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Nest

Meaning and Origin of the Name Nest

Nest is a Welsh girl’s name that is an abbreviation of the name Nesta, which is the Welsh form of the name Agnes.

Agnes originates from Greece and it means ‘pure or holy’ and the Latin version of the name Hagnes.

Nest means pure or holy
Nest means pure or holy

Popularity

Nest was not in the top 100 baby girls’ names in Wales in 2021 (Nesta was also not in the top 100 names as well).

Useful Resources

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

Welsh names for female horses

There are many Welsh names for female horses and below is a list of popular ones:

Lovely Welsh names for horses
Lovely Welsh names for horses

ERIN – This name originates from the Irish Gaelic word ‘Eireann’, which means “Ireland”.

In Welsh mythology, Erín was the goddess of the earth. She is usually related to fertility and agriculture, but could also have been connected with horses. In other mythologies she was described as a horse goddess who pulled her brothers’ chariot. In English, Erin is not only associated with Ireland but has recently become a common way to describe all things Irish. This one is an extremely viable Welsh names for female horses

MALI – This name originated from an Egyptian saint said to have lived between AD 3rd and 4th centuries. He used to gain strength from the horses he healed and is often depicted in a bishop’s gown, a draped cloth over the left shoulder.

ARIA – This name has Greek origins meaning “sacred”.

FFION – The Welsh word existed before the English language was introduced to Wales.

Useful Resources

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

Welsh Girls’ Nicknames

There are over 3 million citizens in Wales but most people may not be familiar with many of the Welsh nicknames there are out there. So what are some of the most popular welsh nicknames in the country?

Wales names are influenced by its history and traditions
Wales names are influenced by its history and traditions

Myfi – is an abbreviated name for Myfanwy. Like Gwen a lovely shorter name of Gwenllian or Gwennan or Ann for Anwen.

Next up is Beca which is a shorter version of the name Rebecca & is usually spelled with 2 c’s in America.

Aelwen which translates to fair browed in new English. Then you have Arwen which is just a female version of Arwyn.

Then there is Brenda which tends to be derived from Brendan, the patron Saint of Ireland. You’ve also got Bronwyn which is one of the more popular ones since it appeared on one of us is lying. And finally, you have Donna which is often named for a Celtic goddess & has gained quite a bit of traction in America as well (from the name Madonna).

Useful Resources

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

Long Welsh Girls’ Names

Long Welsh girls names are usually quite lovely sounding and have a lot of meaning. Here is a list of popular long Welsh girls names and their meaning and pronunciation:

Long Welsh Names
Long Welsh Names

1. Guinevere, which means “white shadow, white wave”. It is another form of Jennifer.
2. Winifred, which means “blessed peace making”.
3. Eirianwen, which means “pure, bright” and is pronounced “Eye-ree-an-wen.
4. Gwenllian, which means “white flaxen” and is pronounced “Gwen-llian”.
5. Heulwen, which means “sunshine” and is pronounced “Hile-wen”.
6. Briallen means “primrose” and is pronounced “Bree-all-en”.
7. Rhiannon means “Great Queen” and is pronounced “Ree-an-on”.
8. Angharad means “much loved” and is pronounced “Ang-haa-rad”.
9. Addfwyn means “gentle, meek, mild” and is pronounced “Ath-vooyn”.
10. Heddwen means “white peace” and is pronounced “Heth-wen”.
11. Siriol means “cheerful, bright, pleasant”.
12. Eirlys means “snowdrop” and is pronounce “Ire-liss”.
13. Bronwen means “fair or pure-breasted” and is pronounced “Bron-wen”.

These are just some of the names in the beautiful Welsh language.

Useful Resources

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

Welsh Medieval Names

The Welsh Medieval Ages occurred between the 5th century A.D. and the 16th century A.D. It was a time of major changes, both political and social. During this time derived many beautiful Welsh medieval names.

Welsh Medieval Names
Medieval Welsh Names


Some of the most popular girl’s names were:

1. Angharad, which means “undisgraced, free of shame”.

2. Arianrhod, which means “silver wheel”.

3. Arianwen, meaning “silver woman”.

4.Aurelia, meaning “golden”.

5. Blodenwedd, meaning “flower face”.

6. Branwen, meaning “white raven, blessed raven”.

7.Callirhoe, meaning “beautiful stream”.

