Meaning and Origin of the Name Meleri

The name Meleri can be attributed to Saint Meleri verch Brychan, born in modern day Wales around the year 428 C.E. She was one of the many children born to Brychan Brycheiniog, who was a King in Brycheiniog. The kingdom was named after Brychan, who was well liked as a king. He was never offically made a saint, but many of his children were, Meleri included.

Meleri was married to Ceredig, who was king of Ceredigion. Meleri is said to be the grandmother of Saint David, who was concieved when Ceredig’s son Sanctus raped the virgin Nonita. Brychan and Ceredig were members of the two most prominent holy families in Wales, making Meleri an important figure in their history, as her marriage to Ceredig brought these two families together.

It’s unclear why Meleri was made a saint, although many women of the time were sainted because they were related to other prominent saints. For this reason, many believe Meleri gained her sainthood by way of her relationship to Saint David.

Popularity of Meleri

Meleri was not in the top 100 girls’ names in Wales in 2013.

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Meaning and Origin of Name Rhian

If you are looking for a beautiful girl’s name for your new baby, learn why you should consider the name Rhian.

Rhian is a lovely Welsh name that means ‘maiden’ and is pronounced as ‘Ree-Ann’ in English. The ‘Rh’ letter found in the Welsh alphabet.

Popularity

The popularity of Rhian is pleasing to any parent that is looking for a name that is not very common even in its native Wales as it was not amongst the top 100 baby girls’ names according to the figures released from the National Office of Statistics in 2014. This means that, most likely, your daughter Rhian wouldn’t have too many peers with the same name.

Variations

If you are looking for something similar to the name Rhian, the name is a shortened version of the name Rhiannon.

Famous People Called Rhian

There are not too many famous people with the name Rhian to note

• Rhian Edwards an award winning Welsh poet.
• Rhian Lois a Welsh opera singer.
• St Rhian – he was a little know Welsh abbot from Pembrokeshire.

Useful Resources

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

Meaning of the Girl’s Enid

Originating from Welsh, the meaning of Enid is “soul” or “life.” Conversely, in Celtic the meaning of Enid is Spirit. As far as characteristics associated with the name, there are many but mostly, the person with the name Enid, ‘walks to the beat of a different drummer’ unhampered by tradition. In addition, the name Enid is connected with ‘spotless purity’ and embodies all that is noble and true in womanhood.

Popularity

Enid. The popularity of the Enid name was spurred on as a result of the book by Alfred Tennyson, “Idylls of the King” published between 1859 and 1885. In it, the story centers on the Arthurian Legend of the knight Geraint and his wife, Enid. The name seemed to rise in popularity around the 1890’s and peak around the 1920’s, mostly in Britain. It seemed to have made a ‘comeback’ of sorts in 2012 and again in 2014 and making it to number 204 of American popular names in 2015.

In 2013, it was not in the 100 most popular baby girls’ names in Wales.

Famous People with the 1st Name Enid

• Notable women with the name Enid include:
  Enid Blyton – the award winning author of children’s books which included the ‘Famous Five‘ and ‘Noddy‘.
• Enid Bennett – Australian silent film actress
• Enid Collins – American handbag designer

Useful Resources

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

Origin and Meaning of the Name Brenda

Brenda is a popular girl’s name in the Celtic areas of Great Britain, especially Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. Etymologists argue as to the meaning of Brenda. Some say it is a feminine version of the male Irish Brendan, in honor of St. Brendan the Navigator. Others say it may come from the Old Norse word brand, meaning flaming sword, or be an feminine form of Brandolf (sword wolf). Whether or not the name Brenda was originally the feminine form of Brendan, it is now used that way.

Popularity

The popularity of Brenda has dropped (and it was not in the top 100 baby girls’ names in Wales in 2013). It was quite popular in the late Victorian era, as well as during the 1940s-1960s, but has been declining since the beginning of the 21st century. It is used in the UK from Yorkshire (judge Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond) to Somerset (artist Brenda Pye) to Kent (actress Brenda Blethyn).

The name Brenda can be found around the world: athlete Brenda Archer (Guyana), athlete Brenda Castillo (Dominican Republic), singer Brenda Fassie (South Africa), actress Brenda Fricker (Ireland), singer Brenda Lee (USA), athlete Brenda Matthews (New Zealand), politician Brenda Robertson (Canada), athlete Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (Netherlands), actress/taekwondo black belt Brenda Song (USA, of Hmong and Thai heritage).

