If you're looking for an unusual alternative to all those Rose names, Rhoswen might be a good choice. This name has the soft sounds we've come to love from the Welsh language but is still not as familiar as Bronwen and Rhiannon.

Less than ten percent of the babies named Rhys are girls, whereas Reese is given five times more often to girls than to boys, thanks to Ms. Witherspoon. It's a sleek and attractive name, but one that benefits from two accepted spellings that help clarify its gender identity.

Tailored Tegan is a Welsh name, developed from the element teg meaning "beautiful, pretty". Sweet but tough, is interpreted to mean "darling, or favorite", and is also the Welsh word for toy.

Seems unfamiliar, till you realize everyone will just hear it as Molly. In Wales, Mali is a Top 100 name.

Intriguing Old Welsh name being revived there, but would have major pronunciation problems here.

This unusual (to non-Welsh speakers) is near the top of the charts in Wales, carried by the recent taste for native Welsh names. Those in Wales say it's already on the way down, but for outsiders wanting to honor their Welsh heritage, it still makes an intriguing choice.

A sweet yet substantial name of Welsh origin, Nerys has the fresh feel of Carys, but the vintage charm of Mavis, Morag, and Lois. Likely borrowing from the Welsh element nêr meaning "lord, chief", Nerys is a feminization and could then mean "lady".

This 1950s Welsh bird name sounds less dated than our fifties Robin.

"Help Me, Rhonda. sang the Beach Boys -- help me convince my parents not to give me this sixties name.

The Gwendoline form may introduce pronunciation confusion -- does that last syllable rhyme with wine or win or when? We vote Gwendolen as not only the most proper but the clearest spelling, followed by Gwendolyn, with Gwendoline a distant third.

Olwen is a Welsh favorite, the name of a legendary princess in what is believed to have been the earliest Arthurian romance, and in fact one of the first recorded examples of Welsh prose.

If you like soft, lispy Welsh names like Gwyneth, or want an alternative to Delilah, Adele, or Edith, consider this out-of-the-ordinary option.

Simple and pretty and user-friendly, the Welsh Sian was used by U2's Dave "the Edge" Evans for his daughter. In Welsh, it is also spelled Siân.

Evan is a boys' favorite that has been given the feminine touch by talented actress Evan Rachel Wood. If you want to move beyond Eva and Evelyn and like unisex names, this may be a good bet for you (though like Evan Rachel Wood, you may want a feminine name in the middle name position to clarify matters). Evanna is also another alternative.

This is the most popular Welsh form of Agnes. Variants include Annest and Nest. There was an eleventh century Nest who was known as 'Helen of Wales' for her beauty and the problems it caused.

Esylt is a feminine name of Welsh origin, being a variant spelling of Essyllt or Esyllt, which is the Welsh form of Isolde (or Iseult). The name is prominently featured in Arthurian legend and Celtic mythology as the Irish princess in the tragic love story of Tristan and Isolde. The Welsh pronunciation typically emphasizes the first syllable (ES-ilt). While maintaining deep connections to Celtic heritage and medieval romance, this particular spelling remains extremely rare even in Wales. The name carries associations with tragic beauty, forbidden love, and ancient Celtic traditions. Its unusual spelling and mythological connections make it an intriguing choice for parents seeking a name with strong cultural roots and literary significance while remaining distinctly uncommon.

While it may look like a variation of popular Leo, Llio is in fact a Welsh name, derived from Gwenllian, the medieval name of a legendary princess who is a national heroine in Wales. Given to a small handful of girls most years in Wales — three in a recent count — the double L sound is hard to translate into English because it is specifically Welsh.

Penrose – an ancient place-name and surname derived from several villages in Cornwall, Wales, and the Welsh border country of England – would make for an even more unexpected alternative to quirky nature name Primrose. Intuitive nicknames Penny or Rosie make it feel more wearable.

Gwendolen, an ancient Welsh favorite, retired decades ago in favor of the short form Gwen, but now, as in the case all across the naming board, the nickname has faded and the more distinguished original is up for reappraisal.

As a girl name, Emlyn is likely to be a contracted form of Emmeline or Emmalyn, appealing to those who like drop the middle sound of the aforementioned names, and want something concise, stripped back, and contemporary looking on paper. In this case, Emlyn could mean "rival" from Emmeline or "universal lake, universally pretty" from Emmalyn (if you consider it a smoosh name).