Welsh names for girls.

In the past 100 years there has been an increase in Welsh names becoming popular,  and new Welsh names being coined… due to the increase in nationalist and localist sentiment.   Names such as Sian have become more common in the UK as a whole.
I got interested in Welsh names as a kid through reading the Arthurian legends.  The names there are usually Celtic but have been adapted and changed -with a French influence or anglicised.  So they are likely not the original names of the characters.  Guinevere was in the earliest version  of the tale -Guenhumara.  Later it became more like “Gwynhwyfar”.  The name is of uncertain meaning, but the Gwyn at the start means “fair “or “white”.  Morgan, Arthur’s sister or in some versions his mistress, means “Sea born”.   Elaine, usually Lancelot’s wife or love for a time, could derive from Elen, the Welsh for Helen or a word that means hind or fawn.  Enid is another name which has been used a good deal and it means “soul”.  Lynette, in the story of Gareth and Lynnette, in Tennyson, may derive from Eluned…  

I like Welsh names but I’m always afraid that I’m likely to be mispronouncing them.  Sian, the equivalent of Jane, is pronounced “Shan”…  The Welsh F is pronounced as V, and a double Ff, such as in Ffion, is an “f” sound.  Myfanwy, a name brought to public notice by John Betjeman in one of his  light hearted love poems, is pronounced MuhVanWy… and mean “My woman”.

 Other names with the suffix “wen” have become popular, such as Ceinwen “lovely and fair”..  The “wen” is a variant of “Gwen” or “Gwyn” signifying white or fair.  Others are Ceridwen – fair poetry, the name of the goddess of poetry.  There is Bronwen, “white breast” and Blodwen “white flowers”.   Arianwen means “white and silvery”…

 Other “Gwyn” names are Gwyneth, Gwendolen (white circle), Gweneira (White snow) and Gwenllian(white Foam).
 In the 20^th century, new names were coined, mostly “nature or flower names” from Welsh words. These include Eirlys (Snowdrop), Celyn (Holly),  Heulwen (sunshine), Eira (snow) and Briallen (Primrose).   Others are Aderyn (bird),  Meinwen (slender and fair),  Aeronwy (berry), and Dilys which means genuine or true.
Other older female names are mentioned in Welsh legend and poetry.  There is the story of Olwen -who had the faculty of making white flowers spring up behind her as she walked, the name means  white footprint. In the Mabinogi, Angharhad (meaning  intense love) falls in love with Peredur..

I hope to write something on Welsh male names, next week....