Welsh girl names are girls’ names from the Welsh language, Welsh legend and the Welsh saints, and the ones parents in Wales are choosing right now are Mali, Alys, Mabli, Lili, Seren, Ffion and Eira. Mali was the fourth most popular girls’ name in Wales in 2025, given to 104 babies, according to the Office for National Statistics, which puts a Welsh-spelled name ahead of Freya, Florence and Amelia. Below are 103 Welsh girl names with meanings, a respelling for each one and the latest figures for Wales, England and Scotland.
This guide is part of our Scottish Names collection. Browse the Scottish Names directory for A to Z first names, surnames and Gaelic lists, or go back to our full guide to Welsh names for boys and girls for the pronunciation rules in more depth.
This is for parents who want a Welsh name for a daughter and would like to say it right before the health visitor does, for anyone naming a baby after a Welsh nain (grandmother), and for the curious who keep meeting Ffions and Lowris and want to know what the names mean. Every name has a meaning, a say-it guide, its type (traditional, modern, or from legend and the saints) and how many girls actually got it in 2025.
A wee bit of context. Welsh is a Brittonic Celtic language, closer to Cornish and Breton than to Scottish Gaelic, so the spelling plays by different rules: a single f is a v, ff is an f, dd is the th in this, and ll has no English match at all. Learn those four and most names below stop looking like a typo.
Two Scots Abroad · Scottish names
Welsh girl name finder
103 Welsh girl names with meanings and a say-it guide. Filter by how popular a name is in Wales right now, by type, and by whether it is easy to say outside Wales. Gold edges mark the 2025 Welsh top 100.
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What are the most popular Welsh girl names right now?
Mali, Alys and Mabli lead the Welsh-spelled names in Wales. The table pulls every Welsh name from the girls’ top 100 for Wales in the ONS baby names release for 2025, published on 9 July 2026, with the total for England and Wales and the count from the National Records of Scotland 2025 list. Olivia was the number one girls’ name in Wales overall, with 140 babies, so Welsh names sit alongside the English favourites rather than replacing them.
| Name | Rank in Wales | Girls in Wales | Girls in England and Wales | Girls in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mali | #4 | 104 | 132 | 5 |
| Alys | #29 | 61 | 81 | under 3 |
| Mabli | #36 | 57 | 69 | under 3 |
| Erin | #43 | 51 | 633 | 36 |
| Lili | #44 | 50 | 72 | 5 |
| Seren | #55 | 42 | 196 | 7 |
| Ffion | #55 | 42 | 98 | under 3 |
| Nansi | #61 | 39 | 41 | under 3 |
| Eira | #71 | 34 | 112 | 4 |
| Efa | #72 | 33 | 42 | under 3 |
| Elsi | #72 | 33 | 34 | under 3 |
| Eleri | #83 | 29 | 49 | under 3 |
| Lowri | #94 | 26 | 39 | under 3 |
| Anwen | #100 | 23 | 32 | under 3 |
Two patterns stand out. The Welsh spellings of English favourites are doing the heavy lifting: Lili sits 44th while Lily is second, Elsi 72nd while Elsie is third, and Nansi 61st beside Nancy. And Mabli has climbed with Mabel, which was 18th in Wales, so the Welsh version is riding the same revival.
The other story is Megan. Wikipedia notes it peaked in the UK in 1999, and in 2025 it was given to only 44 girls in England and Wales and fewer than three in Scotland. Seren has had a similar run: third in Wales in 2009 and fifth in 2010, and 55th now. Fashion moves fast, even in Wales.
