Welsh Girl Names
Welsh girl names are soft, lyrical and often wonderfully meaningful. Seren means star, Eira snow, Heulwen sunshine, and a whole family of names ends in -wen, from the Welsh gwen, “white, fair, blessed.” Add the enchantresses and queens of the Mabinogion and you have one of the richest name traditions in Europe.
Below are more than 100 Welsh girl names with meanings and a simple pronunciation for each. For the rules behind the spelling, visit our main Welsh names guide; for brothers, see Welsh boy names; and for more Gaelic and Breton cousins, try Celtic girl names.
Popular Welsh girl names today
These are the names that top the Welsh-language charts and fill classrooms across Wales.
| Name | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Seren | SERR-en | Star |
| Mali | MAL-ee | Welsh form of Molly/Mary |
| Cerys | KERR-iss | Love |
| Ffion | FEE-on | Foxglove |
| Eira | AY-ra | Snow |
| Megan | MEG-an | Pearl (pet form of Margaret) |
| Lili | LIL-ee | Lily |
| Alys | AL-iss | Noble (Welsh Alice) |
| Elin | EL-in | Light (Welsh Helen) |
| Lowri | LOW-ree | Laurel (Welsh Laura) |
| Nia | NEE-a | Bright (Welsh form of Niamh) |
| Efa | EV-a | Life (Welsh Eve) |
| Nel | NEL | Pet form of Elin or Eleanor |
| Cadi | KAD-ee | Pet form of Catrin |
| Hana | HAN-a | Grace (Welsh Hannah) |
| Swyn | SWIN | Charm, magic |
| Begw | BEG-oo | Pet form of Margaret |
| Leusa | LAY-sa | Welsh pet form of Elizabeth |
Classic and traditional Welsh girl names
Many of these peaked with mothers and grandmothers and are ready for a comeback.
| Name | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Angharad | an-HAR-ad | Much loved |
| Bethan | BETH-an | Pet form of Elizabeth |
| Catrin | KAT-rin | Pure (Welsh Katherine) |
| Carys | KARR-iss | Love |
| Siân | SHAHN | God is gracious (Welsh Jane) |
| Siwan | SHOO-an | Welsh Joan; Siwan, wife of Llywelyn the Great |
| Delyth | DEL-ith | Pretty, neat |
| Eluned | el-IN-ed | Idol, image (possibly) |
| Glenys | GLEN-iss | Pure, holy |
| Gwenllian | gwen-HLEE-an | Fair and flaxen; a warrior princess of Deheubarth |
| Mererid | mer-ERR-id | Pearl (Welsh Margaret) |
| Nesta | NES-ta | Pure (Welsh Agnes) |
| Rhian | HREE-an | Maiden |
| Sioned | SHON-ed | Welsh form of Janet |
| Tegan | TEG-an | Fair, pretty |
| Menna | MEN-a | Possibly “mountain” or from Welsh men, “place” |
| Llinos | HLEE-noss | Linnet (songbird) |
| Morfudd | MOR-vith | Beloved of the poet Dafydd ap Gwilym |
| Lleucu | HLAY-kee | Light |
| Awen | OW-en | Poetic inspiration, muse |
| Myfanwy | muh-VAN-wee | My fine one, my beloved |
| Buddug | BITH-ig | Victory (Welsh Boudica) |
| Gwerful | GWER-vil | Medieval poet Gwerful Mechain |
| Eleri | el-ERR-ee | A river and saint’s name |
| Nansi | NAN-see | Welsh form of Nancy, “grace” |
| Mabli | MAB-lee | Lovable (Welsh Mabel) |
| Elain | EL-ine | Fawn |
| Heledd | HEL-eth | Princess of Powys mourned in early poetry |
| Ceri | KERR-ee | Love; also a river in Ceredigion |
Welsh girl names ending in -wen
The ending -wen (from gwen) means white, fair or blessed, and it creates some of the most beautiful names in Welsh. For related meanings see names that mean light and names that mean blessed.
| Name | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Gwen | GWEN | White, fair, blessed |
| Gwendolyn | GWEN-doh-lin | Fair ring or fair bow (possibly) |
| Branwen | BRAN-wen | Blessed raven |
| Olwen | OL-wen | White footprint |
| Heulwen | HAYL-wen | Sunshine |
| Rhonwen | HRON-wen | Fair lance, or white-haired (disputed) |
| Ceridwen | ker-ID-wen | Fair poetry (possibly); enchantress of legend |
| Eirwen | AYR-wen | Snow-white |
| Bronwen | BRON-wen | White breast |
| Tegwen | TEG-wen | Fair and blessed |
| Carwen | KAR-wen | Fair and loved |
| Glenwen | GLEN-wen | Fair and holy |
| Morwen | MOR-wen | Maiden |
| Dwynwen | DWIN-wen | Patron saint of lovers; possibly “blessed wave” |
| Lliwen | HLEE-wen | White color |
| Gwenno | GWEN-oh | Pet form of Gwen |
| Arwen | AR-wen | Fair, noble (Welsh reading; also Tolkien’s elf) |
Heroines of Welsh myth and legend
The women of the Mabinogion are queens, enchantresses and goddesses in all but name. For more mythic ideas see fairy names and goddess names.
