Welsh Names

Tegwen is nowhere near as pretty as its meaning. Other -wen names -- Anwen, Bronwen, Rhonwen -- have more appeal.

Common in Wales, but would really stand out here. One of the middle names of Stella McCartney's daughter Reiley; Dilys Powell was a well-known British film critic, Professor Dilys Derwent a Harry Potter character., a witch who worked as a Healer at St. Mungo's Hospital, and was a celebrated Headmistress of Hogwarts School..

This phonetic version of the Welsh Cerys might be easier for Americans, certainly, to understand, but it does lose some poetry in translation.

Why bother to invent a new name or spelling when there are intriguing oddities like this in existence. Also in the Welsh encyclopedia of names: Ffion, Ffiona, and Ffraid, the Welsh form of Brigid.

An offbeat way to get to Gwen.

Cadell is a surname that is unlikely to win many supporters, except perhaps from parents looking for an alternative to Caden. But while Cadell is more distinctive, that L ending is weaker and less appealing than Caden's strong N.

Now that the midcentury sound-alike name Gail for girls is sailing out to sea, Gael is becoming an increasingly popular name for boys -- and could make the gender switch in the opposite direction again.

Evans is an historic Welsh patronymic surname, derived from Evan, which is a form of John. With Evan's popularity in the U.S. and the U.K. -- it's a Top 50 names -- the stylish s-ending version may also be on the rise.

Welsh heritage choice that's rare today even in its native land.

This familiar but never popular Welsh surname name might be a good Sean alternative-- and we're starting to hear some berrybuzz about it. Vaughn is an alternate spelling.

Some names referring to expensive things -- Tiffany, Armani, Porsche -- are in fact declasse, but Price transcends that label with its simplicity and strength.

Spelling variant of Arianwen. Note that in Welsh, the -wyn suffix is usually masculine.

An Emily or Emma substitute that may be prettier and more classic as Emmeline or Emeline.

Taliesin is a name an architecture-minded parent could love, because of its close association with Frank Lloyd Wright.

Noted bearers of this surname include a metaphysical poet, a Nobel Prize winner, and a baseball Hall of Famer, so there's plenty of hero-name inspiration.

Too close to the name of a bodily fluid.

Kerris is a much easier if less authentic phonetic spelling of the popular and pretty Welsh name Cerys.

The connection to a knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend gives this name a hint of nobility. Geraint Thomas was a Welsh cyclist who competed in the 2008 Olympics.

Now that Kimberly is no longer one of the top girl names, Kim or long form Kimball feel more gender neutral.

This name of a river in Wales represents a vowel change from Alan, which makes the name somewhat more intriguing, but still possibly not intriguing enough. Bonus points if you're a surfer, sailor, or you're expecting a baby born under a water sign of the zodiac: It's one of the more unusual names that mean water.