How to pronounce Welsh girl names
Welsh spelling is regular, so a handful of rules covers almost every name here. The table follows the Welsh orthography guide, using the girls’ names on this page as practice. Stress nearly always falls on the second-last syllable, which is why it is hree-AN-on and not REE-an-on.
| Letters | Sounds like | Practise on |
|---|---|---|
| f | v, as in van | Efa, Haf, Enfys |
| ff | f, as in fun | Ffion, Fflur, Ffraid |
| dd | th in this (we write it th) | Heledd, Blodeuwedd |
| ll | tongue in the l position, then blow (we write it hl) | Llinos, Gwenllian, Lleucu |
| rh | r with a breath before it | Rhian, Rhiannon, Rhonwen |
| si before a vowel | sh | Siân, Sioned, Siwan |
| w as a vowel | oo | Gwawr (rhymes with our), Dwynwen |
| u and y in a last syllable | ee or i | Fflur (FLEER), Carys (KAR-iss) |
| c and g | always hard | Catrin, Ceinwen, Glenys |
If you want the whole system, including the y that changes sound depending on where it sits, the Welsh names hub linked at the top of this page has the full table.
What the endings in Welsh girl names mean
Many Welsh girls’ names are built from two parts, and once you spot the parts you can read the meaning off the name. The big one is gwen, meaning white, fair or blessed. Inside a name the g drops away (a sound change called mutation), so it turns up as -wen in Anwen, Bronwen, Ceinwen, Olwen and a dozen more. The -ys ending works differently: it is a name-making suffix that gave Wales Carys, Dilys, Glenys and Nerys.
| Part | Meaning | Girls’ names built from it |
|---|---|---|
| gwen, -wen | white, fair, blessed | Gwen, Anwen, Arianwen, Bronwen, Ceinwen, Eirwen, Heulwen, Tegwen |
| -ys | a name-making ending | Carys, Cerys, Dilys, Glenys, Nerys |
| eira, eir- | snow | Eira, Eirlys, Eirwen, Aneira |
| aur, eur- | gold | Eurwen |
| arian | silver | Arianwen |
| blodau, blod- | flowers | Blodwen, Blodeuwedd |
| haul, heul- | sun | Heulwen |
| teg | fair, beautiful | Tegwen, Tegan |
| main, mein- | slender | Meinir, Meinwen |
Then there are the word names, a 19th and 20th century fashion that is still going strong: Seren (star), Eira (snow), Haf (summer), Enfys (rainbow), Gwawr (dawn), Llinos (linnet), Briallen (primrose) and Awen (poetic inspiration). They are short, they mean something a child can explain in the playground, and most of them are easy to say anywhere, even on a dreich (grey, drizzly) Monday at the registry office.
Welsh girl names worth knowing
Mali
Meaning: Welsh form of Molly (Mary). Say it: MAL-ee. Popularity: #4 in Wales in 2025 (104 girls).
The Welsh form of Molly, and so a pet form of Mary. It is the Welsh-language name of this generation: fourth in Wales, ahead of Freya and Florence, with 132 girls across England and Wales and 5 in Scotland. Two syllables, said as written, which is a big part of why it has caught on.
Alys
Meaning: Welsh form of Alice. Say it: AL-iss. Popularity: #29 in Wales in 2025 (61 girls).
The Welsh spelling of Alice, said almost the same way. It sits 29th in Wales, the second most popular Welsh-spelled girls’ name after Mali, and 81 girls got it across England and Wales. If you love Alice but want the Welsh link on the birth certificate, this is the easy route.
Mabli
Meaning: linked to Mabel; usually given as lovable. Say it: MAB-lee. Popularity: #36 in Wales in 2025 (57 girls).
Sits beside Mabel the way Alys sits beside Alice, and the meaning usually given is lovable. It was 36th in Wales with 57 girls, while Mabel was 18th. Outside Wales it was given to just 12 more girls, so Mabli still marks a family out as Welsh.
Lili
Meaning: Welsh spelling of Lily. Say it: LIL-ee. Popularity: #44 in Wales in 2025 (50 girls).
The Welsh spelling of Lily. Lily was second in Wales in 2025, so Lili gives you a top-three name with a Welsh twist. Watch the spelling on forms: every second person will add a y.
Seren
Meaning: star. Say it: SERR-en. Popularity: #55 in Wales in 2025 (42 girls).
Welsh for star. Wikipedia lists it as a female and male name, though in 2025 the registers show it given to girls only. It was third in Wales in 2009 and is still 55th, with 196 girls across England and Wales and 7 in Scotland, so it travels well beyond Wales.
