Emlyn

EM-lin
Welsh, from Latin
"charming, flattering or rival"

Emlyn Origin and Meaning

The name Emlyn is a boy's name of Welsh origin meaning "charming, flattering or rival".

Gentle and poetic and most often heard in Wales, Emlyn joins Emrys as soft, interesting alternatives to popular Em- names like Emmett and Emery.

Emlyn was one of the seven ancient districts of Wales and while it may lean feminine to American ears - perhaps as a spelling variant of Emmeline - there are plenty of masculine namesakes, including footballers Emlyn Williams, Emlyn Hughes and Emlyn Mulligan, Welsh Physicist Emlyn Rhoderick, and Emlyn A.G Watkins, a police officer awarded for bravery. Writer Jenny Nimmo also used it in her novel, Emlyn's Moon.

2023 saw a number of vintage rarities coming back into style in the US, and Emlyn was one of them. Used on more than 5 boys for the first time in a century, perhaps it could fit in with other rising choices like Ephraim and Ellis.

Famous People Named Emlyn

  • Emlyn WilliamsWelsh playwright and actor
  • Emlyn HughesWelsh footballer for Liverpool and England
  • (Emlyn Hugh) Garner EvansBritish MP