Category Archives: name

Elena

Meaning and Origin of the Name Elena

The name Elena is a Welsh form of Helen.

Helen of Troy was famous for being the cause of the Trojan War. She was the most beautiful woman in the world and was married to the Greek King Menelaus. When Prince Paris of Troy kidnapped her, the war began, ending in Troy’s defeat.

However, the name Elena now has more peaceful associations. It’s a name also used in Italy and Spain, and the meaning of Elena is “bright light” or “shining one.” People with this name are said to be creative and courageous and also born leaders. But they can sometimes be a bit stubborn.

Popularity of Elena

Although Elena is a form of Helen that goes back to the 12th century, it was not in the top 100 of popular girls’ names in Wales in 2014.

Famous People Named Elena

Elena Ferrante is an Italian novelist who in 2016 was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine. She’s most noted for her Neapolitan Novels.

Elena Igorevna Radionova is a Russian figure skater. She was the 2015 Russian national champion.

Useful Resources

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

Tegan

Meaning and Origin of the Name Tegan

The popularity of Tegan is not too great, even though it is a beautiful Welsh girl’s name. And it is perfect for any parent who wants to give their child a bit more of a unique name because it was not found to be in the list of the top 100 names in 2014.

The meaning of Tegan means “loved one”, “darling”, or “favourite”. It is truly a special name because of that. It is a girl name that any parent can feel great about giving to their daughter.

You may also be surprised to learn that the name tegan means toy in Welsh.

Famous People with the Name Tegan

This beautiful name is shared with Tegan Jovanka, a fictional character in a British science fiction television show, and with others, as well.

It is the name of a Canadian singer, who is in a folk group Tegan and Sara, and it is the name of a Canadian actress, Tegan Moss, as well. Tegan Martin is an Australian model, and even though the name Tegan is not one of the most popular names, there are quite a few girls who gracefully bear the name. It is something special, and it is a name that no one will forget.

Useful Resources

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

Rhona

Meaning and Origin of Welsh Name Rhona

There are hundreds of Welsh names with several different spelling variations. Whether you are researching the meaning of your birth name or looking for a name with a unique or beautiful meaning for a baby girl, we have the perfect name for you.

The name Rhona comes from the variant of the Welsh name Rowena, which means “white-haired”. The meaning of Rhona is “fair lance” (spear), “fair”, or “slender”.

Popularity of the Name Rhona

The popularity of Rhona didn’t make the top 100 list of popular Welsh names, but there have been several famous people with this name. Rhona Bennett is a famous actress, model, and was part of the musical group En Vogue from 2003 to 2008. Rhona K Adair was a famous golfer during the early 1900’s that won the prestigious British Ladies Amateur in 1900 and 1903.

There are other famous women with the name of Rhona that inspired parents to select this name. Regardless of the popularity of Rhona, many people find the name Rhona and the meaning of Rhona just as appealing as the names that made the top 100 list of popular Welsh names.

Useful Resources

Discover the meaning and popularity of other Welsh girls’ names

Siwan

The Girl’s Name Siwan

Siwan is a girl’s name that is predominantly used in Wales. It is a name fit for a child with distinction and can be used as a middle name.

It was borne off the illegitimate daughter of King John, Joan the Lady of Wales. She was the subject of the play Siwan, which was in the Welsh language. This led to a revival of the name in Wales.

Meaning of Siwan

The Welsh girl’s name Siwan is a form of the English name Joan. It roughly means “God is gracious” and is pronounced Shoo An.

Popularity of Siwan

Siwan is not a popular baby girl name. It is not ranked within the top 1000 baby names.

Famous People named Siwan

Siwan is a play that was produced in 1956 and written by Saunders Lewis. The play led to the re-emergence of the name.

Here are a few famous people named Siwan:

  • Siwan Jones – Award winning scriptwriter and creator of a number of highly acclaimed series such as Alys, Tair Chwaer, and Con Passionate.
  • Siwan Morris – Popular Welsh Singer and Actress.
  • Joan of Arc – Was a French military leader and a heroine. Was accused of Heresy and burnt on a stake.

Useful Resources

 

Donna

Meaning and Origins of the Name Donna

Donna is a female given name that means “lady” in Italian. However, it is also sometimes used as a feminine form of Donald, which is a Celtic name.

The old Gaelic version of Donald is Domhnall, which means “ruler of the world.” The Celtic words dumno (world) and val (rule) are the roots of “Donald.” So, the female name “Donna” may be interpreted in this way for those looking for a Celtic name.

Popularity

The popularity of Donna reached its peak around the year 1960. Since then, popularity has been steadily declining. It ranks very low in popularity in the United States and the United Kingdom today.

Famous people with the Donna name

  • Donna Lewis – Welsh singer-songwriter. Her most famous hit was the pop song “I Love You Always Forever,” released in 1996.
  • Donna Summer – American singer, popular during the disco era.
  • Donna Air – English actress, appearing in several television shows.

Useful Resources

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

Gwynedd

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.

Eluned

Meaning and Origin of the Name Eluned

The name Eluned comes from the Welsh. There was a fifth century Welsh saint named Eluned who is honoured by Catholics as a virgin martyr.

One can decide on how to pronounce Eluned phonetically as either El u ned or by its Welsh pronunciation. The pronunciation of the name is Ayleened.

The name’s meaning is associated with the saint and means in the form of an idol. The meaning of Eluned comes from the saint and is thought to be to come in the form or shape or to appear as a person who is really an idol.

Popularity of the Name Eluned

The popularity of Eluned has been continued through the variations of the name. Although the name Eluned is not widely known as a girl’s name, a variation of Eluned, Lynette is a popular girl’s name.

Famous People with the First Name

Current famous women with the name Eluned are Eluned Parrot a writer and Eluned Pierce, a harpist of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra of England, the United Kingdom. The name Lynette is found in the poem Gareth by Tennyson.

Useful Resources

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

Gwawr

The meaning of Gwawr

Gwawr is a Welsh girl’s name. The meaning of Gwawr is dawn or sunrise.

Popularity of the Welsh Name

The popularity of Gwawr is found as far back as 467. In 2014, Gwawr was not in the top 100 baby girls’ names in Wales.

Famous Places and People with the Name

In or about that year Gwawr Verch Brychan Brycheiniog was the 6th daughter born to Saint Brychan, a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog in South Wales. He had twenty four children by 3 marriages. Gwawr was Princess of Wales.

In 1849 the Gwawr Baptist Chapel was built in Regent Street, Aberman, near Aberdare, South Wales. A new Gwawr Chapel was built in 1849 to accommodate a congregation of 850 parishioners. Over the decades membership declined and Gwawr was demolished after the congregation declined to a low of 42 in 1963.

The popularity of the name Gwawr is found in the entertainment industry. Gwawr Edwards is a Welsh concert pianist who is known for his television and radio appearances.

Gwawr Loader is an actress who has appeared in the movies Tir, Indian Doctor and Cara Fi.

Useful Resources

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

Sara

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.

Rhoswen

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.