of the first working men elected to Parliament. Say it MA-bon, stress on the first syllable.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Celtic god of youth
- Pronunciation: MA-bon
- Namesakes: William Abraham, a Welsh politician.
Macsen
Macsen is the Welsh form of Magnus Maximus, the Roman commander in Britain who declared himself emperor and marched east with an army raised in part from Wales. Welsh tradition remembers him as Macsen Wledig and made him the subject of one of its best known dream tales, in which he crosses Europe to find a woman he has seen in his sleep. That story is the reason the name reads as romantic rather than merely martial. It has become a real success of the Welsh-language revival, sitting comfortably inside the top thirty in Wales rather than lingering as a curiosity. Say it MAK-sen, and Max works as a short form that needs no explanation anywhere. For parents who want a Welsh name genuinely in use rather than resurrected from a book, it is among the safest bets here.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Magnus or greatest
- Pronunciation: MAK-sen
- Variations: Maxen
- Namesakes: Macsen Wledig, also known as Magnus Maximus, a Roman Emperor.
- Popularity: Macsen was the 28th most popular boys’ name in Wales in 2023, according to Office for National Statistics figures.
Maredudd
Maredudd is the Welsh original behind Meredith, and its first element is generally traced to mawredd, meaning greatness. Three separate Welsh rulers named Maredudd appear between the 10th and 13th centuries, which tells you how firmly the name sat in royal households. In English it drifted toward girls during the 20th century, but in Welsh it has never stopped being male. The double d is the th of these, so it lands as ma-RED-ith.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Great lord
- Pronunciation: ma-RED-ith
- Variations: Maredud, Mredydd, Meredydd
- Namesakes: Maredudd ab Owain, 10th-century King of Wales. Maredudd ap Gruffydd, a 13th-century Prince in Southwest Wales. Maredudd ap Bleddyn, an 11th-century King of eastern Wales.
Meic
Meic is the Welsh spelling of Mike, and it demonstrates Welsh orthography at its neatest: ei carries the English long i sound, so this is simply MIKE dressed in Welsh clothing. Behind it stands Michael, the archangel, whose name is a question rather than a statement, meaning who is like God. The dramatist Meic Povey wrote some of the most performed Welsh-language plays of his generation. It is a rare thing: a name instantly familiar in sound and completely unfamiliar in spelling.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Gift from God
- Pronunciation: MIKE
- Variations: Mike, Michael
- Namesakes: Meic Povey, a British screenwriter, director, and actor.
Meilyr
Meilyr belongs to the Poets of the Princes, the guild of court poets who served Welsh rulers from the 12th century onward. Meilyr Brydydd is the earliest of them whose work survives, and his son and grandson carried on the trade, so the name comes with a literary dynasty attached. The Welsh label for that school, Y Gogynfeirdd, translates roughly as the less early poets, which is wonderfully understated. Say it MAY-leer. For a name that means chief ruler, it sounds remarkably soft.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Chief ruler, man of iron
- Pronunciation: MAY-leer
- Namesakes: Meilyr Brydydd ap Mabon, the earliest Welsh poet recognized among the Poets of the Princes. Meilyr ap Gwalchmai, the son of Welsh poet Gwalchmai ap Meilyr.
Merfyn
Merfyn is an old Welsh name whose meaning has not survived, and the sea fortress reading found on many lists is a later invention. Merfyn the Freckled ruled in the 9th century and founded a dynasty that shaped Welsh kingship for generations afterwards. It is often confused with Myrddin, the Welsh original of Merlin, which is a separate name entirely, though the resemblance has done Merfyn no harm at all among parents who like a touch of the magical. Mervyn is the anglicised spelling and the one most English speakers reach for. MER-vin, with the Welsh f doing its usual v duty.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Uncertain
- Pronunciation: MER-vin
- Variations: Mervyn
- Namesakes: Merfyn the Freckled, who ruled from 825 to 844. Mervyn Hill, a Welsh cricket player. Mervyn Davies, a Welsh rugby union player.
Morgan
Morgan comes from Old Welsh Morcant, most likely joining mor, meaning sea, to cant, meaning circle. The bright sea gloss that circulates widely rests on a different second element and is probably wrong. It is one of the oldest continuously used Welsh names and one of very few that reads as comfortably unisex in English while staying male in Welsh. Morgan le Fay, the enchantress of Arthurian legend, is why many English speakers hear it as feminine. Rhodri Morgan served as Wales’s First Minister, which anchors it firmly on the male side at home.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Sea circle
- Pronunciation: MOR-gan
- Variations: Morcant, Morgann
- Namesakes: Rhodri Morgan, the first Minister in the National Assembly of Wales.