Ffion
Meaning: disputed: foxglove, or from Gaelic fionn, fair. Say it: FEE-on. Popularity: #55 in Wales in 2025 (42 girls).
Double ff is a plain f, so it is FEE-on, never fy-on. The meaning is disputed: Behind the Name ties it to foxglove, while the Welsh Government names list links it to the Gaelic fionn, fair or white. It was 55th in Wales in 2025 and 98 girls got it across England and Wales.
Eira
Meaning: snow. Say it: AY-ra. Popularity: #71 in Wales in 2025 (34 girls).
Snow, and one of the word names that has gone mainstream. Eira was 71st in Wales and 112 girls got it in England and Wales, more than Ffion. It is said AY-ra, which English speakers manage first time, and it makes a cracking winter-baby name with a real meaning behind it.
Nansi
Meaning: Welsh spelling of Nancy. Say it: NAN-see. Popularity: #61 in Wales in 2025 (39 girls).
The Welsh spelling of Nancy. Its best-known bearer is the harpist Nansi Richards (1888 to 1979). Nansi was 61st in Wales in 2025 with 39 girls, while Nancy itself was 55th, so the two spellings are close to level.
Lowri
Meaning: Welsh form of Laura. Say it: LOW-ree. Popularity: #94 in Wales in 2025 (26 girls).
The Welsh form of Laura. The Welsh Government list notes that Lowri was the name of the mother of Bishop William Morgan, who translated the Bible into Welsh. It made the Welsh top 100 in 2025 at 94th. The ow rhymes with now, not with low.
Anwen
Meaning: very beautiful (an- plus gwen); origin not fully certain. Say it: AN-wen. Popularity: #100 in Wales in 2025 (23 girls).
Usually explained as very beautiful, from an- plus gwen, although the origin is not fully certain. It scraped into the Welsh top 100 at 100th with 23 girls. Anwen Williams is the daughter of Gwen Cooper and Rhys Williams in the BBC series Torchwood.
Megan
Meaning: pet form of Marged (Margaret), from Greek for pearl. Say it: MEG-an. Popularity: 44 girls in England and Wales in 2025.
Megan started as a pet form of Marged, the Welsh Margaret, from the Greek for pearl. Its most famous Welsh bearer is Megan Lloyd George, who became the first woman MP for a Welsh seat when she won Anglesey in 1929. After its 1990s peak it now sounds like a name for mums rather than babies, which may be exactly why it is due a comeback.
Catrin
Meaning: Welsh form of Catherine. Say it: KAT-rin. Popularity: 10 girls in England and Wales in 2025.
The Welsh Catherine. Catrin ferch Owain Glyndwr was one of the rebel prince’s daughters, and Katheryn of Berain, born Catrin Tudor, was known as the Mother of Wales. The harpist Catrin Finch keeps it current. Only 10 girls got it in England and Wales in 2025, so it is classic without being common.
Carys
Meaning: from caru, to love. Say it: KAR-iss. Popularity: 34 girls in England and Wales in 2025.
From caru, to love, plus the -ys ending, so it is the same build as Dilys, Gladys and Glenys (Wikipedia on Carys). It was given to 34 girls in England and Wales, and Cerys, the variant spelling, to 27.
Gwyneth
Meaning: from the kingdom of Gwynedd. Say it: GWIN-eth. Popularity: 9 girls in England and Wales in 2025.
Named from the old kingdom of Gwynedd in north Wales. It spread in the 19th century, perhaps helped by the writer Ann Harriet Hughes, who used Gwyneth Vaughan as her pen name. Just 9 girls got it in England and Wales in 2025, so it is ready for a revival.
Bronwen
Meaning: possibly breast plus white or blessed. Say it: BRON-wen. Popularity: 20 girls in England and Wales in 2025.
Possibly breast plus white or blessed, and closely tied to Branwen of the Mabinogi. Bronwen has been used in Wales since the 19th century and reached English readers through Richard Llewellyn’s novel How Green Was My Valley (1939). Twenty girls got it in England and Wales in 2025.