8. Ceridwen, meaning “blessed poetry”.

9. Claudia, meaning “lame”.

10. Creirdyddlydd, meaning “jewel of the sea”.

11. Drusilla, meaning might be “strong”.

12. Eheubryd, meaning is unknown.

13. Eiddwen, meaning “desirous, fond, white, fair, blessed.”


The most popular boy’s Welsh medieval names are: 1. Cadwallon, meaning “battle”. 2. Callwen, meaning “wise, sensible”. 3. Carranes, meaning “beloved” 4. Briarmail, meaning “might, power, chief, noble.” The Welsh language takes names seriously and puts a lot of thought into it.

Useful Resource

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

Welsh Female Names for Dogs

Welsh Female Names for Dogs

Wales has a fascinating cultural past and boasts some fabulous names for your female four legged friends. Please enjoy this list of Welsh female names for dogs.

Find a Welsh name for your dog
Find a Welsh name for your dog

ERIN – This is a popular Welsh name that is actually the old Welsh word for Ireland.

ARIA/ARIANWEN – This is an uncommon Welsh female dog name that means silver or white.

FFION – This is a popular and traditional baby Welsh name that means “foxglove.”

SEREN – This Welsh Female Name for Dogs means “Stars.”

MEGAN – This name is actually a translation from the English name, Margaret.

CADI – This is one of the most popular female names in Wales today.

ELERI – Eleri is the abbreviation for the popular Welsh name Teleri which means the “daughter of Peul.”

NIA – This Welsh name has Irish origins and has no meaning, therefore it might be a great fit for Welsh female names for dogs.

Useful Resources

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

Mati

Meaning and Origin of the Name Mati

The name Mati is not on the list of 100 favourite Welsh names. It is a girls name. The meaning of Mati is variable depending on the origin of the name. As a Welsh name it means which means Pearl coming from the Greek name margarítēs.

Mati originate from pearls
Mati originate from pearls

The Welsh name Mati comes from the name Marged.

Popularity

At present, there is higher interest in the name in Estonia and in Wales. Nine babies were named Mati in 2013. The popularity of Mati varies by country, but it is not a well used name at present though more babies are being named Mati recently. The name is also a surname.

Famous People with the Name

Mati Diop is a famous French actress and film maker.

Useful Resources

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

Tonwen

Meaning and Origin of the Name Tonwen

The name Tonwen is a name used historically for Welsh girls. The meaning of Tonwen is “white wave.”

Tonwen means white waves
Tonwen means white waves

For Welsh names, it’s quite unusual due to it ending in -wen. The name also comes from the mother of Cybi, a famous bishop, saint, and king that lived in North Wales.

Popularity

Around the world, the popularity of Tonwen is low. The United States has reported that the first person born as Tonwen there happened in 1896. For over 100 years, less than five people per year were recorded as being born as Tonwen in the United States.

Currently, the name isn’t very popular in Europe. The Welsh Government has reported that Tonwen hasn’t made it to the top 100 baby girl names as of 2019.

Useful Resource

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

Prydwen

Meaning and Origin of the Name Prydwen

Prydwen is a Welsh girl’s name. It is often known to be used for females but can also be used for males as well.

Historians have traced the roots of it back to an old welsh term that roughly translates to handsome.

Prydwn was made popular from an old Welsh poem
Prydwn was made popular from an old Welsh poem

The name is thought to have originated from an old Welsh poem back in the 12th century known as Arthur and it focuses on the King’s ship as he sails over to Ireland. The name has since seen a resurgence over the last century as many of the Arthurian legends began to use this particular name.

Not much else is known about the name but it is likely to have come from around the 1100’s and the tradition of Welshmen naming their kids Prydwen will continue.

Popularity

The name Prydwen was not in the top 100 girls names in Wales. It is likely that this names was much more popular especially during 12th century.

Useful Resources

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

Iola

Meaning and Origin of the Welsh Name Iola

The meaning of Iola is “valued by the lord” in Welsh. It’s the female version of the male name Iolo, a diminutive of the Iorweth, which translates to “handsome lord.”

Iola means valued by the Lord
Iola means valued by the Lord

The name is also commonly used in Spanish and Greek and means “beautiful lady” in those languages. The name is short for Yolanda.

Popularity

The Welsh girl’s name Iola has surged in popularity in recent years. The popularity of Iola has grown despite it not having made it on the top 100 most popular baby girls’ names in Wales in the 2019 list (the latest listing published by government officials).

Famous People with the name Iola

A few notable personalities share this uniquely beautiful name. These include Iola Wyn, a Welsh BBC Radio Cymru presenter and Iola Gregory, who starred in the popular S4C soap opera program Pobol y Cwm.

Useful Resources

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