Old Welsh Names
These names were used by speakers of Old Welsh. See Old Celtic names for a broader list.
38 names in our directory
Old Welsh
38Aneirin is an early medieval Brythonic war poet who lived during the 6th century. The name comes from the Old Welsh Neirin, possibly derived from the Latin name Honorius, which means “honour, esteem, dignity.” Over time,...
Angharad is a feminine name of Welsh origin, deeply rooted in the mythology and history of Wales. It derives from an Old Welsh name recorded in various forms such as Acgarat and Ancarat. The name literally means "much lo...
Arthmail is an Old Welsh masculine name originating as the ancestral form of the later learned and saintly name Armel. Composed from elements arth ("bear") and mael ("prince, chieftain"), it literally means "bear-prince"...
Brochmail is an Old Welsh form of the name Brochfael, itself derived from the Brythonic name *Broccomaglos. This reconstructed ancestral name combines Celtic elements: *brokkos meaning "badger" and *maglos meaning "chief...
Brychan is a Welsh masculine name originating from the Old Welsh period. It is derived from the Welsh word brych meaning "speckled" or "freckled" combined with a diminutive suffix, giving the sense of "little speckled on...
EtymologyCadfan is a Welsh masculine given name originating from the Old Welsh period. Its Latinized form, Catamanus, reveals its components: cat meaning "battle" and bann meaning "peak" or "summit". Thus, the name is in...
Cadoc is a Welsh masculine name originating from the Old Welsh Catocus, a Latinized form of a name derived from the element cat meaning "battle". This name belongs to a tradition of early medieval Celtic names built from...
Caratauc is an Old Welsh form of the name Caradog. The name Caradog ultimately derives from the Brythonic name Caratācos, a Roman-era chieftain who resisted the Roman conquest of Britain in the 1st century AD, known in L...
Etymology and OriginCatell is the Old Welsh form of Cadell, a name derived from the Old Welsh root cat, meaning "battle," combined with a diminutive suffix. The name thus carries the literal meaning of "little battle" or...
Catguocaun is an Old Welsh male name preserved primarily in historical and literary records. It represents an early spelling variant of the better-known Welsh name Cadwgan, which itself derives from Old Welsh elements: c...
Cynwrig is an Old Welsh masculine given name, composed of elements that evoke leadership and prominence. It derives from the roots cynt meaning "first, chief" and gur meaning "man", combined with the suffix ig, which ind...
Dewydd is an Old Welsh form of David, a name of enduring biblical and historical significance. The name derives from the Hebrew דָּוִד (Dawiḏ), rooted in דּוֹד (doḏ), meaning "beloved" or "uncle."Historical and Religious...
Elisedd is a masculine name of Old Welsh origin. It is derived from the Welsh word elus, meaning "kind" or "benevolent". The name was borne by two kings of the medieval Kingdom of Powys in Wales.EtymologyThe name Elisedd...
Enniaun is the Old Welsh form of Einion, a name with deep roots in both Latin and Welsh tradition. The name likely derives from Latin Ennianus, itself a derivative of the Roman family name Ennius, borne by the early Roma...
Grifud is an Old Welsh masculine name, the early form of Gruffudd. Derived from the Old Welsh name Grifud, its first element is of uncertain origin, possibly related to cryf meaning "strong," while the second element der...
Guorthigirn is an Old Welsh form of Gwrtheyrn, a name meaning "supreme king" from elements guor ("over") and tigirn ("king, monarch"). It is possible that Guorthigirn functioned as a title or epithet rather than a person...
Gwladus is an Old Welsh feminine name that serves as the original form of the more familiar Gladys. The name is believed to derive from gwlad, meaning "country" or "land," linking it to concepts of homeland and nobility....
Gwrtheyrn is an Old Welsh name derived from Guorthigirn, which likely originated as a title rather than a personal name. It combines the elements guor meaning "over" and tigirn meaning "king, monarch", giving the meaning...
Higuel is an Old Welsh masculine given name, the original form of Hywel. Its meaning derives from elements meaning "eminent, prominent" (literally "well-seen"). The name is closely linked to Welsh royalty and medieval hi...
