Welsh given names come from Brythonic Celtic roots and show distinct orthography. Consonant digraphs such as ll, rh, ch, dd, th, and ff are common, and w and y function as vowels. Many names are compounds built from elements like cad (battle), gwyn/gwen (white, fair), hywel (eminent), and rhys (ardor), producing forms such as Cadwaladr, Gwynfor, and Rhys. The ending -wyn is typically masculine and -wen is feminine. Initial G- often alternates with Gw- in related forms, and Gwen- appears frequently in feminine names.
Historically, Wales used patronymics: ap/ab “son of” and ferch “daughter of.” These produced modern surnames like Bowen (ab Owain), Bevan (ab Ifan), and Pritchard (ap Richard). Christian influence introduced Welsh forms of saints’ names, including Dafydd (David), Ioan/Ieuan (John), and Siân (Jane). Themes tied to nature and attributes are frequent, such as Dylan (sea), Bryn (hill), and Megan (pearl, from Margaret). Modern usage mixes traditional Welsh compounds with revived medieval names and Anglicized or bilingual spellings, reflecting both local practice and wider adoption.
| Name | Meaning | Origins | Gender | Popularity (last 10y) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dylan | Son of the sea / sea-born | Welsh | Boy | 92,343 #1 | |
| Owen | Young warrior; noble-born | Welsh | Boy | 87,084 #2 | |
| Kai | Cross-cultural name variously meaning 'sea' or 'ocean' (Hawaiian, Japanese), 'food' (Māori), and often 'victory' or 'open/beginning' in Chinese. | Chinese, Cornish, Hawaiian, Japanese, Scandinavian, Welsh | Unisex | 45,847 #3 | |
| Tristan | Traditionally 'sorrowful' (folk etymology from Old French 'triste'); original Brittonic form likely Drustan/Drystan, so exact meaning is uncertain | Breton, Welsh | Boy | 24,020 #4 | |
| Maddox | Son of Madoc; Madoc/Madog is often interpreted as 'fortunate' or 'benefactor' | Welsh | Boy | 22,420 #5 | |
| Morgan | Sea-born; associated with the sea | Welsh | Unisex | 20,127 #6 | |
| Reese | Ardent; enthusiastic; passionate | Welsh | Unisex | 19,535 #7 | |
| Griffin | Strong lord; also associated with the mythical griffin (lion‑eagle creature) | Welsh | Boy | 14,740 #8 | |
| Teagan | Little poet; fair | Irish, Welsh | Girl | 14,095 #9 | |
| Elian | Usually 'of the sun' from Latin Aelianus; when linked to Elijah/Elias it can be associated with 'My God is Yahweh' or 'God has answered'; Welsh usage is tied to a saint rather than a single clear lexical meaning. | Aramaic, Hebrew, Latin, Welsh | Boy | 9,243 #10 | |
| Imogen | Maiden; beloved | Cornish, Welsh | Girl | 8,805 #11 | |
| Brynn | Hill, hilltop | Welsh | Girl | 8,691 #12 | |
| Bowen | Son of Owen (Owain); Owen/Owain often interpreted as 'noble' or 'well-born' | Welsh | Boy | 7,439 #13 | |
| Rhys | Enthusiasm, ardor | Welsh | Boy | 7,405 #14 | |
| Gwendolyn | From Welsh gwen 'white, fair, blessed' + dolen 'ring' - 'white/fair (or blessed) ring'. | Welsh | Girl | 7,401 #15 | |
| Reece | Enthusiasm, ardor | Welsh | Unisex | 6,304 #16 | |
| Megan | Little pearl | Welsh | Girl | 6,089 #17 | |
| Nia | Bright, radiant (from Irish Niamh); Purpose (Swahili) | Irish, Swahili, Welsh | Girl | 5,464 #18 | |
| Meredith | Generally interpreted as "great ruler" or "sea lord" | Welsh | Boy | 5,308 #19 | |
| Marvin | Likely from Old Welsh Merfyn - commonly interpreted as "sea hill" or "sea/shore friend"; some sources also render a sense of "famous/renowned friend." | English, Germanic, Welsh | Boy | 5,099 #20 | |