Niclas
Niclas is the Welsh spelling of Nicholas, and the meaning, victory of the people, comes straight from the Greek nike and laos. Wales gave it a memorable bearer in Thomas Evan Nicholas, the poet, preacher and lifelong radical known as Niclas y Glais, who championed the Welsh language across a long public life. Dropping the h and the o is all it takes to change the look of the name completely. NIK-las, stress on the first syllable.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Victory of the people
- Pronunciation: NIK-las
- Variations: NIc, Nicholas
- Namesakes: Thomas Evan Nicholas, a Welsh language poet, preacher, radical, and champion of Welsh culture.
Ninian
Ninian belongs to one of the earliest saints in British Christianity, remembered for carrying the faith north to the Picts long before the more famous missionaries arrived. The name is Brittonic rather than strictly Welsh, which is why it also turns up in Scotland and Cornwall. Ninian Park in Cardiff carried it for nearly a century as the home of Cardiff City, so in south Wales it reads as football before it reads as sainthood.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Miraculous
- Pronunciation: NIN-ee-an
- Variations: Niniavus
- Namesakes: Saint Ninian, an 8th-century Welsh Saint.
Noa
Noa is the Welsh spelling of Noah, and the two now sit in the same top 100 in Wales, one at the very top and one near the bottom. That is a tidy picture of what the Welsh-language revival actually looks like in numbers. Dropping the h is a small change that signals a great deal. NO-a, two syllables, and the shorter spelling sidesteps the silent letter question altogether. It is also a well used girls’ name in Hebrew and Dutch, so expect the occasional query.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Original, free of taboo
- Pronunciation: NO-a
- Variations: Noah
- Namesakes: Noa Lang, a Dutch football player. Noa James, an American rapper.
- Popularity: Noa was the 92nd most popular boys’ name in Wales in 2023, while Noah topped the Wales list outright, according to Office for National Statistics figures.
Nudd
Nudd comes from the far end of Welsh legend, and he arrives mostly through his son, Gwyn ap Nudd, the lord of the Otherworld who leads the Wild Hunt. Nudd Llaw Ereint, Nudd of the Silver Hand, is the other tradition attached to the name. Its meaning is usually given as mist or fog, which suits a figure who lives at the edge of the visible world. The spelling hides a straightforward sound, since the u sits close to an English ee and the dd is the th of these, giving NEETH. Four letters of pure Welsh, and it will not survive a trip abroad intact.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Fog
- Pronunciation: NEETH
- Namesakes: Nudd Ludd, the King of the Britons in 508 AD.
Olifer
Olifer is the Welsh spelling of Oliver, with the single f doing its Welsh job of standing in for a v sound, so the two are said the same way. Oliver has been at or near the top of the Welsh charts for years, which makes the Welsh spelling a way to have a popular name and a distinctive one at once. The name itself probably comes from the Old Norse Olafr rather than from the French word for an olive tree, despite the obvious resemblance. Oli works as a short form on both sides of the border.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Small warrior
- Pronunciation: oh-LIV-er
- Variations: Oliver
- Namesakes: Oliver Cromwell, a British general that ruled after the death of King Charles I. Oliver Marach, an Australian tennis player.
- Popularity: Olifer stays rare, while Oliver was the second most popular boys’ name in Wales in 2023, according to Office for National Statistics figures.
Osian
Osian is the Welsh form of the Irish Oisin, the poet-warrior of Fenian legend whose name is built on the word for a fawn. It is the runaway success of modern Welsh naming, sitting inside the top ten in Wales while remaining almost unknown across the border. Say it OSH-an, two syllables, with the s doing sh duty. The harpist Osian Ellis carried the Welsh harp onto international stages, and the coach Osian Roberts took the name into international football. For a Welsh name that is genuinely current rather than revived from a book, this is the first place to look.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Little deer
- Pronunciation: OSH-an
- Variations: Oisin, Osanyin
- Namesakes: Osian Roberts, a Welsh-speaking footballer, and assistant national side coach. Osian Ellis, a Welsh harpist. Osian Williams, a Welsh musician, associated with many popular Welsh bands.