Siân
Meaning: Welsh form of Jane. Say it: SHAHN. Popularity: 8 girls in England and Wales in 2025.
The Welsh Jane, and Wikipedia gives the meaning as God’s gracious gift. It is SHAHN, because si before a vowel is sh in Welsh, and the little roof on the â (the to bach) marks a long vowel. Sioned and Siwan are its sisters, and Scottish Gaelic has Sìne, Seònaid and Seonag.
Gwenllian
Meaning: white or blessed plus flaxen. Say it: gwen-HLEE-an. Popularity: 18 girls in England and Wales in 2025.
White or blessed plus flaxen. Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd led a Welsh army near Kidwelly in 1136, the only medieval Welsh woman known to have done so, and was killed in the fighting. Eighteen girls got the name in 2025. The double l in the middle is the hard part: gwen-HLEE-an.
Myfanwy
Meaning: disputed: beloved, or my plus manwy (fine, delicate). Say it: muh-VAN-wee. Popularity: 3 girls in England and Wales in 2025.
Say muh-VAN-wee. The meaning is disputed between beloved and my plus manwy, fine or delicate. The name is bound up with Joseph Parry’s song Myfanwy, written for four male voices and first performed in Aberystwyth in 1875. Only 3 girls got it in 2025, which makes it a rare and brilliant choice for a family that sings.
Buddug
Meaning: victorious. Say it: BITH-ig. Popularity: fewer than three girls a year in England and Wales.
Victorious, and the modern Welsh descendant of the name of Boudica, the Iceni queen who led a rising against Rome in AD 60 or 61. The dd is a soft th and the u is an i sound, so it is BITH-ig. It barely registers in the baby name data, so a Buddug will be the only one in the class.
Awen
Meaning: poetic inspiration. Say it: AH-wen. Popularity: 3 girls in England and Wales in 2025.
Poetic inspiration. In Welsh tradition awen is the muse of the bards, and the word appears in the third verse of the Welsh national anthem. It is two easy syllables, AH-wen, and only 3 girls got it in England and Wales in 2025.
Welsh girl names from the Mabinogi, legend and the saints
A big share of the older names come from the Mabinogi, the medieval Welsh tales, and from the early Welsh saints. Some are easy to use today; others carry a story you may want to read first. Blodeuwedd, for one, is the wife who plots with her lover to murder her husband, Lleu, in the Fourth Branch.
| Name | Who she is | Usable today? |
|---|---|---|
| Branwen | Daughter of Llyr and heroine of the Second Branch of the Mabinogi; married to Matholwch, King of Ireland | Yes, easy to say |
| Rhiannon | A main figure of the Mabinogi; the name may come from Rigantona, great queen | Yes; Fleetwood Mac made it famous in 1975 |
| Arianrhod | Daughter of Don and mother of Dylan and Lleu in the Fourth Branch | Bold, and a mouthful |
| Blodeuwedd | Made from the flowers of broom, meadowsweet and oak by the magicians Math and Gwydion | A story name more than a baby name |
| Olwen | Daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden and heroine of Culhwch and Olwen | Yes, easy anywhere |
| Angharad | Much loved one; Angharad Golden-Hand is Peredur’s lover | Yes, with a hard g and a breathy h |
| Elen | The bride Macsen Wledig dreams of in the tale of the emperor | Yes, Welsh Helen |
| Dwynwen | Patron saint of lovers, celebrated across Wales on 25 January | Yes, a lovely link to Welsh Valentine’s Day |
| Non | St Non, the mother of St David | Yes, if you like very short names |
| Gwenfrewi | The Welsh name of St Winifred | Rare and tricky |
| Ffraid | The Welsh name of Brigid of Kildare | Rare, said FRYDE |
| Heledd | A 7th-century princess, the voice of the poems Canu Heledd | Yes, said HEL-eth |
Welsh girl names with Scottish Gaelic cousins
Plenty of Welsh girls’ names are local forms of the big Christian names, which means Scotland has its own version of the same name. If you have family on both sides, these are the bridges. Our guide to traditional Scottish Gaelic girl names has the Gaelic pronunciation.