Etymology and MeaningIorwerth is a masculine Welsh name with a rich history, deriving from Old Welsh elements ior ("lord") and gwerth ("value, worth"), giving it the meaning "worthy lord." Interestingly, the name Iorwert...
Iudgual is the Old Welsh form of Idwal. The name originates from the Old Welsh elements iudd meaning "lord" and gual meaning "ruler, leader", giving the overall meaning "lord ruler" or "lord leader".Historical ContextIud...
Iudhail is an Old Welsh name that represents the earliest recorded form of the later Welsh name Ithel. Surrounded by a rich tapestry of Celtic linguistic history, Iudhail links the cognate forms found across the Brittoni...
Iudris is an Old Welsh form of Idris 2, a name meaning "ardent lord" from the elements iudd "lord" and ris "ardent, enthusiastic". The name is historically attested as the moniker of Idris the Giant (Idris Gawr), a 7th-c...
Mailcun is the Old Welsh form of Maelgwn, a name derived from the Brythonic *Maglocunos, meaning "chief of hounds" from Celtic *maglos "chief" and *kū "dog, hound" (genitive *kunos). Etymology The name Mailcun appears in...
EtymologyMargetud is the Old Welsh form of Meredith, a name with a rich linguistic history. It derives from the Old Welsh Margetud, earlier Maredudd or Meredydd. The root elements are thought to be mawredd "greatness, ma...
Matauc is an Old Welsh masculine name, serving as the original form of the later Madoc. Derived from the Welsh element mad meaning "good, fortunate," combined with a diminutive suffix, Matauc thus carries the sense of "l...
Mermin is an archaic Old Welsh form of the name Merfyn. The name is of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from the elements mer meaning "bone marrow" or mor meaning "sea," combined with a second component such as mynawg...
Morcant is an Old Welsh masculine name, the original form of the later Morgan. Its etymology is often traced to Welsh mor 'sea' and cant 'circle', though some scholars suggest a derivation from mor and the suffix gen 'bo...
EtymologyMouric is an Old Welsh given name, the ancient predecessor of the more familiar modern Welsh name Meurig. It is believed to represent a Welsh adaptation of the Latin name Mauritius, which ultimately derives from...
Neirin is a masculine given name of Old Welsh origin, best known as a variant of Aneirin. The name Aneirin itself likely derives from the Latin Honorius, a Late Roman name meaning "honour, esteem, dignity," which was bor...
Nynniaw is an Old Welsh name, probably a form of Ninian, which itself derives from the earlier Latin Ninniau. This name appears in medieval Welsh literature, most notably in the Brut y Brenhinedd, the Middle Welsh transl...
Ougein is an Old Welsh form of Owain, a name with deep roots in Celtic and Arthurian legend. The name Ougein appears in early medieval Welsh sources, representing the original spelling before it evolved into the more fam...
Riderch is an Old Welsh masculine given name, the original form of the more familiar Welsh name Rhydderch. The name is composed of two elements: ri meaning "king" and derch meaning "exalted", so that the full meaning may...
Ris is the Old Welsh form of the name Rhys. The name derives from an Old Welsh term probably meaning "ardour, enthusiasm." It was borne by several Welsh rulers, most notably Rhys ap Gruffydd (c. 1132–1197), a 12th-centur...
Rotri is the Old Welsh form of Rhodri. The name derives from the elements rod meaning 'wheel' and ri meaning 'king', thus signifying 'wheel king' or 'great ruler'.EtymologyRotri is the original Old Welsh spelling of what...
Seisyll is an Old Welsh male given name, representing the native adaptation of the Roman name Sextilius. The name is deeply rooted in early medieval Welsh history and onomastics, reflecting the fusion of Roman and Celtic...
Tutgual is the Old Welsh form of Tudwal. The name is derived from the Celtic elements tut meaning "people, country" and gual meaning "ruler, leader", thus signifying "ruler of the people" or "leader of the people". This...
Urbgen is an Old Welsh masculine name of significant historical and legendary weight. It is the original Brythonic form of the more familiar Urien, a name borne by a 6th-century ruler of Rheged, one of the kingdoms of th...