- Popularity: Osian was the 9th most popular boys’ name in Wales in 2023, the highest-placed Welsh-language name on that list, according to Office for National Statistics figures.
Owain
Owain probably comes from the Latin Eugenius, meaning well-born, although a Celtic origin combining a root for desire or good with the ending -gen, born of, is also argued. Three men make the case for it: Owain mab Urien, the 6th century prince of Rheged; Owain the Great, king of Gwynedd in the 12th century; and Owain Glyndŵr, who led the last Welsh revolt against English rule. Chrétien de Troyes reworked the first of them into the Arthurian knight Yvain, and the surnames Bowen, Owen and Owens all descend from the name. Glyndŵr’s rising is still marked across Wales every September 16th, so the name arrives with a date of its own. Welsh speakers say OH-wyne rather than OH-wen, and Owen is the anglicised form that will save a boy some correcting. If you want one name carrying the whole of Welsh history, this is it.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Well-born
- Pronunciation: OH-wyne
- Variations: Owen
- Namesakes: Owain Glyndŵr, who led the last Welsh revolt against English rule. Owain mab Urien, a 6th-century prince of Rheged. Owain the Great, a 12th-century king of Gwynedd.
Pedr
Pedr is the Welsh form of Peter and keeps the same meaning, rock. Welsh has dropped the vowel between the d and the r, which leaves a name that looks consonant-heavy on paper and sounds perfectly comfortable in the mouth: PED-er. Churches dedicated to Saint Peter across Wales are Llanbedr, which is why that place name turns up in half a dozen counties. Few names make a plainer one-word statement of both faith and language.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Rock, stone
- Pronunciation: PED-er
- Variations: Peter
- Namesakes: Pedr James, a British television director. Peter Wales, a British cricket athlete. Peter Wingfield, a Welsh actor.
Phylip
Phylip is the Welsh spelling of Philip, and the meaning, lover of horses, comes from the Greek philos and hippos. The ph and the y are what mark the Welsh version, and it is said just like the English: FIL-ip. Welsh poetry has a whole family of them, the Phylipiaid, who wrote for the gentry of north Wales across several generations. As a first name today it is genuinely rare, which gives a very familiar name an unfamiliar face.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Fond of horses
- Pronunciation: FIL-ip
- Variations: Philip, Phillip, Flip, Pilib
- Namesakes: Philip Seymour Hoffman, an American actor. Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh.
Pryderi
Pryderi comes from the Welsh pryder, meaning care or worry, and the story explains the name: he is the child who goes missing on the night of his birth and is found and returned, so his mother names him for the anxiety he caused. He is the only figure to appear in all Four Branches of the Mabinogi, the earliest prose stories written in Britain, which makes him the closest thing Welsh mythology has to a central character. Say it pruh-DEH-ree. It is a heavier name than the sound of it suggests.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: With care or concern
- Pronunciation: pruh-DEH-ree
Rhain
Rhain means a spear or lance, and it belonged to two 8th century kings of Dyfed, an unusually concentrated royal record for so short a name. The rh at the front is a voiceless rolled r, a sound English does not have, and the ai is the vowel in fine, so it comes out closer to RHINE than to RAIN. It is a clean, sharp, one-syllable Welsh name with almost no modern competition. Names with royal history rarely come this compact.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: A spear or lance
- Pronunciation: RHINE
- Namesakes: Rhain ap Cadwgan, an 8th-century king of Dyfed and Brycheiniog. Rhain ap Maredudd, an 8th-century king of Dyfed.
Rhion
Rhion is usually read as a Welsh form of the little king idea that also sits behind Ryan, though the two names arrive from different directions, Rhion from Welsh and Ryan from Irish. The rh gives it a breathy Welsh opening that the Irish spelling loses entirely. Say it REE-on. It is rare enough that most people will hear Ryan and then see something else written down, which is a conversation waiting to happen. For a family with both Welsh and Irish roots it is a tidy compromise.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Little king
- Pronunciation: REE-on
- Variations: Ryan
- Namesakes: Ryan Conbeer, a Welsh rugby union player. Ryan Davies, a Welsh entertainer.
