Cornish Baby Names

Kenver is derived from the ancient British name Cunmorus, meaning "great chief." We much prefer this newer iteration.

More unusual than Tessa, this would make an interesting, meaningful and attractive choice for a third child.

A sweet Cornish word name with a celestial meaning.

Sennen is a Cornish name derived from that of Saint Sinninus or Saint Senan. Today it's the name of a town on the westernmost tip of Cornwall and is also used as a baby girl name.

Penryn is the name of a parish in Cornwall, the peninsula in the southwest of England.

It looks like an alternative spelling of Izzy/Issy (and may well have been used as such), but Issey is actually a Cornish place and saint's name.

This Cornish place name comes from the name of a Breton saint who came to Cornwall. It could be an interesting alternative to Austin. The spelling has also been recorded as Austol.

A rare but appealing and accessible member of the John family. It sees steady low-key use in England.

The name of a beautiful village on the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall, Veryan actually derives from a series of misunderstandings: Sen Veryan ("Saint Veryan") is a Cornish corruption of Severian, which is itself a corrupted form of the saint’s name Symphorian, to whom the village church at Veryan is dedicated.

The name Lamorna belongs to a village, valley and cove in an area of outstanding natural beauty in West Cornwall, and to a popular Cornish folk song referencing the area. The name possibly derives from nans "valley" + mor "sea", or from lann "area around a church" + morlanow "high tide".

St Elwen is venerated in Cornwall and Brittany, and lent his name to several regional place names. It is also found as a surname, especially in Norfolk, England.

A medieval Cornish name which despite sounding similar to the French name Emeraude, is actually connected to the Welsh name Morfydd. Pronunciation rhymes with Herod -- and yes, the final d is pronounced.

Cador is said to be one of the ancient rulers of Cornwall who, according to Arthurian legend, was the guardian of Guinevere. The name Cadbury is said to come from his four hill-forts.

Saint Madern, also sometimes referred to as Saint Madron, was a Cornish monk and hermit sanctified in the 6th century. The Cornish village of Madron is named after him.

A modern Cornish word name with a sturdy natural namesake. Derwa is a related Cornish saint's name.

A very rare Cas name with that cool and cozy -wyn ending.

It may be a longshot – especially since it was given to less than 5 boys in the US in 2021 – but Piran could conceivably be a future Kieran, which is shaping up to being the next Kevin. Piran is the patron saint of miners and of Cornwall.

Treeve is an alternate spelling for Treave, a Cornish place name that is virtually unused in the US.

Prideaux is a Cornish place name and surname that is occasionally attested as a girls' first name. It likely stems from the French phrase "pré de eaux", meaning meadow of waters. For fans of Margaux, Prideaux might be a less-common and very pretty alternative.

Hedra is the Cornish word for the month of October. With no resemblance between the words, Hedra makes a subtle, intriguing choice for an October-born daughter.