Popular Welsh Names

There are lots of popular Welsh names that can give us some really fantastic inspiration for naming our little babies!

I've finally got my hands on a nice long list of the most popular names given to babies in Wales, and they are a mixture of the more familiar names you'll find in the popularity charts around the UK as well as some wonderful names from the region that I'm sure you'll love!

The most popular baby names in Wales - 2009

Rankings - Source: National Statistics website: www.statistics.gov.uk Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO

Interesting ideas from the top 100 Welsh baby names

Lots of pretty girls' names and original boys' names here, so shall we say ladies first? All these names appear in the top 100 from Wales:

Girls' Welsh names

• Seren is number three in Wales, and this lovely name means "star"

• Ffion, meaning "foxglove"

• Carys and Cerys both meaning "love"

• Bethan is a short form of Elizabeth

• Nia is another form of Niamh

• Elin from the name Helen

• Lowri is related to the name Laura and the laurel tree

• Catrin is from Katherine, and a short form is Cadi

• Tegan is a "fair" young lady

• Mari of course is based on the name Mary

Boys' Welsh names

• Tomos as in Thomas, meaning "twin"

• Owen or Owain which may come from the name Eugene, or from a Welsh word for "youth." Here's the first name that refers to one of the knights of the Round Table. And the second is...

• Cai, who in mythology can be found as Sir Kay

• Gethin - and here is a name I have forgotten about, although on looking it up see that this is the first name of a couple of Welsh rugby union players, and my memory stirs... I think it's a lovely name, and apparently means "dark skinned"

• Ieuan or Ioan or even Iwan - and indeed Sion are all Welsh variants on the name John

• Iestyn is a variant of Justin

• Lloyd comes from a word meaning "gray" - or grey, if you're from the UK ;)

I hope you enjoyed this selection of popular Welsh names,