| Welsh | English | Scottish Gaelic |
|---|---|---|
| Mair, Mari, Mali | Mary, Molly | Màiri, Màili |
| Marged, Mared, Megan | Margaret | Mairead |
| Siân, Sioned, Siwan | Jane, Janet, Joan | Sìne, Seònaid, Seonag |
| Catrin, Cadi | Catherine | Catrìona |
| Elen, Elin | Helen | Eilidh |
| Bethan | Elizabeth | Ealasaid |
How to choose a Welsh girl name
Start with how much spelling-out you are prepared to do, because that settles most of the shortlist.
- Easy anywhere, still Welsh. Seren, Eira, Nia, Mali, Alys, Megan, Olwen or Manon. An English speaker reads each of them right first time, which matters on every form your daughter will ever fill in.
- Unmistakably Welsh. Siân, Ffion, Rhiannon, Angharad, Gwenllian or Myfanwy. Expect to say it twice at nursery. Expect her to love it by about age ten.
- A favourite with a Welsh accent. Lili, Elsi, Nansi, Alys and Mabli give you Lily, Elsie, Nancy, Alice and Mabel in Welsh spelling. Going by the 2025 figures, this is the route Welsh parents are taking most.
- Rare and meaningful. Dwynwen, Awen, Buddug or Gwawr. Each was given to three girls or fewer in 2025, so there is no risk of three in one class.
If the full Welsh spelling feels like too much, put it in the middle. Ella Gwenllian or Grace Eluned gives her an easy everyday name and a Welsh one she can grow into, or use instead if she likes.
Watch out for: Gwen is the girls’ form and Gwyn the boys’, so check the birth certificate. Ffion is FEE-on, and Eira is AY-ra, not EYE-ra. And Carys and Cerys are the same name in two spellings, so choose before the cake is iced.
Quick list: 103 Welsh girl names with meanings
| Name | Meaning | Say it | Type | Outside Wales | 2025 | Related form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aderyn | bird | a-DERR-in | Modern | Easy | 4 in E and W | |
| Aeronwen | Aeron plus white or blessed | ay-RON-wen | Modern | Easy | rare | |
| Alys | Welsh form of Alice | AL-iss | Traditional | Easy | #29 in Wales | English Alice |
| Aneira | possibly an- plus eira (snow); feminine of Aneirin | an-AY-ra | Modern | Easy | 19 in E and W | |
| Angharad | much loved | ang-HAR-ad | Legend and saints | Tricky | 3 in E and W | |
| Anwen | very beautiful (an- plus gwen); origin not fully certain | AN-wen | Traditional | Easy | #100 in Wales | |
| Arianrhod | meaning debated; a goddess-like figure of the Mabinogi | ar-YAN-hrod | Legend and saints | Tricky | rare | |
| Arianwen | silver plus white or blessed | ar-YAN-wen | Traditional | Tricky | 15 in E and W | |
| Awen | poetic inspiration | AH-wen | Modern | Easy | 3 in E and W | |
| Beca | from Rebeca (Rebecca) | BEK-a | Traditional | Easy | 8 in E and W | English Rebecca |
| Bethan | pet form of Bet, short for Elisabeth | BETH-an | Traditional | Easy | 11 in E and W | Gaelic Ealasaid (Elizabeth) |
| Betrys | Welsh form of Beatrice | BET-riss | Traditional | Easy | rare | English Beatrice |
| Blodeuwedd | flower-faced | blod-AY-weth | Legend and saints | Tricky | rare | |
| Blodwen | flowers plus white or blessed | BLOD-wen | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Branwen | raven plus white or blessed | BRAN-wen | Legend and saints | Easy | 4 in E and W | |
| Briallen | primrose | bree-A-hlen | Modern | Tricky | rare | |
| Bronwen | possibly breast plus white or blessed | BRON-wen | Traditional | Easy | 20 in E and W | |
| Buddug | victorious | BITH-ig | Legend and saints | Tricky | rare | |
