Welsh boy names are boys’ names from the Welsh language, Welsh history and the old Welsh tales, and the ones parents in Wales are choosing right now are Osian, Macsen, Harri, Jac, Dylan, Elis and Idris. In 2025 Harri and Jac were both more popular in Wales than Harry and Jack, according to the Office for National Statistics: 86 and 76 boys against 63 each. Below are 106 Welsh boy names with meanings, a respelling for each, the latest figures for Wales, England and Scotland, and the princes and poets behind the big ones.
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 choosing a Welsh name for a son, for anyone naming a baby after a Welsh taid (grandad), and for everyone who has met a Gruffudd and nodded politely without a clue how to say it. Every name has a meaning, a say-it guide, its type (traditional, modern, or from legend and history) and how many boys actually got it in 2025.
A wee bit of context. Welsh is a Brittonic Celtic language, a cousin of Cornish and Breton rather than of Scottish Gaelic, so its spelling follows its own rules: a single f is a v, ff is an f, dd is the th in this, and ll is a breathy sound English does not have. That is why Dafydd is DAV-ith and why Llywelyn looks harder than it is.
Two Scots Abroad · Scottish names
Welsh boy name finder
106 Welsh boy 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 boy names right now?
Osian and Macsen lead the Welsh names in Wales, at 10th and 12th. The table pulls every Welsh name from the boys’ 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. Noah was the number one boys’ name in Wales overall, with 218 babies.
| Name | Rank in Wales | Boys in Wales | Boys in England and Wales | Boys in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osian | #10 | 114 | 165 | 3 |
| Macsen | #12 | 108 | 141 | under 3 |
| Harri | #21 | 86 | 100 | under 3 |
| Jac | #26 | 76 | 87 | under 3 |
| Dylan | #36 | 66 | 717 | 46 |
| Elis | #36 | 66 | 119 | 4 |
| Idris | #53 | 44 | 368 | 13 |
| Tomos | #56 | 43 | 49 | under 3 |
| Emrys | #65 | 38 | 96 | 3 |
| Cai | #81 | 32 | 52 | 3 |
| Evan | #90 | 29 | 261 | 36 |
| Morgan | #94 | 28 | 128 | 5 |
| Gruffydd | #96 | 27 | 31 | under 3 |
| Dewi | #96 | 27 | 30 | under 3 |
The Welsh spellings are beating the English originals on home ground. Harri (21st) and Jac (26th) both sit above Harry and Jack, which tie at 42nd in Wales, and Elis (36th) is ahead of Ellis (51st). Tomos is the exception: Thomas still edges it, 63 boys to 43.
Two surprises the other way. Rhys and Owen, the Welsh names most people outside Wales could name, are not in the Welsh top 100 at all, although Owen was given to 298 boys across England and Wales and 47 in Scotland. And Idris is far bigger outside Wales than in it: 368 boys in England and Wales, but only 44 of them in Wales. As Wikipedia’s page on Idris notes, the Welsh and Arabic names are unrelated, and both are in that count.
How to pronounce Welsh boy names
Welsh spelling is regular, so a few rules cover nearly every name below. The table follows the Welsh orthography guide with boys’ names as practice. Stress almost always falls on the second-last syllable: hluh-WEL-in, not HLEW-el-in.
| Letters | Sounds like | Practise on |
|---|---|---|
| dd | th in this (we write it th) | Dafydd, Gruffudd, Bleddyn |
| f | v, as in van | Ifan, Ifor, Hefin |
| ff | f, as in fun | Steffan, Gruffudd |
| ll | tongue in the l position, then blow (we write it hl) | Llywelyn, Llew, Illtyd |
| rh | r with a breath before it | Rhys, Rhodri, Rhydian |
| ch | ch in loch (we write it kh) | Rhydderch |
| si before a vowel | sh | Siôn, Siarl, Siôr |
| w as a vowel | oo | Twm, Gwydion |
| u | ee or i in the south | Huw, Tudur, Alun |
| y | uh in most syllables; i or ee in a last syllable | Dylan (DUL-an), Rhys (HREESS) |
For the full system, including the vowels that change with position, the Welsh names hub linked at the top of this page has the complete table.