Rhun
Rhun is one of the shortest names in Welsh royal genealogy and one of the least explained, since the sources record the men but not the meaning. Rhun Hir ap Maelgwn, Rhun the Tall, ruled Gwynedd in the 6th century and appears in the medieval triads as the Fair Prince of the Isle of Britain. The politician Rhun ap Iorwerth keeps the name in Welsh public life today. The u sits closer to an English ee in the north and an i in the south, so it lands somewhere between REEN and RIN. Four letters, no easy English equivalent, and a very old pedigree.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Great, might
- Pronunciation: RHEEN
- Variations: Rhûn, Rhyn
- Namesakes: Rhun Hir ap Maelgwn, king of Gwynedd. Rhun ap Iorwerth, a Welsh politician.
Rhys
Rhys comes from Old Welsh Ris and is usually read as ardour or enthusiasm rather than the fire gloss that circulates, so the sense is passion rather than flame. Welsh princes have carried it since the 11th century, and Rhys ap Gruffydd, remembered simply as the Lord Rhys, held the south against the Normans for a generation. It also produced the surname Price, which began as ap Rhys, son of Rhys. Reece, Rees and Reese are the anglicised spellings, all common enough that Rhys now reads as the authentic one. Say it REES, with the rh breathed rather than rolled. It travels better than almost any other name on this list, which is why you meet it far outside Wales.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Ardour, enthusiasm
- Pronunciation: REES
- Variations: Reece, Rees, Reese
- Namesakes: Rhys Ifans, a Welsh actor, and musician. Griff Rhys Jones, a Welsh comedian, and actor. Rhys Darby, a New Zealand stand-up comedian. Rhys Priestland, a Welsh rugby player.
- Popularity: Rhys ranked #352 in the United States in 2024 and #410 in 2025.
Sawel
Sawel is the Welsh form of Samuel, and the Hebrew meaning, God has heard, is one of the warmest here for a family that has waited for a child. Welsh has reshaped it enough that the name looks little like its source on paper while staying recognisable the moment it is spoken: SAH-wel. It works as a Welsh surname too, which is how most people in Wales will have met it. Sam sits underneath for everyday use, so the unusual spelling costs a boy very little.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: God has heard
- Pronunciation: SAH-wel
- Variations: Saul, Samuel
- Namesakes: Samuel Barnett, a British actor. Samuel Beckett, an Irish author. Samuel Johnson, a British author.
Seimon
Seimon is the Welsh form of Simon, from a Hebrew root meaning to hear or to listen, while Simwnt is the older Welsh form, borne by the 16th century poet Simwnt Fychan. Say it SAY-mon, since the ei spelling is what shifts the sound away from the English version. For parents who want a biblical name wearing a Welsh coat, this is one of the easiest to carry off.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: To listen
- Pronunciation: SAY-mon
- Variations: Simon, Simwnt
- Namesakes: Simon of Worcester, a Bishop of Worcester. Simon Amstell, a British television presenter. Simon Beckett, a British journalist and author.
Selwyn
Selwyn looks Welsh because of that -wyn ending, but it is not. It began as an English surname from an Old English name joining sele, meaning manor or hall, to wine, meaning friend. The castle friend gloss you will find elsewhere is a back-formation invented to fit the appearance. None of that has stopped Wales adopting it, and Welsh producers, ministers and academics have worn it for generations. If you want that ending with a genuinely Welsh origin behind it, Alwyn, Berwyn and Tecwyn are all on this list.
- Origin: English, used in Wales
- Meaning: Manor friend
- Pronunciation: SEL-win
- Namesakes: George Augustus Selwyn, a 19th-century bishop. Sewlyn Roberts, a Welsh movie and television producer.
Siams
Siams is the Welsh form of James, and it shows Welsh spelling at its most transformative, because si makes the sh sound, so the name is said SHAMS rather than SEE-ams. It sits alongside Iago as one of two Welsh routes to the same Latin name, Iacobus. The joyful service reading comes from the older gloss of Jacob as supplanter, softened by centuries of use. It is very rare even in Wales, and that pronunciation gap means it will need explaining outside it. Parents who love James but want it to look Welsh more often choose Iago.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: In joyful service
- Pronunciation: SHAMS
- Variations: James
Taliesin
Taliesin means shining brow, from tal, meaning brow or head, and iesin, meaning shining or radiant. It belonged to a semi-legendary 6th century poet credited with the Book of Taliesin, who also turns up as a character in Culhwch and Olwen and the Mabinogi. That gives the name a rare double life as both historical bard and mythological figure. Frank Lloyd Wright borrowed it for his Wisconsin home and his Arizona school, which handed it an unexpected American afterlife. The rugby player Taliesin Selley shows it still works on a modern team sheet. Welsh speakers say tal-YES-in, and it is long, ornate and completely unmistakable.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Shining brow
- Pronunciation: tal-YES-in
- Namesakes: Taliesin, a 6th-century Welsh poet, and bard. Taliesin Selley, a Welsh rugby player.
