Cornish Baby Names

Although Tegen resembles the names Teagan and Tegan, they are etymologically distinct names. Tegen, pronounced TEG-en rather than TEE-gan, is a modern Cornish word name meaning "pretty" or "ornament."

This rare sixth-century saint's name has a modern, merry feel.

Cornish form of William

A very rare Cas name with that cool and cozy -wyn ending.

Made familiar by poet William Blake. According to Blake, after her death, Conwenna "shines ... over the north with pearly beams gorgeous and terrible". Make of that what you will.

A medieval Cornish name which despite sounding similar to the French name Emeraude, is actually connected to the Welsh name Morfydd. Pronunciation rhymes with Herod -- and yes, the final d is pronounced.

The name of an obscure medieval Cornish saint, also spelt Ruan or Ruman. A notable bearer is British author Rewan Tremethick.

Treeve is an alternate spelling for Treave, a Cornish place name that is virtually unused in the US.

St. Neot was a Saxon saint in the Middle Ages, whose name is used for a town in Cornwall, England. Some sources say the little-known name is Hebrew and means "pleasant pasture," but there is really no evidence for that.

A lyrical, and very rare, hidden flower name.

Prideaux is a Cornish place name and surname that is occasionally attested as a girls' first name. It likely stems from the French phrase "pré de eaux", meaning meadow of waters. For fans of Margaux, Prideaux might be a less-common and very pretty alternative.

Cornish form of the Welsh name Arthen, meaning "bear".

In its native Cornwall, Mawgan is identical in pronunciation to Morgan, a Welsh name of separate origins. Mawgan comes from the Old Welsh mawl, meaning "praise," and is the name of a Cornish saint.

The name Lamorna belongs to a village, valley and cove in an area of outstanding natural beauty in West Cornwall, and to a popular Cornish folk song referencing the area. The name possibly derives from nans "valley" + mor "sea", or from lann "area around a church" + morlanow "high tide".

Sowena is the Cornish word for success, a wonderful and encouraging meaning for a baby girl's name.

Bronnen is an attractive name but is similar to so many others -- Brennan, Brannon, Bronwen -- it's sure to provoke a lot of "What was that again?"

The Cornish version of Emmeline holds many charms.

Hedra is the Cornish word for the month of October. With no resemblance between the words, Hedra makes a subtle, intriguing choice for an October-born daughter.

Ebrel is the Cornish word for the month of April, recently adopted as a baby name. Ebrel is a charming and accessible update to the now-dated month name.

The name of a beautiful village on the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall, Veryan actually derives from a series of misunderstandings: Sen Veryan ("Saint Veryan") is a Cornish corruption of Severian, which is itself a corrupted form of the saint’s name Symphorian, to whom the village church at Veryan is dedicated.