By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Welsh
"very golden or noble"
Aneirin is the original form of the more common Aneurin (which was a mistaken spelling used after the 17th Century). Aneirin was one of the first great Welsh poets who flourished in the 6th Century.…
"Sunny hill"
This Welsh name presents some pronunciation/spelling challenges but has a lovely sound and meaning. The name has been used in the South Korean multiplayer game Mabinogi for one of the human healer…
"holly"
Celyn, which starts with the hard K sound and rhymes with Helen, is a Top 100 name in Wales although largely unknown outside that tiny, beautiful country. It is usually a masculine name.
Welsh, Latin
"manly"
This mythical feeling Welsh name derives from a coastal region in Wales, Meirionnydd, meaning "land belonging to Meirion". In Welsh legend, Meirion was the grandson of the warrior prince Cunedda, and…
Variation of Gawain, Popular Culture, Welsh
"may hawk"
Unusual yet familiar in sound, the name Gwaine appeared in the BBC TV series Merlin , in which the character was an adaptation of Gawain, one of King Arthur's loyal knights in the Arthurian legends.…
Variation of Gawain, Welsh
The name of a loyal knight in Arthurian legend and the hero of the 14th century anonymous poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight , Gawaine is the spelling chosen by Sir Thomas Malory in his…
Welsh form of Honorius
"honorable"
Ynyr is still quietly used in Wales, though the alternative modern form of ancient Roman Honorius is the simple Honor. The name is used in the 1983 sci-fi movie, Krull , which follows the adventures…
"River Teifi"
Likely derived from the name of a river in Wales, Teifion has an intriguing, ancient look, but a contemporary feeling sound. It combines the suffix -on with Teifi, a name that may ultimately share…
Old Welsh
"benevolent, kind"
Ultimately derived from the Old Welsh elus , Elisedd is one of the sources of the currently popular Ellis. It was notably borne by a 8th century king of Wales, known as both Elisedd ap Gwylog and…
Welsh diminutive of Edward
"wealthy guardian"
A Welsh short form of Edward with a playful sound and distinctive, rugged look. It appears in the title of a Welsh language book, written by E. Tesla Davies, and tells the story of a Nedw's childhood…
"hard spears"
This was the name of several figures from Welsh mythology, and was also used by 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Arthurian tales, borne by a hopeful knight. The character of…
Literature, Welsh
"white lily, blessed lily"
Possibly inspired by the Welsh feminine name, Liliwen, Liliwin is a masculine name, notably appearing in the seventh novel of the The Cadfael Chronicles by Ellis Peters. In the 1983 book The…
"summer"
Somewhere between Kevin and Heaven lies summery Hefin, a sunny yet rugged choice, totally different in feel to its aforementioned sound-alikes. In Wales, it is given to a small handful of babies most…
"little wolf"
A Welsh cognate (or variant) of the more familiar Conan, this form has been historically borne by a number of Welsh kings and princes and was the bardic name of the 19th-century Welsh poet, Albert…
"white snow"
A rare, masculine form of Eirwen, this wintery name may be pronounced as AIR-win or IRE-win depending on the region of Wales from which someone is from. While its feminine counterpart is given to a…
Welsh or place name
"hawk of summer; heap of witness"
The son of Lancelot and Elaine in Arthurian legend, Galahad is the purest and most chivalrous of the Knights of the Round Table, and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail. The derivation of…
"strong lord"
A variation of Gruffudd, Gruffydd, and Griffith, this rugged and ancient Welsh name is said with the th of th en at the end. While its variation Gruffydd has appeared in the UK charts, this spin is…
Diminutive of Blaine or Irish place and surname
"yellow; point, tip, creeks"
While Blaney might sound like a nickname for the Scottish Blaine (and Blane) — and this is one possible origin for it — it may also be an Irish surname and place name. As such, it refers to either…
Similar in sound to Avon, Avery, Aidan, Eirian, and Teifion, this Welsh name is the source of an area in the north-west of Wales called Eifionydd (ay-vyawn-ith). An ancient Welsh name, the exact…
Word name or diminutive of Gruffudd, English, Welsh
"rough; strong lord"
As an English word name, Gruff is rough round the outside with playful air, similar to Rowdy or Wilder, while as a Welsh nickname, it comes from the more stately Gruffudd meaning "strong lord". It…
