Names : Welsh to English S

Welsh names continue for the letter "S".

                      Welsh Name                                                       English Translation  

                         Selyf                                                                    Solomon
                         Siam                                                                    James
                         Siams                                                                  James
                         Siams                                                                  James
                         Sian                                                                     Jane
                         Siani                                                                    Jane
                         Siarl                                                                     Charles
                         Siarlymaen                                                          Charlemagne
                         Sieffre                                                                  Geoffrey
                         Siencyn                                                                Jenkin
                         Sion                                                                      John
                         Sioned                                                                  Janet
                         Sioni                                                                     John
                         Sionyn                                                                  John
                         Sior                                                                       George
                         Siors                                                                     George
                         Steffan                                                                  Stephen

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.

    

New...with the...Old

Welsh history presents its own set of problems for the genealogist.  As time changes, the names of places frequently change in response to the social and political pressures of the day.  Present day names are often derived from older names.  [A change due to language perhaps.]  As one climbs out their Welsh family tree, these changes may not be recognized as one goes back in time.  For example, the following list shows the present day names of the counties of Wales as compared to the much older Welsh names.

                                   Anglesey (Ynys Mon)
                                   Caernarvon (Arfon)
                                   Denbigh (Dinbvch)
                                   Flint (Flint)
                                   Merioneth (Meirionydd)
                                   Montgomery (Trefaldwyn)
                                   Cardigan (Ceredigion)
                                   Radnor (Maesyfed)
                                   Pembroke (Penfro)
                                   Carmarthen (Caerfyddin)
                                   Brecon (Brycheiniog)
                                   Glamorgan (Morgannwy)
                                   Monmouth (Monmouth)


Names are taken from "Welsh Genealogical Research", by Charles M. Franklin, Heritage House, Indianapolis, IN, 1995. p.4.

English Equivalents

Welsh names and their transliteration to English equivalents can give the genealogists nightmares.  Taking an English surname and tracing it back to the Welsh language can be difficult.  The words are distinctly different, and often in appearance not even close.  For example lets take the surname "David" as spelled in the English.

The name "David" first appears in the Jewish literature around 900 BC.  In the book of I Samuel 16:13 it is recorded: "...and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward."  In the Hebrew the name comes from the word for "short", but in the same book chapter 16:12 it describes David: "...Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance."  Hum... red headed and blue eyes maybe?  At any rate, the name was adopted by the early Celtic Christians and became a common name among the Welsh.

In the Welsh the name is written in a variety of ways.  The most common is "Dafydd" which certainly appears to be similar to the English spelling.  This also might be written "Davydd" where the "f" and "v" are frequently exchanged for one another.  Now you might not recognize the following : 1) Dai, 2) Dei, 3) Delo, and 4) Dewi which all are spellings of the name David.  How about that...Welsh names to the English Equivalent.