How Welsh boy names are built
Plenty of Welsh boys’ names are compounds, and once you know the parts you can read them like a sign. The most common is gwyn, white, fair or blessed, which loses its g inside a name and becomes -wyn: Arwyn, Carwyn, Delwyn, Heddwyn. The landscape gives the rest: bryn is a hill, glyn a valley, and mawr (great) turns into -for or -mor at the end of a name.
| Part | Meaning | Boys’ names built from it |
|---|---|---|
| gwyn, -wyn | white, fair, blessed | Gwyn, Wyn, Arwyn, Berwyn, Carwyn, Delwyn, Dilwyn, Heddwyn |
| bryn, -fryn | hill | Bryn, Brynmor, Talfryn |
| glyn | valley | Glyn, Glyndwr |
| mawr, -for, -mor | great | Gwynfor, Brynmor, Trefor |
| hedd | peace | Heddwyn |
| haf, hef- | summer | Hefin |
| aur, eur- | gold | Eurig |
| rhi, -ri | king, ruler | Rhodri (wheel plus king), Rhydderch |
Welsh boy names worth knowing
Osian
Meaning: named after a poet of Irish legend. Say it: OSH-an. Popularity: #10 in Wales in 2025 (114 boys).
Named after Osian, the poet of Irish legend, and the most popular Welsh-spelled boys’ name in Wales right now: 10th in 2025 with 114 boys. Say it OSH-an, because s before i is a sh sound in Welsh. Outside Wales some people will read it OSS-ee-an, so decide early whether that will bother you.
Macsen
Meaning: Welsh form of Maximus. Say it: MAK-sen. Popularity: #12 in Wales in 2025 (108 boys).
The Welsh form of Maximus. Magnus Maximus was Roman emperor in the West from 383 to 388, and Welsh legend remembered him as Macsen Wledig. The name was 12th in Wales in 2025 with 108 boys and is almost unknown in Scotland, which makes it one of the most distinctly Welsh names on the list.
Harri
Meaning: Welsh spelling of Harry (Henry). Say it: HA-ree. Popularity: #21 in Wales in 2025 (86 boys).
The Welsh spelling of Harry, and so of Henry. It was 21st in Wales with 86 boys, ahead of Harry, and only 14 more boys got it in the rest of England and Wales. It is said exactly like Harry, so you get the Welsh spelling with no pronunciation homework at all.
Jac
Meaning: Welsh spelling of Jack. Say it: JAK. Popularity: #26 in Wales in 2025 (76 boys).
Welsh has no k in its alphabet, so Jack becomes Jac. It was 26th in Wales with 76 boys, again ahead of the English spelling. Expect people to ask whether you forgot a letter; expect to say no, quite cheerfully, for the next eighteen years.
Dylan
Meaning: often given as son of the sea; from dy plus llanw, tide. Say it: DUL-an. Popularity: #36 in Wales in 2025 (66 boys).
Dylan is the Dylan ail Don of the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, and the name is often read as son of the sea. In Welsh it is DUL-an. The poet Dylan Thomas, who wrote Under Milk Wood and died in New York at 39, took it round the world. In 2025 it was 36th in Wales, given to 717 boys in England and Wales and 46 in Scotland.
Idris
Meaning: ardent lord. Say it: ID-riss. Popularity: #53 in Wales in 2025 (44 boys).
Usually given as ardent lord. It is also the name in Cadair Idris, Idris’s Chair, the mountain near Dolgellau at the southern end of Snowdonia; Idris is usually taken to be a giant, or possibly a historical Idris ap Gwyddno. It was 53rd in Wales in 2025, and 13 boys got it in Scotland.
Emrys
Meaning: Welsh form of Ambrose. Say it: EM-riss. Popularity: #65 in Wales in 2025 (38 boys).
The Welsh form of Ambrose, and a name with a legend behind it: the Welsh name of Ambrosius Aurelianus was Emrys Wledig, later also known as Myrddin Emrys, one of the figures behind Merlin. It was 65th in Wales in 2025 with 38 boys, and is easy to say anywhere: EM-riss.
Cai
Meaning: from Latin Caius. Say it: KY. Popularity: #81 in Wales in 2025 (32 boys).
From the Latin Caius. Cai is one of Arthur’s knights in the Mabinogion. It was 81st in Wales in 2025 with 32 boys. It rhymes with eye, which is the only thing to warn the grandparents about.
Dewi
Meaning: an Old Welsh form of David. Say it: DEH-wee. Popularity: #96 in Wales in 2025 (27 boys).
An Old Welsh form of David and the name of Saint David, the 6th-century bishop who is the patron saint of Wales. His feast on 1 March is St David’s Day. Dewi was 96th in Wales in 2025 with 27 boys.
Gruffudd
Meaning: Old Welsh Grifud; second part means lord or prince. Say it: GRIFF-ith. Popularity: 9 boys in England and Wales in 2025.