| Dillon | From Welsh Dylan meaning "son of the sea"; also used as an Irish surname of Hiberno‑Norman origin | Welsh | Boy | 4,354 #21 | |
| Winnie | Fair, blessed; friend | English, Old English, Welsh | Girl | 3,529 #22 | |
| Idris | Arabic: 'interpreter' or 'studious' (name of a prophet often identified with Enoch). Welsh: 'ardent/enthusiastic lord'. | Arabic, Welsh | Boy | 3,382 #23 | |
| Wendy | Friend | English, Welsh | Girl | 3,238 #24 | |
| Gwen | White, fair; blessed | Welsh | Girl | 3,137 #25 | |
| Arian | Varies by origin: 'silver' (Welsh); 'noble/Aryan' (Persian/Sanskrit); sometimes used as a form of Adrian. | Albanian, Persian, Sanskrit, Welsh | Boy | 2,704 #26 | |
| Meghan | Pearl (diminutive of Margaret) | Irish, Welsh | Girl | 2,452 #27 | |
| Merrick | Associated with Maurice: 'dark-skinned, Moorish'; folk interpretation sometimes 'sea ruler' | Welsh | Boy | 2,130 #28 | |
| Guinevere | Fair or white (often rendered 'white/fair lady' or 'white phantom') | Welsh | Girl | 2,014 #29 | |
| Jenny | Often 'God is gracious' (from Jane/Janet); when derived from Jennifer, associated with 'white/fair' (from Guinevere) | English, Welsh | Girl | 2,000 #30 | |
| Jones | Son of John | English, Welsh | Boy | 1,934 #31 | |
| Rhiannon | Great queen | Welsh | Girl | 1,713 #32 | |
| Maddux | Son of Madoc (Madog), from Welsh meaning 'fortunate' or 'benefactor' | Welsh | Boy | 1,712 #33 | |
| Emrys | Immortal, divine | Welsh | Boy | 1,516 #34 | |
| Sherlyn | Beloved; lake | English, French, Welsh | Girl | 1,473 #35 | |
| Gwyneth | White, fair; blessed | Welsh | Girl | 1,386 #36 | |
| Bryn | Hill, mound | Welsh | Unisex | 1,313 #37 | |
| Lynn | From Welsh llyn meaning "lake" or "pool"; also used as an English short form/element in names. | English, Welsh | Unisex | 1,277 #38 | |
| Merlin | Likely 'sea fortress' or 'hill fort' (etymology uncertain) | Welsh | Boy | 1,092 #39 | |
| Lloyd | Grey, grey-haired | Welsh | Boy | 1,068 #40 | |
| Niya | Meanings vary by origin; commonly 'purpose' (Swahili) or 'bright/radiant' (Welsh). In Sanskrit-derived contexts it can be associated with 'purpose' or 'destiny'. | Indian, Sanskrit, Slavic, Swahili, Welsh | Girl | 1,065 #41 | |
| Cai | Multiple origins: linked to the Latin name Caius/Gaius (historically associated with 'rejoice'); as Chinese 蔡 (Cài) it is a surname from an ancient state rather than a lexical meaning. | Chinese, Latin, Welsh | Boy | 975 #42 | |
| Broderick | Literally 'brother-ruler' or 'ruler of brothers'; Irish form (Ó Bruadair) refers to 'descendant of Bruadar' (Bruadar is a personal name, possibly 'dreamer') | English, Welsh | Boy | 895 #43 | |
| Gladys | Originally 'land' or 'country'; often interpreted as 'princess' or associated with royalty | Welsh | Girl | 830 #44 | |
| Gwenyth | Fair, blessed; white | Welsh | Girl | 800 #45 | |
| Syana | Varies by origin - 'God is gracious' (Welsh) or 'radiant, shining' (Bulgarian/Slavic). | Bulgarian, Slavic, Welsh | Girl | 755 #46 | |
| Floyd | Gray, gray-haired | Welsh | Boy | 741 #47 | |
| Halen | Primarily "salt" in Welsh; in English use often a modern/phonetic variant of names like Haylen/Haley. | English, Welsh | Unisex | 722 #48 | |
| Conway | From the Welsh placename Conwy - 'from the River Conwy' (literally 'chief/important river' or 'high water') | English, Irish, Welsh | Boy | 693 #49 | |
| Lynette | Diminutive of Lynn ('lake') or linked to Welsh Eluned/Luned meaning 'idol, image' | Welsh | Girl | 641 #50 |
Aggregated births across United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany for every Welsh-origin name in our dataset.
