Origin and Meaning of the Name Derfel

The boy’s first name, Derfel, is of Welsh derivation. This name means “strong, brave, or mighty” in the Welsh language.

Famous People with the Name

The most famous person bearing this name, and the one from which most boy’s receive the name, is Derfel Gadarn who was better known as Saint Derfel. He was a Christian saint that is venerated by the Anglican and Catholic traditions.

Legends surrounding Saint Derfel say that he was part of King Arthur’s court and participated in the Battle of Camlann after which he devoted his life to the Church and served as a monk trying to convert to Christianity those who he had fought against previously.

Another famous person bearing the Derfel name was Robert Jones Derfel, a Baptist minister in the late 1800s in England. He was a prolific writer in the Welsh language and exerted much political influence on the politicians of his day. He bought a printing press and published many works on Socialism both in the Welsh and English languages.

Popularity of the name Derfel

Derfel is not found in the first 1000 most common baby names in the English language and therefore is considered rather rare in 2015.

Useful Resources

• Discover the meaning and popularity of other Welsh male names on our website.