| Name | Say it | Story |
|---|---|---|
| Rhiannon | hree-AN-on | Otherworld queen on a white horse; “great queen” |
| Blodeuwedd | blod-EYE-weth | Woman made of flowers, later turned into an owl |
| Arianrhod | ar-ee-AN-hrod | Enchantress; “silver wheel” |
| Enid | EE-nid | Faithful wife of Geraint |
| Gwenhwyfar | gwen-HOO-ee-var | Welsh Guinevere, Arthur’s queen |
| Dôn | DOHN | Mother goddess of the children of Dôn |
| Creiddylad | kray-THUL-ad | Most majestic maiden of the Isles of Britain |
| Goewin | GOY-win | Footholder of King Math |
| Luned | LIN-ed | Clever maid of the Lady of the Fountain |
| Elen | EL-en | Elen of the Hosts, wife of Macsen Wledig |
| Modron | MOD-ron | Divine mother of Mabon |
| Tangwystl | tang-GWIST-ul | Pledge of peace |
| Penarddun | pen-AR-thin | Mother of Branwen; “chief beauty” |
Welsh nature and word names for girls
Welsh has lovely everyday words that work perfectly as names. Pair them with our lists of names of flowers or names that mean star.
| Name | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Enfys | EN-viss | Rainbow |
| Haf | HAHV | Summer |
| Awel | OW-el | Breeze |
| Nant | NANT | Stream, brook |
| Briallen | bree-ATH-len | Primrose |
| Lili Wen | LIL-ee WEN | White lily |
| Eirlys | AYR-liss | Snowdrop |
| Llio | HLEE-oh | Pet form of Gwenllian |
| Mirain | MEER-ine | Beautiful, fair |
| Hedd | HAITH | Peace (unisex) |
| Gwawr | GWOWR | Dawn |
| Anwen | AN-wen | Very fair, very blessed |
| Iola | YO-la | Feminine of Iolo (from Iorwerth, “handsome lord”) |
| Tirion | TEER-ee-on | Kind, gentle |
| Nerys | NERR-iss | Lady |
| Rhosyn | HROSS-in | Rose |
Welsh saint names for girls
Welsh holy women gave their names to churches and wells across the country. Browse more in our list of saint names.
| Name | Say it | Who she was |
|---|---|---|
| Non | NON | Mother of Saint David |
| Gwenfrewi | gwen-VREH-wee | Saint Winifred of Holywell |
| Melangell | mel-ANG-ell | Protector of hares, patron of animals |
| Tegla | TEG-la | Saint of Llandegla’s holy well |
| Eurgain | AYR-gine | Founder of an early Welsh church; “golden bright” |
| Gwladys | GLAD-iss | Saint Gwladys, mother of Saint Cadoc |
| Tudful | TID-vil | Martyr who gave her name to Merthyr Tydfil |
| Ceinwen | KINE-wen | Fair and blessed; one of Brychan’s daughters |
Tips for picking a Welsh girl name
- Names like Seren, Megan, Carys and Nia are easy for English speakers, so they’re great if you live outside Wales.
- If you love a harder name like Blodeuwedd or Gwenllian, choose a short pet form (Blod, Llio) for everyday use.
- Watch the letter f: in Welsh it sounds like “v,” so Efa is “EV-a” and Haf is “HAHV.”
- A -wen name lets you add “fair” or “blessed” to almost any meaning, from Eirwen (snow-white) to Tegwen (fair and blessed).
- Look up the legend behind myth names. Branwen and Blodeuwedd have dramatic stories you’ll want to know.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Welsh girl name?
Seren, Mali, Cerys, Ffion and Eira have been among the most popular Welsh-language girls’ names in Wales in recent years.
What does Gwen mean in Welsh?
Gwen means “white, fair, holy or blessed.” It is a name on its own and a common ending (-wen) in names like Olwen, Branwen and Heulwen.
What Welsh girl name means star?
Seren means “star.” For a heavenly alternative, Heulwen means “sunshine” and Gwawr means “dawn.”
How do you pronounce Ffion?
FEE-on. In Welsh, ff is always an “f” sound, while a single f is pronounced like “v.”
Is Megan a Welsh name?
Yes. Megan is a Welsh pet form of Margaret (Marged), which comes from the Greek word for “pearl.”