Old Welsh Grifud, with the second part meaning lord or prince. Gruffudd ap Cynan was King of Gwynedd from 1081 to 1137 and a key figure in Welsh resistance to the Normans. Say GRIFF-ith. The spelling Gruffydd made the Welsh top 100 (96th, 27 boys), and Griffith is the English form.
Rhys
Meaning: ardour, enthusiasm. Say it: HREESS. Popularity: 106 boys in England and Wales in 2025.
Ardour or enthusiasm. Rhys ap Gruffydd, the Lord Rhys, ruled Deheubarth in south Wales from 1155 to 1197. The name gave English Rees, Reece and Rice, and the surname Price from ap Rhys. In 2025 it was given to 106 boys in England and Wales and 13 in Scotland, but missed the Welsh top 100.
Owain
Meaning: well born; possibly from Latin Eugenius. Say it: OH-wine. Popularity: 18 boys in England and Wales in 2025.
Well born. The name of Owain Glyndwr, and Owen is its modern form. Owain itself was given to 18 boys in England and Wales in 2025, Owen to 298, so if you want the original spelling you will be in a small club.
Llywelyn
Meaning: debated: from the gods Lugus and Belenus, or from llyw, leader. Say it: hluh-WEL-in. Popularity: 7 boys in England and Wales in 2025.
The meaning is debated between the old gods Lugus and Belenus and llyw, leader. It belonged to the two great princes of Gwynedd, Llywelyn the Great and Llywelyn the Last. Say hluh-WEL-in, with the Welsh ll at the start. Llew is the friendly short form, and also the Welsh word for lion.
Dafydd
Meaning: Welsh form of David, from Hebrew for beloved or friend. Say it: DAV-ith. Popularity: 11 boys in England and Wales in 2025.
The Welsh David, said DAV-ith. Dafydd ap Gwilym is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and among the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. Only 11 boys got Dafydd in 2025, so it is classic and uncommon at the same time. Dai is the everyday short form.
Hywel
Meaning: eminent, prominent. Say it: HUH-wel. Popularity: 6 boys in England and Wales in 2025.
Eminent or prominent. Hywel Dda, Hywel the Good, came to rule most of Wales, from Prestatyn to Pembroke, and the medieval laws of Wales carry his name. It is HUH-wel, and Howell and Powell (from ap Hywel) are its English-shaped descendants.
Taliesin
Meaning: shining brow. Say it: tal-YES-in. Popularity: 15 boys in England and Wales in 2025.
Shining brow. Taliesin was an early Brittonic poet believed to have sung at the courts of at least three kings, and his work may survive in the Book of Taliesin. Say tal-YES-in. Fifteen boys got it in England and Wales in 2025, so it is rare without being strange.
Aneurin
Meaning: modern form of Aneirin. Say it: an-AY-rin. Popularity: 17 boys in England and Wales in 2025.
The modern form of Aneirin. Its most famous bearer is Aneurin Bevan, the MP for Ebbw Vale who led the creation of the National Health Service. Nye, his nickname, is a name in its own right now. Seventeen boys got Aneurin in 2025 and 8 got Nye.
Gareth
Meaning: uncertain: a form of Geraint, or civilised. Say it: GA-reth. Popularity: 6 boys in England and Wales in 2025.
The meaning is uncertain: possibly a form of Geraint, or from a word for civilised. Gareth was everywhere in Wales a generation ago, and Gareth Bale is widely regarded as the greatest Welsh footballer of all time. Yet only 6 boys got it in England and Wales in 2025, so it is ready for a comeback.
Heddwyn
Meaning: peace plus white or blessed. Say it: HETH-win. Popularity: fewer than three boys a year in England and Wales.
Peace plus white or blessed. The name is tied to Hedd Wyn, the bardic name of the poet Ellis Evans, who was killed on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele and posthumously awarded the bard’s chair at the 1917 National Eisteddfod. The dd makes it HETH-win.
Bryn
Meaning: hill. Say it: BRIN. Popularity: 19 boys in England and Wales in 2025.
Hill, and one of the easiest Welsh names to carry anywhere. The opera singer Sir Bryn Terfel was born Bryn Terfel Jones and dropped the surname professionally, a very Welsh move. Nineteen boys got Bryn in England and Wales in 2025.
Princes and poets: the Welsh boy names with the biggest stories
Princes and poets box. If you want a name with a history lesson attached, these are the big six. Each one belonged to a real man who shaped Wales, and every one is still in use.