Tecwyn
Tecwyn joins teg, meaning fair or beautiful, to gwyn, meaning white or blessed, so it doubles down on the same idea. Saint Tecwyn founded Llandecwyn in Gwynedd, and the church there still carries his name above a stretch of the Dwyryd estuary. The singer-songwriter Tecwyn Ifan brought the name into the Welsh folk revival of the 1970s. Say it TEK-win. Among the -wyn names, this is one that has stayed almost entirely inside Welsh-speaking Wales.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Fair or white
- Pronunciation: TEK-win
- Namesakes: Saint Tecwyn, a 6th-century Welsh saint. Tecwyn Ifan, a Welsh singer, and songwriter.
Tegau
Tegau is built on teg, the Welsh word for fair or beautiful, the same element behind Tegid and Tegwen. Its most famous bearer is Tegau Eurfron, a queen of Welsh legend counted among the most virtuous women at Arthur’s court, which means the name reads female in Welsh tradition even where lists file it under boys. Modern use has largely gone to the girls’ side through Tegan. Say it TEG-eye. If you want the teg root for a son, Tegid is the safer choice.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Darling, loved one
- Pronunciation: TEG-eye
- Variations: Tegan
- Namesakes: Tegau Eurfron, a legendary Celtic Queen.
Teilo
Teilo comes from one of the great saints of south Wales, a 6th century bishop whose name is stamped across the map: Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire is the church of Teilo, and there are a dozen more besides. He was one of the most venerated figures in the early Welsh church, second in standing only to David. The name itself has no recorded meaning, which is common among the earliest Welsh saints. TIE-lo, two syllables, and easy for English speakers. Families with roots in that part of Wales have an obvious reason to reach for it.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Uncertain
- Pronunciation: TIE-lo
- Namesakes: Saint Teilo, a 6th-century Welsh monk and saint.
Tewdwr
Tewdwr is built on tud, the Welsh word for people or country, and is usually read as ruler of the people. Rhys ap Tewdwr was the last king of Deheubarth before the Normans took the south, and the related form Tudur eventually handed England the Tudor dynasty through Owain Tudur’s marriage into the royal family. That makes this one of the very few Welsh names that changed English history. The w is a vowel, so it is TEW-door rather than anything harsher. Ted works perfectly well underneath it.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Ruler of the people
- Pronunciation: TEW-door
- Namesakes: Tewdwr Mawr, a Breton king. Rhys ap Tewdwr, the King of Deheubarth in Wales
Trefor
Trefor joins tref, meaning town or homestead, to a second element usually read as big, so the sense is large settlement rather than the town by the sea gloss that has spread widely. There are villages called Trefor in both Gwynedd and Anglesey, which is where the name comes from in the first place. English turned it into Trevor, which had a long run in the 20th century and is only now coming back round. The Welsh spelling with the f, said as a v, is the older and better-looking version.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Big village
- Pronunciation: TREV-or
- Variations: Trevor
- Namesakes: Trefor Evans, a Welsh rugby union player. Trefor Owen, a Welsh amateur footballer player.
Trenton
Trenton is the outlier here: an English place name, from the settlement on the River Trent, that reached given-name status by way of American cities rather than Welsh villages. The Trent itself carries a Celtic river name usually read as strongly flooding or trespasser, and that is the thread tying it loosely to this company. Trent is the obvious short form and arguably the better name.
- Origin: English, used in Wales
- Meaning: Strongly flooding
- Pronunciation: TREHN-ton
- Variations: Trynton
- Namesakes: Trenton Shipley, an Australian painter, and artist. Trenton Lee Stewart, an American author.
Trystan
Trystan is the Welsh spelling of Tristan, and behind both stands the older Drystan, a name that probably came into Welsh from Pictish rather than growing there. The sorrowful reading that follows it everywhere comes from a medieval pun on the French triste, not from its actual roots. Welsh tradition made Trystan one of Arthur’s men long before the French romances turned him into the lover of Isolde. The Tristan Stone, a 6th century granite pillar in Cornwall, still marks the legend on the ground. The y here is a short i, so say TRISS-tan.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Uncertain
- Pronunciation: TRISS-tan
- Variations: Tristan, Tristram, Tristain
- Namesakes: Trystan Gravelle, a Welsh theatre, film, and television actor.