| Cadi | short form of Catrin (Katherine) | KAD-ee | Modern | Easy | 26 in E and W | Gaelic Catrìona |
| Carys | from caru, to love | KAR-iss | Modern | Easy | 34 in E and W | |
| Catrin | Welsh form of Catherine | KAT-rin | Traditional | Easy | 10 in E and W | Gaelic Catrìona |
| Ceinwen | lovely plus white or blessed | KINE-wen | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Celyn | holly | KEL-in | Modern (also boys) | Easy | 14 in E and W | |
| Ceri | a river in Ceredigion; possibly short for Ceridwen | KERR-ee | Traditional (also boys) | Easy | rare | |
| Ceridwen | uncertain; the legendary sorceress of the cauldron | ke-RID-wen | Legend and saints | Easy | rare | |
| Cerys | variant of Carys (love) | KERR-iss | Modern | Easy | 27 in E and W | |
| Delyth | from del, pretty | DEL-ith | Modern | Easy | rare | |
| Dilys | genuine, sincere | DIL-iss | Traditional | Easy | 7 in E and W | |
| Dwynwen | name of the patron saint of lovers | DWIN-wen | Legend and saints | Tricky | 3 in E and W | |
| Efa | Welsh form of Eva (Eve) | EV-a | Traditional | Tricky | #72 in Wales | English Eve |
| Eira | snow | AY-ra | Modern | Easy | #71 in Wales | |
| Eirian | bright, beautiful | AY-ree-an | Traditional (also boys) | Easy | rare | |
| Eirlys | snowdrop (eira plus llys) | AYR-liss | Traditional | Easy | 7 in E and W | |
| Eirwen | snow plus white | AYR-wen | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Elain | fawn | EL-ine | Modern | Easy | rare | |
| Elen | Welsh form of Helen | EL-en | Legend and saints | Easy | 9 in E and W | Gaelic Eilidh |
| Eleri | from a Welsh river name; also linked to Hilarius | e-LERR-ee | Traditional | Easy | #83 in Wales | |
| Elin | form of Elen or Helen, from Greek for bright | EL-in | Traditional | Easy | 40 in E and W | Gaelic Eilidh |
| Elsi | Welsh spelling of Elsie | EL-see | Modern | Easy | #72 in Wales | English Elsie |
| Eluned | from eilun, image or likeness | e-LIN-ed | Traditional | Tricky | rare | |
| Enfys | rainbow | EN-viss | Modern | Tricky | 10 in E and W | |
| Enid | probably from enaid, soul | EE-nid | Legend and saints | Easy | 47 in E and W | |
| Erin | one of the Welsh names for Ireland | ERR-in | Modern | Easy | #43 in Wales | |
| Esyllt | Welsh form of Iseult | ESS-ihlt | Legend and saints | Tricky | rare | |
| Eurwen | gold plus white or blessed | AYR-wen | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Ffion | disputed: foxglove, or from Gaelic fionn, fair | FEE-on | Modern | Easy | #55 in Wales | |
| Fflur | Welsh form of Flora | FLEER | Traditional | Tricky | 3 in E and W | English Flora |
| Ffraid | Welsh form of Bridget | FRYDE | Traditional | Tricky | rare | Irish Brigid |
| Gaenor | Welsh spelling of Gaynor, a medieval form of Guinevere | GAY-nor | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Glenys | possibly from glan, pure, or glyn, valley | GLEN-iss | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Gwawr | dawn | GWOW-r | Modern | Tricky | rare | |
| Gwen | white, fair or blessed | GWEN | Traditional | Easy | 34 in E and W | |
| Gwenda | white or blessed plus good | GWEN-da | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Gwendolen | white or blessed plus ring | GWEN-do-len | Legend and saints | Easy | 4 in E and W | |
| Gwenfrewi | the Welsh name of St Winifred | gwen-VREH-wee | Legend and saints | Tricky | rare | English Winifred |
| Gwenllian | white or blessed plus flaxen | gwen-HLEE-an | Legend and saints | Tricky | 18 in E and W | |
