Because of its relatively small population, Wales has sent fewer immigrants to the US than Ireland and Scotland have–a mere 100,000 between 1820 and 1976–so that  Welsh names are not as well known here as the other Celts. Which is a shame, because  it’s a lilting, rhythmic language, offering lots of fresh and beguiling choices.

　　Like the Irish, the Welsh have only rediscovered some of the rich resources of their own language and culture in the past century. Ater the Welsh language was suppressed for hundreds of years, baby namers are now digging back into their native history and myth, traditional literature and legends for inspirational namesakes of ancient heroes, princes and other royalty, for example increasing the popularity of names like the mythological Rhiannon.

　　Unlike the Irish names, Welsh choices present far fewer pronunciation challenges–their spelling is much closer to phonetic. Also note that the yn ending is usually masculine (even though, for example, Gwyn might sound feminine to us), and the en ending, as in Gwen, is for the most part feminine.

　　Here, a selection of some rich Welsh possibilities:

　　GIRLS

　　ADWYNAELWENAERON/AERONAALYS

　　ANWENAURON (AYR-on)BEDELIA

　　BETHAN

　　BRANWEN

　　BRIALLEN

　　BRONWEN

　　BRYN (unisex)CERYSDELYTH/DILYSEIRA (AY-ra)ELERI (el-AYR-ee)ELEN/ELINENIDFFION, FFIONA

　　FFLUR (FLEER)–Welsh word for flower)GLADYS

　　GLENYS

　　GWENDOLENGWENNO (a nickname-name for Gwen names)GWYN/GWYNETHIOLA (YO-la)KENDALL (unisex)LLIO (LHEE-oh)LOWRI

　　MAIR

　　MARGED

　　MEGANMELERI (mel-AYR-ee)MYFANWY

　　NERYSNIA

　　NESTA

　　OLWEN

　　RHIANNON (ree-AHN-un)RHONWEN

　　SIAN (SHAN)–Welsh form of Jane

　　TEGANTELERI (the-AYR-ee)WINIFRED

　　BOYS

　　ALUN

　　ALWYNANEIRIN (an-EYE-rin)ARVELBEVAN/BEVINBRYNCADWELLENDAFYDD (DAY-veth)DEWI

　　DRYSTAN

　　DYLAN

　　ELIAN

　　ELLISSMYREVAN

　　GARETH

　　GRIFFIN

　　GRIFFITH

　　GWILYM (GWIL-um)GWYNHUW/HEW/HUGHIAON (ee-oo-an)IOLO (YOH-lo)JEVANKYNANLLEULLEWELLYN

　　LLOYD

　　MADDOX

　　MARCH

　　MORGAN

　　NYEPADRIG (PAHD-rig)PARRY

　　RHYSSIAM (SHAM)–Welsh form of James

　　SIARL (SHARL)–Welsh form of CharlesSIOR (SHOR)–Welsh form of George

　　SULIEN (SIL-yen)TALIESIN (tahl-YES-in)TEILO (TAY-lo)TUDORVAUGHAN