Gwynedd: Meaning and Origin

The Welsh girls’ name Gwynedd celebrates the county in North Wales. The Welsh meaning of Gwynedd, “white, blessed, happiness,” makes this name an attractive option to name a baby girl.

History of the Name

A Briton chieftain named Cunedda was said to have founded the old Kingdom of Gwynedd, after which the present area in Northwest Wales is named. Though the second-largest local government area in that country, Gwynedd boasts only a scarce, predominantly Welsh-speaking population. Until 1996, the local government areas of Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey came under the umbrella of Gwynedd County. As most of North Wales corresponds to the approximate area of the old Kingdom of Gwynedd, the name can also refer to this region. .

Some believe that Gwynedd is a variant of Cunedda, whereas others speculate that the name is a translation of Venedotia, the Roman-Briton Latin name for the area.

Famous People with the name Gwynedd

Many notable people come from Gwynedd, including former British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, T.E. Lawrence and soul-singer Duffy

Popularity of the Name

Unfortunately, the popularity of Gwynedd has declined in recent years. People may have more familiarity with the variant Gwyneth, because of actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Other variants of Gwynedd include Gwyn and Gwynne.

Useful Resources

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

Sara Etymology and Meaning

The name Sara comes from the name Sarai, a feminine name with Jewish origin in the Old Testament and in the Hebrew language. There are traces of the name in Sanskrit and Indo-Iranian as well.

The meaning of Sara is derived from Sarah, which means “lady, princess, noblewoman” in the Hebrew language. The first known usage of any form of Sara was in the Old Testament, as the wife of Abraham. In modern Hebrew, “Sarah” is the word for “woman minister”.

Popularity

The popularity of Sara varies wildly across the world, but in England and Wales it hovers just under 100th on the list of most common female baby names. The name Sara did not catch on in England and Wales until after the Protestant Reformation.

Famous People with the First Name Sara

Sara is a name held by many famous individuals and companies. Sara Bareilles, singer of “Love Song”; Sara Ramirez, Dr. Torrez on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; and Sara Gilbert, Darlene Conner on Roseanne are all famous examples of people named Sara. Additionally, Sara Lee is an example of a famous company with the name Sara.

Useful Resources

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

Origin and Meaning of Rhoswen

The Celtic girl’s name Rhoswen is Welsh in origin. Given the status of Rhoswen’s popularity, it would not be surprising if you have not heard of it.

The meaning of Rhoswen is primarily “rose”, specifically “white rose”. Other meanings such as “fair”, “faith” and “blessed” could also be applied. The name is similar in sound to other Welsh girl names such as Bronwen and Rhiannon, but much less known. , when it is used, it is mainly found in English speaking countries.

Popularity of Rhoswen

In 2014, Rhoswen was not present in the top 100 baby girls’ name (in Wales).

Pet forms of the Name

Shortened versions of the name might be “Ros”, “Winnie”, “Rose” or “Rosie”. Although many people have never heard of this name, some might find it a refreshing change from the more common girl names. When you consider the fact that the very first thing you give your child is not a toy, not a bed or an article of clothing, but a name; why not make it a unique one?

Useful Resources

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

Gwennan name Meaning and Origin

Gwennan, pronounced (GWEN an), is a female name of Welsh origin meaning “blessed” or “luck” in the Welsh language, or alternatively, Daughter of Brychan. It is predominately used in Welsh-speaking or English-speaking countries. It is a derivative of the more commonly used Gwyneth, which is also of Welsh origin.

Variation in the Spelling

Gwennan has an alternative spelling of Gwenan.
People called Gwennan are often refereed to as Gwen.

Popularity of the Name

It is a fairly uncommon name and is not in the top 100 of most popular baby names in Wales as of 2014, although a few famous women share the name.

Famous People with the Name Gwennan

Here’s a few famous people with the name:

• Gwennan Harris, a professional Welsh football striker, and
• Gwennan Edwards, a Welsh  journalist and musician fluent in her native tongue.
• There is also a ship named Gwennan Gorn (or gwennangorn), which was built by legendary sea voyager Madog ab Owain Gwynedd and had nails made of stag’s horns instead of iron.
• King Aruther was also to have said to have a ship named Gwennan, which met its fate in shipwreck.

Similar Names

Similar baby girl names in the Welsh language are Gwen, Gwendolyn, Gwener, Gwenfrewy, Gwenith, Gwenllian, Gwylan, Gwyneira, and Gwynne.

Useful Resources

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

Meaning of the Welsh Name Nesta

The meaning of this female name of Welsh origin is pure.

In other countries Nesta can be a male name, an example of which is the Jamaican athlete Nesta Carter.

Popularity

Nesta is not a popular Welsh name and so it was no surprise that it was not in the top 100 baby girls’ names in 2014 according to statistics from the UK Government.

Famous People Called Nesta

Through out history women have put this name to good use with a few of them being Nesta Helen Webster who for the better part of her life wrote some of the best secret society books to this day.

Another women is Nesta Toumine who was one of few famous dancers from Canada.

Useful Resources

• Discover the meaning and popularity of other Welsh girls’ names on our website.
• Get these Hot Deals on Baby Products.