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Alan


Meaning and Origin of Alan

The name Alan is derived from the name Alun.  The meaning of Alan is “masculine” and the usage is Welsh.

The name Alan was brought to England during the Norman Conquest.  Although the etymology is not quite certain, we do know that Alan is a Celtic name.

Alan is also derived from Proto-Celtic “alouno” which means either “nourishing” or “wandering”. The name did gain popularity in modern times when it was adopted by a 19th-century Welsh poet named John Blackwell.

Popularity

The popularity of Alan is different throughout the world. In the country of Poland, Alan is ranked number 24 while in the Netherlands, Alan is ranked number 288th.

Famous People Called Alan

Some very famous and well-known people are named Alan.

Alan Turing is a famous Alan
Alan Turing is a famous Alan

Famous Alans include Alan Rickman, Alan Carr, Alan Davies, Alan Shepard, and Alan Turing who is famous in history for his work breaking the German Enigma code.

This was also the name of an early Welsh saint and several dukes of Brittany. There were also a few Noble Prize Winners named Alan. Alan Lloyd Hodgkin, Alan Mac Diarmid, and Alan Heeger were among the list to receive this prestigious award.

Useful Resources

Discover the meaning and popularity of other Welsh boys’ names.

Dyfed

Origin and Meaning of the Name Dyfed

The name Dyfed is a name that is usually given to males. The name origins of Dyfed are Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Dyfed means “from Dyfed”.

Dyfed is an actual location. It’s a county located in western Wales. It used to be titled: Kingdom of Dyfed. Dyfed the county was originally named based off a former title the land was dubbed by Irish Deisi. The area is actually now known as Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

Location of Dyfed in Wales
The Old County of Dyfed in Wales

The name Dyfed may also be a different version for Daffyd. Daffyd is the Welsh name for David. David is biblical and of Hebrew origin. The name David means “beloved”, so by extension Dyfed may also mean “beloved” if it does originate from the name David.

Popularity

The name is not very popular in the world. It’s not on the top one hundred boy’s names in Wales. It’s actually most common a name for males in Ireland over any other country, although Wales is a close second. In the United States less than five boys were given the name Dyfed in 2014.

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Meilyr

Origin and Meaning of the Name Meilyr

Meilyr means ‘chief ruler’ or ‘man of iron’ in Welsh. It carries a connotation of strength and leadership. Those who carry this name should be proud of its meaning.

Popularity

What about the popularity of Meilyr? According to Babynology, Meilyr was ranked 4,805 in 2012, which makes this name quite unique.

Many names didn’t make it to the top 100 baby boys name list in Wales in 2017, and Meilyr was one of the names left off of it. It is still a great name, though, and it has a great meaning.

How to pronounce Meilyr?

Meilyr is a Welsh boys name with a rich history and meaning associated with it. One of the first questions that come to mind with this name is how to pronounce Meilyr? In English, it is pronounced ‘My-Ler’.

Famous People with the Name

The name Meilyr is associated with some profound figures in history. One such figure was Meilyr Brydydd. He was a poet who lived in the 1100s who was noted for his intensity and depth of feeling.

Although composing during 1055 – 1137, his works have survived down to this day. Another example is Meilyr Jones. He is a modern English musician who has toured with great acts like Richard Hawley.

Summary

So, while the popularity of Meilyr is not impressive, it is still a nice boys name that has a long history. It is a Welsh name that anyone can feel good about giving to their son because of its strong meaning and how different it is.

If you are looking for a unique name that has deep meaning, Meilyr is a great option!

Useful Resources

  • Discover the meaning and popularity of other Welsh boys’ names.
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Gwynfor

Meaning and Origin of the Name Gwynfor

Looking for a unique boys name and one that didn’t make the top 100 list of popular boy names in Wales? How does Gwynfor sound? It’s a Welsh name and the name Gwynfor means great and white.
Gwynfor’s meaning is from the Welsh element gwyn. Gwyn means light, fair, and blessed. It is combined with mawr which means great and large. Wynfor is a variation of Gwynfor as is Gwyn.

Attributes of the Name

It is said that boys named Gwynfor are pleasant and possess a quiet strength. He is sensitive and helpful, but can also be demanding, obsessive and a bit of a perfectionist.
Jobs that he may be suited for are jobs with travel, law and justice, and even the arts.

Famous People Called Gwynfor

Some famous people with the name Gwynfor include:
  • Gwynfor Evans -He was a Welsh politician, lawyer, author and was the leader of the Welsh political party Plaid Cymru. He was also their first politician to become a Member of Parliament.
  • Gwynfor James Williams  – He is a former rugby union player player.
  • There is also Gwynfor Jones. He is another athlete, a former Welsh footballer.

Popularity

Gwynfor isn’t a popular name and is mainly only used in Wales, though some other countries have used the name, but it is definitely unique and is sure to stand out as a strong boy’s name.

Useful Resources

Discover the meaning and origin of other Welsh boys’ names on our website

Brynmor

Meaning of the Name Brynmor

The name Brynmor is a wonderfully special name. The Welsh meaning of Brynmor is “great hill”. So while the meaning isn’t exactly spectacular the name itself is.

Origin

The name Brynmor actually comes from a place in northwest Wales called Gwynedd.

Famous People with the Name

The name has graced many types of celebrities such as Brynmor Williams a professional rugby player. It is also the namesake of a Celtic and rock band. There is also a horse breed with the name Brynmor. A well known university in Yorkshire, England has their library named “Brynmor Jones Library”.

