Names: Welsh to English O-R

The names continue:

                          Welsh Names                                                 English Translation

                           Ofydd                                                               Ovid
                           Oswalt                                                              Oswald
                           Owain                                                               Owen
                           Padrig                                                               Patrick 
                           Pawl                                                                  Paul
                           Pawl Hen                                                          Paulinus
                           Pedr                                                                  Peter
                           Peredur                                                             Perceval
                           Phylip                                                               Philip
                           Prys                                                                   Price
                           Puw                                                                   Pugh
                           Pyrs                                                                   Pierce
                           Rheinallt                                                           Reginald
                           Rhisiart                                                             Richard
                           Rhonwen                                                          Rowena
                           Rhosier                                                             Rosser, Roger
                           Rhydderch                                                        Roderick
                           Rhys                                                                  Rees, Rice

Names : Welsh to English M-N

This long list continues:


                Welsh Name                                                 English Translation    
               
                   Mabli                                                              Mabel
                   Madog                                                            Madoc, Maddock      
                   Mair                                                                Mary  
                   Mali                                                                Molly
                   Mallt                                                               Maud, Matilda
                   Marc                                                               Mark
                   Maredudd                                                       Meredith
                   Marged                                                           Margaret
                   Mari                                                                Mary
                   Mererid                                                           Margaret
                   Meurig                                                            Maurice
                   Mihangel                                                        Michael
                   Modlen                                                           Magdalene
                   Moesen                                                           Moses
                   Moris                                                              Morris
                   Morus                                                             Morys
                   Myrddin                                                          Merlin
                   Neifton                                                           Neptune

Names : Welsh to English I - L

Please remember that the Welsh alphabet does not have a letter "J"...

                        Welsh Name                                                   English Translation 

                         Iago                                                                        James
                         Ianto                                                                       Evan
                         Iau                                                                          Jupiter, Jove
                         Iesu Grist                                                              Jesus Christ
                         Ieuan                                                                      Evan
                         Ifan                                                                         Evan
                         Ioan                                                                        John
                         Iolo                                                                        (no equivalent)
                         Iorwerth                                                                 (no equivalent)
                         Iwan                                                                        Evan
                         Lawnslot                                                                Launcelot
                         Lefi                                                                         Levi
                         Leisa                                                                       Elizabeth
                         Lisbeth                                                                    Elizabeth
                         Lleucu                                                                     Lucy
                         Lludd                                                                       Lud
                         Llwyd                                                                      Lloyd
                         Llyr                                                                         Lear
                         Llywelyn                                                                 Lewis
                         Lowri                                                                      Laura
                         Luc                                                                          Luke
                         Lug                                                                          Luke

Names : Welsh to English G - H

Our alphabet soup continues :

                              Welsh Name                                              English Translation      
                                         Garmon                                                     Germanus
                                         Geraint                                                      Gerontius  
                                         Geralit                                                       Gerald
                                         Glyn Dwr                                                  Glendower
                                         Gruffudd                                                   Griffith   
                                         Gruffydd                                                   Griffith 
                                         Guto                                                          Griffith
                                         Gwallter                                                    Walter 
                                         Gwenffrewi                                               Winifred
                                         Gwenfrewi                                                Winifred  
                                         Gwenhwyfar                                             Guinevere
                                         Gwilym                                                     William
                                         Gwladus                                                    Gladys
                                         Gwrtheyrn                                                 Vortigern
                                         Hopcyn                                                      Hopkin
                                         Horas                                                         Horace
                                         Hors                                                           Horsa
                                         Huw                                                           Hugh
                                         Hywel                                                        Howell, Powell

Names : Welsh to English E-F

The Welsh names continue for the letters E to F:

                                  Welsh Name                                         English Translation 
                        
                                           Edmwnd                                               Edmund
                                           Edwart                                                  Edward
                                           Efa                                                         Eve
                                           Elen                                                       Helen
                                           Elias                                                      Elijah
                                           Eliseus                                                  Elisha
                                           Emrys                                                   Ambrose
                                           Emwnt                                                  Edmund
                                           Esaia                                                     Isaiah
                                           Esyllt                                                    Iseult
                                           Fferyll                                                  Virgil
                                           Fychan                                                 Vaughan
                                           Fyrsil                                                    Virgil
                                                

Names : Welsh to English C-D

Our alphabetical series of Welsh names to English equivalents continues:

                                                       C - D
                               Welsh Name                 English Translation                                          

                                  Cadi                              Catherine
                                  Cadog                           Cadoc
                                  Cai                                Kay
                                  Caradog                       Caratacus
                                  Caswallon                    Cassivellaunus
                                  Catrin                           Catherine
                                  Catwg                           Cadoc
                                  Cesar                            Caesar
                                  Cynfelyn                      Cymbeline
                                  Cystennin                    Constantine
                                  Dafydd                         David
                                  Dai                               David
                                  Dei                               David
                                  Delo                             David
                                  Dewi                            David

Names : Welsh To English A-B

For those of us in the genealogy world who speak only English, being of Welsh descent has its own set of difficulties.  Language is one of these.  Welsh spellings often appear unusual, and the farther back in time one goes [especially before the Act of Union 1536] the struggles to sort through the generations of Welsh names can present many brick walls.  The next several post will try and present names that have occurred in the Welsh and their "English" translation.  The source for this material is "Welsh Genealogical Research" by Charles M. Franklin, Heritage House, 1995.  The Welsh spelling will be given first, followed by the English translation in alphabetical order.

