Welsh Names

Ieuan is a Scrabble-rack full of impossible vowels. Consider Ewan, Ian, or Owen instead.

The most modern choice in this group, and the most distinctive; the Gwyn form is a common male name in Wales.

Gaynor is an early androgynous name with a positive association, related to the Cornish megahit name Jennifer.

This name of a river in Wales represents a vowel change from Alan, which makes the name somewhat more intriguing, but still possibly not intriguing enough. Bonus points if you're a surfer, sailor, or you're expecting a baby born under a water sign of the zodiac: It's one of the more unusual names that mean water.

Extremely common in Wales and England, Dafydd would likely leave some non-Welsh speakers confused at first. But we love the soft, lispy quality this variation offers.

Male name that seems feminine enough to switch genders, if you're looking for a new lyn spin.

This Old Welsh name associated with blacksmiths has never caught on, but it has the right two-syllable occupational feel to qualify for revival. Gower Champion was a successful midcentury dancer, choreographer and director on the Broadway stage, in films and on TV.

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.

Terminally outmoded.

A bit of a tongue-twister.

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 Elowen, which is Cornish.

The name of the patron saint of Wales is virtually unknown in the US under this spelling. There were no baby boys named Dewi or Dewie in the US in 2021, though there were 35 named Dewey. Incredibly enough, Dewey ranked among the US Top 1000 for an entire century, from 1887 to 1986, reaching as high as Number 19 in 1898.

Noted bearers of this surname include a metaphysical poet, a Nobel Prize winner, and a baseball Hall of Famer, so there's plenty of hero-name inspiration.