Variation in the Boy’s Name Brynmor

Brynmor is often shorten the name to just Bryn.

There are also variant spellings of the name Brynmore (non Welsh). There is Brinmor, Brinmore, Brinnmor, Brinnmore, Brynmore, Brynnmor, and Brynnmore.

Also there are names that are similar in spelling and sounding to Brynmor if you’re looking for something else. They are Barner, Bernard, Bernarr, Brenner, Brinmor, Brinnmor, Brinnmore, Brynnmor, Brynnmore, Bhramara, Boromir, Branimir, and Bjørnar.

Useful Resources

Discover the meaning of other Welsh boys’ names on our website

Derfel

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.

Elwyn

The Meaning of The Name Elwyn

The name Elwyn is a great name that was popular in earlier times and is a form of the name Alwyn.

The meaning of Elwyn is white, fair, blessed, or holy. This is a great name that can really be lived up to in the life span of a boy.

Popularity of Elwyn

Elwyn was not in the top 100 baby boys’ names in Wales during 2013. However, Elwyn was a name that was quite popular in the 20s and 30s in America.

Famous People with the Name

There are some famous individuals with the name Elwyn. Elwyn Berlekamp is one of the most famous Elwyns in the world. His contributions to mathematics gave him the ability to reach many new conclusions in the world. Perhaps in your name your child Elwyn they will also be blessed with the similar intelligence in their life. This is a great name that any child would fit very well. This is a great choice for a baby name for anyone around the world.

Not many people know but the Welsh international rugby player Martyn Williams has the middle name Elwyn.

Useful Resources

Discover the meaning and origin of other Welsh male names.

Martyn

Meaning and Origin of the Name Martyn

The name Martyn, predominately considered a Welsh or Ukrainian variant of the given name Martin, is based on the Latin Martinus.

The meaning of Martyn is said to be “warrior of Mars.” Mars, in this context, is understood to refer to the Roman God of War and Fertility. The name Martyn could also be translated as “war-like” or the more general “warrior” or simply “of Mars.”

Popularity

Generally considered fairly rare, the first name Martyn did not appear in 100 most popular boys names in Wales in 2013. The popularity of Martyn is considerably less than the more common spelling of the name, Martin. The name has experience periods of popularity when all variants are considered. Most recently, interest in the name spiked in the 1960s though has since declined in popularity.

Martin is considered a fairly common surname with a strong presence in the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and others. As a surname, is carries the same meaning as when used as a given name.

Famous People with the 1st Name Martyn

Some famous person’s with the name include the Welsh international rugby player Martyn Williams, the singer song writer Martyn Joseph and Martyn Margetson a Welsh footballer.

Useful Resources

  • Discover the meaning and popularity of other Welsh baby boys’ names on our website

Cenydd

Meaning and Origin of Cenydd

The Welsh male name Cenydd is a prime representative of the Gaelic names surviving centuries of modification into more widely used modern forms. The Brittonic Celt pronunciation of Cenydd is either Kěn-ęth, or Kěn-it. Most people will recognize its modern spelling “Kenneth.”

The meaning of Cenydd, or Kenneth is roughly translated from the ancient Welsh word for “handsome.” Originally, it was not used as a name, but an affinitive and descriptive term for a man who has earned great praise, or social prominence.

Popularity

Cenydd, or Kenneth seems to have experienced a reemergence in the past few decades. Many famous people from a variety of English speaking countries bear this name. Kenneth Branaugh is a world famous actor and Shakespearean scholar. Kenneth Cole is the founder of a major fashion company. Kenneth G. Mills was a concert pianist and philosopher, and Kenneth L. Tallman was the Superintendent of the US Air Force.

Famous People Called Cenydd

It is possible that the most important Cenydd, or Kenneth for Welsh people is Saint Cenydd, the Hermit of Wales. This man was born a misfit and a cripple in the 6th Century A.D. He lived a pagan life in the Welsh region until a series of prayers miraculously cured his ailments. From the time of his healing, he dedicated his life to the downtrodden and poor. Any man bearing the name Kenneth reminds Welsh nationals of this “saint for the common folk.” St. Cenydd’s Day is a Welsh national holiday celebrated on July 1st.

Useful Resources

Checkout the meaning and popularity of other Welsh boys’ names on this website.

Guto

The Origin and Meaning Of The Boy’s Name Guto

The boy’s name Guto is of Welsh origin. The meaning of Guto is “strong chief.” Guto is commonly used as a boy’s name. It includes 4 letters as well as 2 syllables, Guto is announced Gu-to. Guto has generated from the Welsh name of Gruffydd.

Popularity of Guto

In the United States recorded in 2014 less than 6 boys were given the name. The popularity of Guto and usage of Guto is in the 57% range for first names and 43% for surnames. Guto being used as a first name was located 48 times in a total of 7 distinct countries. The family name was found to be used 36 times in at minimum 10 countries.

The popularity of the name Guto has dropped through the years, statistics babies per million is in 1996, 92 babies, in the year 1997 there were 17 babies, in 1998 12 babies, 2001 4 babies on record and in 2014 the number of babies born with Guto was just 7 babies.

Famous Gutos

Some famous people in history that are well noted that have had the name Guto are Guto Dafydd Pryce, Guto Harri, Guto Pryderi Puw. Some renown writers are Guto Evans, Guto Lins, Guto Roberts, Guto’r Glyn and Dafydd Guto Ifan.

Useful Resources

Discover the meaning and popularity of other boys’ names on our website.