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See the meaning and popularity of other Welsh girls’ names on our website.

The name of Olwen and its origins

Etymology:

The name Olwen, is a charming Welsh name for girls. It’s etymological origins are based from “ol”, which means footprint and “gwen” which means fair.

Mythological Origins & Meaning

The meaning of Olwen, is “white footprint”, and it comes straight out Welsh mythology. In the legendary tale of Olwen & Cullwch, Olwen is a beautiful and fair woman, sought after as a prize bride by Prince Cullwch. Cullwch had been previously cursed to marry Olwen, but in order to do so Cullwch had to complete near impossible tasks(with help from King Arthur) created by Olwen’s father, to prove his worthiness. Once married, Olwen’s father Yspaddaden, would be destined to die.

Popularity of Olwen

The popularity of the Olwen name, isn’t very large. According to the social security administration, it doesn’t even land among the top 1000 names. Nonetheless, this makes it an extremely rare, but unique and beautiful name at best.

Notable persons the Olwen Name

Here’s a list of a few people with the name:

• American Playwright Olwen Wymark
• British Historian Olwen Hufton
• Irish politician Olwyn Enright
• Irish Actress Olwen Fouère

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

Meaning and Orgin of the Name Elinor

Elinor is the Welsh spelling of Eleanor, which is a girls’ name that originated in France. It also has roots in Germany and Greece. The original spelling of the Elinor name is “Aliénor”. Elinor may also have originated from the name Helen.

The meaning of Elinor is “foreign” – coming from another, unfamiliar place – and “other”.

Popularity

Eleanor was a popular name in Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries, and became popular again in the United States during the early 20th century, particularly the 1910s and 1920s. However, the popularity of Elinor as a name has decreased since the 1920s in both the United States and in the United Kingdom. However, some variations of Elinor such as Ella continue to be very popular across the globe.

Famous People Called Elinor

Some celebrities named Elinor include politician, economist, and Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom and poet and novelist Elinor Wylie. Elinor Jones is the famous Welsh presenter on S4C. Elinor Crawley is an actress who featured in the films Bridgend and Submarine.

Famous fictional Elinors include Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and Queen Elinor, the mother of Merida in the animated film Brave.

Useful Resources

• Discover the meaning and popularity of other Welsh girl’s names on our website

Origins of the Name Clwyd

Clwyd is a name derived from the river Clwyd which is located in the north-east county of Clwyd Wales. In 1277, King James I placed a castle on the river Clwyd and significantly changed its flow to suit the needs of the castle barges. Clwyd is also the name of a valley area whose boundaries are marked by low hills, forests and the Irish sea.

Meaning of Clwyd

Clwyd is pronounced Klō-id and means hurdle or gate in Welsh.

Popularity of Clwyd

The latest government statistics indicate that Clwyd was not among the top 100 popular baby girl’s names in 2013.

Famous People and Places Called Clwyd

Famous people with the name Clwyd are in short supply. Ann Clwyd is a member of the European parliament since 1984 as a member of the Labour party. The Baron Clwyd is a title for the region, created in 1919, and four men have held the title since its introduction. While not as popular for people’s names, it is very popular in Wales for place-names. Clwyd is the name of a county, a Baron title, a range, a valley and a river.

Useful Resources

• See the meaning and popularity of other Welsh girls’ names on our website.

Meaning of the Name Nerys

A persons name defines who they are. You should take your time, and research the history of your child’s name. There are a lot of Welsh names that fit well together. Nerys name is a feminine suggestion, and historians believe the meaning of Nerys is “lady” or “madam”. It is derived from Old Welsh that means “white lady” (Generys).

Famous People with the Name

Although the popularity of Nerys has not reached the top 100, it is still quite common among celebrities. Nerys Hughes is a popular Welsh actress, and Nerys Evans is a famous politician. Some other fictional characters who bear the name Nerys include the supporting character in the British show Dr. Who, a character in the novel Gaffers’ Row, and the mother of one of the characters in the British comedy My Family.

Popularity

It is estimated that the popularity of Nerys (pronounced NER-iss) is around 0.001%, and around 7600 people are named Nerys. Parents mostly gave the name Nerys to reflect their daughters national identity. There are various spellings of the name Nerys, such as Neriss or Nerysse. However, this name was not in the top 100 most popular girls’ names in Wales in 2013.

Useful Resources

• Check out the meaning and popularity of other Welsh girls’ names