Welsh Names for Girls

Bronwyn

Welsh

"white breast"

One of the loveliest of the Welsh names , striking the perfect balance between being familiar and unusual. In Wales, the female spelling is always Bronwen, but Americans usually see a "y" as adding…

Evanna

Feminine variation of Evan, Welsh

"God is gracious"

Evanna is the name of a Harry Potter actress who pronounces it ee-vah-na. This might be considered another international feminine form of the many variations of John; Ivana, Giovanna, and even Joan…

Penrose

Cornish and Welsh place name and surname

"top of the heath"

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…

Betsan

Welsh pet form of Elizabeth

Betsan is little-known outside of the U.K. but it could provide an intriguing alternative to Liz, Beth, Betsy, Betty, and Libby.

Nimue

Celtic Mythology (one of the names of the Lady of the Lake in Arthurian legends)

Nimue (Lady of the Lake) is the ruler of Avalon in the Arthurian legend. Nimue plays a pivotal role in many stories, including giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising…

Conwenna

Cornish, Welsh or Breton

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.

Delwen

Welsh invented name

"pretty and fair"

Delwen appears to be a modern invented name in Welsh, deriving from two common name components: del - meaning pretty and wen - meaning fair/white. Similar names include Delyth, also Welsh, and…

Rhoswen

Welsh

"white rose"

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…

Lynneth

Variation of Lynette

"idol"

If you like lispy Celtic and Gaelic names, you may fall for Lynneth. Lynneth has a similar sound to Gwyneth, Elspeth and Meredith and might, therefore, find popularity among those who are looking for…

Eilonwy

Welsh

"river melody"

Eilonwy is a rare and poetic Welsh name first recorded in the late 19th century and used by Lloyd Alexander for his novel series The Chronicles of Prydain . The character appeared in Disney's…

Gael

Welsh

"wild"

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…

Eigra

Welsh

"maid"

Eigra is a name with a great mythological and literary past - it is the Welsh version of Igraine/Ygraine, who was the mother of King Arthur.

Aeron

Welsh

Tolkien may have been inspired by this unisex name of a Celtic goddess of war. Welsh poet Dylan Thomas named his daughter the variation Aeronwy. With goddess names so hot for baby girls, this…

Nesta

Welsh variation of Agnes

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.

Mali

Welsh form of Molly or Thai

"jasmine flower"

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

Anwen

Welsh

"very fair, beautiful"

Anwen is one of the simplest and best of the classic Welsh girls' names, more unusual than Bronwen but with the same serene feel.

Arddun

Welsh

"beautiful"

A traditional Welsh name that looks like a variant of Arden, but actually derives from the Welsh word for "beautiful".

Arianwyn

Welsh

"woman of silver"

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

Arianell

Welsh

"silver + yellow; silver + shining"

This early Welsh saint's name is unusual and lovely, waiting to be discovered. Saint Arianell was a member of the Welsh royal family who was possessed by a spirit which was exorcised by Saint Dyfrig,…