| Gwenno | pet form of the Gwen names | GWEN-no | Modern | Easy | 9 in E and W | |
| Gwladys | from Old Welsh Gwladus, probably gwlad, country | GLAD-iss | Traditional | Tricky | rare | English Gladys |
| Gwyneira | white snow | gwin-AY-ra | Modern | Easy | rare | |
| Gwyneth | from the kingdom of Gwynedd | GWIN-eth | Traditional | Easy | 9 in E and W | |
| Haf | summer | HAHV | Modern | Tricky | 4 in E and W | |
| Hefina | feminine of Hefin, summer | he-VEE-na | Traditional | Tricky | rare | |
| Heledd | name of a 7th-century princess | HEL-eth | Legend and saints | Tricky | rare | |
| Heulwen | sunshine (haul plus gwen) | HAIL-wen | Traditional | Tricky | 4 in E and W | |
| Lili | Welsh spelling of Lily | LIL-ee | Modern | Easy | #44 in Wales | English Lily |
| Lleucu | meaning unknown, possibly from Lleu | HLAY-kee | Legend and saints | Tricky | 7 in E and W | |
| Llinos | linnet (a small finch) | HLIN-oss | Traditional | Tricky | 4 in E and W | |
| Lowri | Welsh form of Laura | LOW-ree | Traditional | Easy | #94 in Wales | English Laura |
| Luned | from Lunete, the helper in the tale of Owain | LIN-ed | Legend and saints | Easy | rare | |
| Mabli | linked to Mabel; usually given as lovable | MAB-lee | Modern | Easy | #36 in Wales | English Mabel |
| Mair | Welsh form of Mary | MY-r | Traditional | Easy | 6 in E and W | Gaelic Màiri |
| Mairwen | Mair plus white or blessed | MYR-wen | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Mali | Welsh form of Molly (Mary) | MAL-ee | Modern | Easy | #4 in Wales | Gaelic Màili |
| Mallt | Welsh form of Matilda | MAHLT | Traditional | Tricky | rare | English Matilda |
| Manon | beautiful queen | MAN-on | Modern | Easy | 13 in E and W | |
| Mared | Welsh form of Margaret | MAR-ed | Traditional | Easy | 5 in E and W | Gaelic Mairead |
| Marged | Welsh form of Margaret | MAR-ged | Traditional | Easy | 3 in E and W | Gaelic Mairead |
| Mari | Welsh form of Mary | MAR-ee | Traditional | Easy | 32 in E and W | Gaelic Màiri |
| Megan | pet form of Marged (Margaret), from Greek for pearl | MEG-an | Traditional | Easy | 44 in E and W | Gaelic Mairead |
| Meinir | slender plus tall: a tall, slender maiden | MAY-neer | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Meinwen | slender plus white or blessed | MAYN-wen | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Mererid | pearl | me-RERR-id | Legend and saints | Easy | rare | |
| Morgan | from Old Welsh Morcant, possibly with mor, sea | MOR-gan | Legend and saints (also boys) | Easy | 65 in E and W | |
| Morwenna | maiden | mor-WEN-a | Legend and saints | Easy | 11 in E and W | |
| Myfanwy | disputed: beloved, or my plus manwy (fine, delicate) | muh-VAN-wee | Traditional | Tricky | 3 in E and W | |
| Nansi | Welsh spelling of Nancy | NAN-see | Modern | Easy | #61 in Wales | English Nancy |
| Nerys | from ner, lord | NERR-iss | Traditional | Easy | 3 in E and W | |
| Nest | medieval Welsh pet form of Agnes | NEST | Traditional | Easy | rare | Gaelic Ùna (Agnes) |
| Nia | Welsh form of Niamh, bright | NEE-a | Modern | Easy | 138 in E and W | |
| Non | possibly from Latin nonna, nun | NON | Legend and saints | Easy | 4 in E and W | |
| Olwen | white footprint | OL-wen | Legend and saints | Easy | 12 in E and W | |
| Owena | feminine of Owen | oh-WEN-a | Modern | Easy | rare | |
| Rhian | maiden | HREE-an | Traditional | Tricky | 4 in E and W | |
| Rhiannon | possibly from Rigantona, great queen | hree-AN-on | Legend and saints | Tricky | 22 in E and W | |