                                                                       A - B

                                                Welsh Spelling          English Translation

                                                  Adda                          Adam
                                                 Andreas                      Andrew
                                                 Aneirin                       (no equivalent)
                                                 Aneurin                      (no equivalent)
                                                 Arnallt                         Arnold
                                                 Awatin                        Augustin

                                                 Bartholomeus           Bartholomew
                                                 Beda                           Bede
                                                 Bedo                           Meredith
                                                 Bedwyr                       Bedivere
                                                 Bened                         Bennet
                                                 Beti                             Betty, Betsy
                                                 Betsan                         Betty, Betsy
                                                 Betsi                            Betty, Betsy
                                                 Buddug                       Boudicca, Boadicea
                                                 Bwda                           Buddha

More to come...any other names A-B that come to mind?  Please place in comment section below.

    

Ancient Welsh Naming System

Prior to the English system of surnames, the Welsh naming system consisted of an individual bearing one given name only.  The child was then identified as either the son of (mab, map, vap, or fab), or the daughter of (verch or ferch) the Welshman accepting responsibility under Welsh law for the child.  The terms given above were mutated in normal speech to "ap" or "ab" for the male, and "vch", "vz" or "ach" for the female.  The terms "eil" or "ail" meaning second in succession when used in a name was sometimes found.  When presented to the tribal group from which the father lived, the male child would be given the names of each earlier male ancestor to six or seven generations.  For example, a child given the name "David" who's father was "Morgan", would become "David ap Morgan".  The child's grandfather (say named "Griffith"), his great-grandfather (say named "Hugh"), his great-great-grandfather (say named "Tudor"), and his great-great-great-grandfather (say named "Rhys") under tribal custom would become "David ap Morgan ap Griffith ap Hugh ap Tudor ap Rhys"!  The new member of this tribe would then be able to recite his name as a patronymic string demonstrating his position within the tribal group.  Before written documentation, this would provide a way each individual could prove his "belonging" to a tribal group.  This was necessary since the tribe was responsible to care and protect each member, and hold them responsible for their inter-tribal activity such as injury or theft.  See past posts for more detail of this cultural organization for the ancient Welsh naming system.

Genealogies In The Library of Congress

In my earliest tree climbing days, folks worked on writing down their family stories.  Documentation was the foundation to success, and the Library of Congress was such a place to find genealogies written by others.  There were only a few that dealt with the Jones surname from Wales.  The following are those existing here as listed in "Genealogies In The Library of Congress A Bibliography" edited by Marion J. Kaminkow, Magna Carta Book Co., Baltimore, MD, 1972.

"9393   JONES.  Pedigree of Jones, Wern, parish of Penmorva, county of Carnarvon. (London, 1877)  (3) p. coat of arms.  29 cm.  Communicated by William Watkins Edward Wynne.  Caption title.  Also in Miscellanea genealogica et heraldica. new series, vol. II. p. 249-251.  9-19350.   CS459.J7"

Let's see now, the first four numbers represent the coding location it was given prior to 1972.  This is followed by the title of the reference and its date of publishing.  Other information regarding the number of pages, author(s), special contents, and other sources which contain the same item.  The final letter-number combination is the Dewy Decimal like system applied to this reference.  The few other references recorded 1972:

"9411    JONES.   Genealogy of the Jones family; first and only book ever written of the descendants of Benjamin Jones who immigrated from South Wales more than 250 years ago... By George Russell Jones...  Los Angeles, Cal.,  Times-mirror prg. & bdg. house (c. 1912)   85, (19)  p.  front., ports, , facsim.  18 cm.  19 p. at end for 'Memoranda.'   12-11738     CS71.J76   1912."

"9416    JONES.  The Jones family; five generations from Francis Jones, of Pembrokeshire, Wales, to Richard Mott Jones, of Penn Yan, New York.  Complied by Albert Brill Russell.  Ilion, N.Y. (1924)  24 p. ports. 23 1/2 cm.  Based upon research made 1924, by Alfred R. Justice.  Pages 23-24 left blank for "Addenda.  25-4510  CS71.J76      1924a"

"9436    JONES.  A tree grew in Wales.  By Mable (Jones) Wayland. (San Jose? Calif. 196-?)
100  p.  illus. 28 cm.   Includes bibliographies.  63-28074.      CS71.J76"

[Note the last two call numbers are the same as that above.  This must have been the fact that they were all grouped together in the same file location?]