Cornish Baby Names

Although Tegen resembles the names Teagan and Tegan, they are etymologically distinct names. Tegen, pronounced TEG-en rather than TEE-gan, is a modern Cornish word name meaning "pretty" or "ornament."

Bryher, a homophone of Briar, is the name of an Isle of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall. It was the penname of novelist Annie Winifred Ellerman, who chose the name in honor of the island. Today, Bryher is seen as a girl name in Cornwall, where it is used as a variation of up-and-coming Briar.

Ewella is one of the modern Cornish word names plucked straight from the dictionary. It's very name-like with its -ella ending, but the Ew up front gives us pause.

Sowena is the Cornish word for success, a wonderful and encouraging meaning for a baby girl's name.

Cornish cognate of the Welsh Celyn.

The middle name of Captain Ross Poldark in the BBC series. Vennor is a Cornish surname which may be related to Fennor(e), which in turn is related to Guinevere.

A subtle Cornish fruit name meaning "cherry." Keresen has only been in use as a name in recent years, following the Cornish trend of adopting names from the dictionary.

An ancient British saint's name, of uncertain origin but possibly connected to Peter. He has left a legacy in place names, churches and monuments in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany.

Morvoren derives from the Cornish mor, meaning "sea," and moren, "maiden," taking on the meaning of "mermaid." The Mermaid of Zennor, a local mythological figure, was associated with morvoren, although it wasn't until after the 20th-century revival of the Cornish language that Morvoren became the mermaid's name rather than her species. In recent years, the name has been given to baby girls a handful of times in its native Cornwall.

This could be a good option for people looking for a virtue name, though the virtue most people will understand will be different to the meaning.

The original Cornish name for the town better known today as Tintagel. With its Arthurian heritage, this makes a good choice for those fond of the legends of Lancelot, Guinevere and King Arthur.

Cornish form of Endellion

Morgelyn is a Cornish compound name derived from the Welsh mor, meaning "sea" and kelyn, "holly." Sea holly is another name for the Eryngium plant, which showcases prickly purple blooms, making Morgelyn a botanical name.

Cornish form of Guinevere. Saint Minver was one of the many holy daughters of King Brychan. Also found as Miniver, Menvra, Menfre and more.

Related to the Welsh name Celyn (and ultimately a distant cousin of the English word Holly), this makes a rare and modern-sounding nature name. Outside of Cornwall, it may be a struggle keeping the stress on the second syllable.

A Cornish vocabulary bird, meaning the swallow bird, used in modern times.

Cornish form of Griffin

Cornish form of Guinevere. Saint Miniver was one of the many holy daughters of King Brychan. Also found as Minver, Menvra, Menfre and more.

A sweet modern update on Morgan.

Pawly has catapulted into the lexicon with the advent of Pawly the pet dog robot. It's a cute version of the more serious Paul.