| Rhonwen | Welsh form of Rowena | HRON-wen | Legend and saints | Tricky | rare | English Rowena |
| Rhosyn | rose | HROSS-in | Modern | Tricky | rare | English Rose |
| Seren | star | SERR-en | Modern | Easy | #55 in Wales | |
| Sioned | a form of Siân (Janet) | SHON-ed | Traditional | Tricky | 5 in E and W | Gaelic Seònaid |
| Siwan | Welsh form of Joan | SHOO-an | Traditional | Tricky | 3 in E and W | Gaelic Seonag |
| Siân | Welsh form of Jane | SHAHN | Traditional | Tricky | 8 in E and W | Gaelic Sìne |
| Tegan | darling, from teg, fair or beautiful | TEG-an | Modern | Easy | 14 in E and W | |
| Tegwen | fair plus white or blessed | TEG-wen | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Tesni | warmth | TESS-nee | Modern | Easy | 5 in E and W |
FAQ about Welsh girl names
What is the most popular Welsh girl name?
Mali. In 2025 it was the fourth most popular girls’ name in Wales, with 104 babies, according to the ONS, and the highest Welsh-spelled name on the list. Alys (29th) and Mabli (36th) come next. The most popular girls’ name in Wales overall was Olivia, with 140 babies.
What are some pretty Welsh girl names?
Seren (star), Eira (snow), Ffion, Rhiannon, Anwen (very beautiful), Bronwen, Carys (from caru, to love), Heulwen (sunshine) and Gwenllian are among the best loved. For something rarer, look at Dwynwen, the patron saint of lovers, or Awen, the bards’ word for poetic inspiration.
What Welsh girl names mean star, snow or summer?
Seren means star, Eira means snow and Haf means summer. Eirlys is snowdrop, Eirwen is snow white, Heulwen is sunshine, Gwawr is dawn and Enfys is rainbow. These word names took off in the 19th and 20th centuries and are mostly easy to say outside Wales.
Is Megan a Welsh name?
Yes. Megan began as a Welsh pet form of Marged, the Welsh Margaret, which comes from the Greek for pearl. It went worldwide in the 1990s and peaked in the UK in 1999. In 2025 only 44 girls in England and Wales were named Megan, so it is now a quieter choice.
How do you pronounce Ffion and Siân?
Ffion is FEE-on: in Welsh a double ff is a plain English f, and a single f is a v. Siân is SHAHN: si before a vowel makes a sh sound, and the accent on the a, called the to bach or little roof, makes the vowel long. Sioned is SHON-ed for the same reason.
Final thoughts on Welsh girl names
If you want one Welsh girl name that is popular in Wales now and easy everywhere else, make it Mali or Seren. If you want the deep end, Gwenllian and Rhiannon carry a thousand years of Welsh story between them, and the ll is worth learning for that alone.
For a name that works for any child, see our list of unisex Celtic names, where Celyn and Morgan sit beside Scottish and Irish names. And if you are weighing up names from across the old Celtic world, our guide to Celtic names puts Welsh beside Scottish, Irish, Cornish, Breton and Manx, while the female Viking names cover the Norse side of these islands.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales: 2025, released 9 July 2026
- ONS, Baby names for girls in England and Wales, 2025 dataset (Wales top 100 and full list)
- National Records of Scotland, Babies’ first names 2025 (all names given to babies in 2025)
- Welsh Government, Welsh names for children
- Welsh orthography
- Seren (name)
- Megan
- Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd
- Gwyneth
- Bronwen
- Carys
- Buddug
- Awen
- Dwynwen
- Blodeuwedd
- Behind the Name, Welsh names (used to cross-check meanings)