Twm
Twm is the Welsh short form of Tomos, and it is the cleanest demonstration on this list of Welsh w working as a vowel: three consonants on paper, one clear syllable in the mouth, TOOM. Twm Siôn Cati is the folk outlaw of mid Wales, a 16th century trickster often called the Welsh Robin Hood, and he is why the name still carries a glint. Tomos remains well used in Wales, so a boy called Twm has a formal version waiting if he ever wants one. It is affectionate without being babyish, which is a hard balance for a short name to strike. It also sits comfortably in the middle slot, where the spelling raises fewer questions. For a family that wants Welsh in three letters, there is nothing shorter.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Twin
- Pronunciation: TOOM
- Variations: Tim, Tomo, Tomos
- Namesakes: Tomos Williams, a Welsh rugby player in Cardiff.
- Popularity: Tomos, the fuller form, was the 59th most popular boys’ name in Wales in 2023, according to Office for National Statistics figures.
Urian
Urian is a variant of Urien, and Urien Rheged is one of the great figures of early British poetry, the northern king whose court Taliesin served and whose son Owain became the Arthurian Yvain. That places the name at the centre of the oldest Welsh literature rather than at its edges, though its own meaning is unsettled and the city-born reading is a guess. This is a name for a family that wants the history rather than the sound, because the sound takes some getting used to.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Uncertain
- Pronunciation: YOOR-ee-an
- Variations: Urien, Uryen, Uren
- Namesakes: Urian Oakes, an English-born American minister and Latinist.
Vaughan
Vaughan comes from bychan, the Welsh for little, which softens to fychan after a name, so Rhys Fychan meant Rhys the younger, and English ears turned that fychan into Vaughan. It began as a way of telling a father and son apart and ended up as one of the most recognisable Welsh surnames in the world. Ralph Vaughan Williams carried it into English music, and Vaughan Gething carried it into Welsh government. Say it VAWN, one syllable, despite the length of the spelling. Vaughn is the streamlined American spelling if the extra letters feel like too much. As a first name it has the confident, slightly formal feel of a surname used up front.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Little
- Pronunciation: VAWN
- Variations: Vaughn
- Namesakes: Vaughan Gething, a Welsh politician. Vaughan Jones, a Welsh footballer. Vaughan Roderick , a Welsh television journalist.
Wil
Wil is the short form of Gwilym, which is itself the Welsh form of William, so the name has been trimmed twice over. Wales knows it best through Wil Cwac Cwac, the duckling of the Welsh-language children’s series, which means it lands as friendly rather than formal. Gwil is the other short form and keeps more of the Welsh original. One syllable, said just like the English Will, and spelled with one l as a quiet signal of which language it belongs to.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Desiring peace or protection
- Pronunciation: WILL
- Variations: Gwil, Will
- Namesakes: Wil Calhoun, an American television producer, and writer. Will Hay, an English comedian.
Wyn
Wyn comes from gwyn, the Welsh word for white, fair or blessed, and it is the single most productive element in Welsh male names: Alwyn, Berwyn, Carwyn, Dilwyn, Selwyn and Tecwyn all end in it. Used on its own it is short, soft and slightly old-fashioned in the best way. It works as a first name, a middle name and a surname, and Welsh families often place it in the middle slot to mark the language without committing the whole name to it. Ieuan Wyn Jones, who led Plaid Cymru and served as Deputy First Minister between 2007 and 2011, is the pattern. Say it WIN.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: White, blessed
- Pronunciation: WIN
- Variations: Gwyn, Wynn
- Namesakes: Wyn Calvin, a Welsh comedian, and entertainer. Wyn Davies and Wyn Morris, Welsh conductors.
Yale
Yale comes from Iâl, an old Welsh territory in what is now Denbighshire, and the name travelled a very long way from there. The Yale family took it as a surname, and Elihu Yale, whose people came from that corner of Wales, endowed the college in Connecticut that carries it today. Very few Welsh place names have ended up on a university crest. The Welsh original is usually read as fertile upland rather than the slopes. As a first name it is one syllable, instantly spellable and slightly grand, which suits parents who want a Welsh connection an American ear will recognise straight away.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Fertile upland
- Pronunciation: YAYL
- Namesakes: Elihu Yale, a British-American colonial philanthropist, who inspired Yale University’s name.
