Welsh Names
Welsh names have attracted new interest in recent years, both within Wales and beyond. Some Welsh baby names are being newly discovered by parents throughout the English-speaking world, with choices such as Bryn, Owen, Maddox, Dylan, and Evan climbing the international popularity lists.
Welsh names in the US Top 1000 for girls include Brynn, Gwendolyn, Morgan, Reese, and Tegan. For boys, Welsh names in the US Top 1000 include Dawson, Ellis, Evan, Maddox, and Owen. In Wales, popular names include Megan, Meredith, Dylan, and Rhys.
In Lord of the Rings, the Welsh girls’ name Arwen sparked a fashion for wen-ending names, while previously unknown Welsh baby names such as Carys, Seren, and Bowen are achieving more widespread use. A beautiful yet tiny country, Wales has its own distinctive language and culture and a lovely roster of its own baby names.
Here, our complete list of Welsh names for girls and Welsh names for boys. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
Top Welsh Names
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Owen
Owen was derived from two names—the Welsh Owain and the Celtic Eoghan. Each are connected to Eugene, which ultimately came from the Greek word eugenes, comprised of the elements... Read More
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Dylan
Dylan was derived of the Welsh components dy and llanw, meaning “sea.” In Welsh mythology, Dylan was a legendary sea god who prompted all the waters of Britain and Ireland to... Read More
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Evan
Evan was derived from Iefan, a Welsh version of John. John is ultimately a derivative of the Hebrew name Yochanan, comprised of the elements yo, meaning “God” and chanan, “to be... Read More
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Gael
This cross-cultural name, found in Wales, Brittany, and Spain, is a surprise star in the U.S. in recent years, largely thanks to actor Gael Garcia Bernal. It's especially popular in Texas.Read More
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Maddox
Maddox, a previously obscure Welsh family name with a powerfully masculine image, suddenly came into the spotlight when Angelina Jolie chose it for her son in 2003. By the following year it was in... Read More
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Reese
The sassy, steel magnolia appeal of Oscar-winning Reese (born Laura Jeanne—Reese is her mother's maiden name) Witherspoon has single-handedly propelled this formerly
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Morgan
Morgan has long been a traditional Welsh male name, a variant of the Old Welsh name Morcant, from the Welsh elements mor, meaning “sea” and cant, “circle.” The female Morgan is... Read More
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Dawson
Dawson was scarcely heard as a first name before the debut of Dawson's Creek in 1998, at which point it leaped up more than 550 places in one year. The character Dawson Leery, played by... Read More
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Brynn
Brynn outshines the original Welsh Bryn in the popularity stakes. This simple, brisk name might be seen as a combination of Bree and Lynn, an androgynous-sounding choice that especially in this... Read More
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Ellis
Ellis is one of the less used names in the currently popular El-family. It is a popular Welsh name in its own right, sometimes spelled Elis, and also an English surname derived Elijah, by way of... Read More