- Owain: Owain Glyndwr was acclaimed Prince of Wales by his supporters on 16 September 1400 and his rising held the whole country in 1404 and 1405. He was never captured, and died in hiding around 1416.
- Llywelyn: Llywelyn the Great ruled Gwynedd from 1199 to 1240; his grandson Llywelyn the Last proclaimed himself Prince of Wales in 1258 and was killed in an ambush at Cilmeri in 1282.
- Rhodri: Rhodri Mawr, Rhodri the Great, was king of Gwynedd and the Isle of Man from 844 to 878.
- Hywel: Hywel Dda, the king who gave his name to the laws of medieval Wales.
- Dafydd: Dafydd ap Gwilym, one of the great poets of medieval Europe.
- Dylan: Dylan Thomas, the poet of Do not go gentle into that good night and Under Milk Wood.
Welsh boy names with Scottish roots
Here is the bit most Welsh name lists miss. Some of the oldest Welsh names were born in what is now Scotland. In the early Middle Ages, Brittonic speakers held southern Scotland and northern England, the region scholars call the Old North, and they and the people of Wales called each other Cymry, fellow countrymen.
| Name | The northern link | Use it today? |
|---|---|---|
| Aneirin (Aneurin) | The bard of Y Gododdin, the poem for the warriors of the kingdom of Gododdin, probably centred on Edinburgh | Yes, said an-AY-rin |
| Taliesin | Sang at the court of Urien of Rheged, a kingdom most likely centred on the Solway Firth | Yes, tal-YES-in |
| Owain | Owain mab Urien, son of the king of Rheged, who fought the Angles of Bernicia and became Sir Ywain of Arthurian legend | Yes, or Owen |
| Rhydderch | Rhydderch Hen was one of the northern kings in Urien of Rheged‘s alliance against the Anglo-Saxons | Bold: HRUTH-erkh |
So a Scottish family choosing Aneirin is not borrowing from Wales so much as taking a name back up the road. For the Gaelic side of Scottish boys’ names, see our list of rare Scottish Gaelic boy names.
Welsh boy names and their Scottish Gaelic cousins
| Welsh | English | Scottish Gaelic |
|---|---|---|
| Ieuan, Ifan, Ioan, Iwan, Siôn | John (and Evan) | Iain |
| Dafydd, Dewi | David | Dàibhidh |
| Gwilym | William | Uilleam |
| Tomos | Thomas | Tòmas |
| Huw | Hugh | Aodh |
| Harri | Henry, Harry | Eanraig |
| Steffan | Stephen | Steafan |
| Meical, Mihangel | Michael | Mìcheal |
| Pedr | Peter | Peadar |
| Siôr | George | Seòras |
| Siarl | Charles | Teàrlach |
How to choose a Welsh boy name
Start with how much explaining you are willing to do, because that decides most of the shortlist.
- Easy anywhere, still Welsh. Macsen, Elis, Cai, Bryn, Emrys, Idris, Morgan or Evan. An English speaker gets each one right first time, and every one of them is in use right now.
- Unmistakably Welsh. Dafydd, Gruffudd, Llywelyn, Rhodri or Iorwerth. Expect to spell it at every doctor’s surgery. Expect him to be proud of it anyway.
- A favourite with a Welsh accent. Harri, Jac, Tomos and Elis give you Harry, Jack, Thomas and Ellis in Welsh spelling, and in Wales they now outnumber the originals in three cases out of four.
- A name with a story. Owain, Taliesin, Aneirin or Heddwyn. Rare enough to stand out, and each comes with a prince or a poet you can tell him about.
If the full Welsh spelling feels like too much, put it in the middle. Jack Llywelyn or Thomas Gruffudd gives him an easy everyday name and a Welsh one he can grow into, and he can swap them round at 16 if he likes.
Watch out for: Gwyn is the boys’ form and Gwen the girls’, so check the birth certificate. Dylan is DUL-an in Welsh and DIL-an in English; Dylan Thomas settled on the English version, so either is fine, but pick one before the grandparents do. And Ifor is Ivor, not EYE-for.
Quick list: 106 Welsh boy names with meanings
| Name | Meaning | Say it | Type | Outside Wales | 2025 | Related form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aled | a river in Denbighshire | AL-ed | Traditional | Easy | 6 in E and W | |
| Alun | Welsh form of Alan; also two Welsh rivers | AL-in | Traditional | Easy | rare | English Alan |
| Alwyn | from the River Alwen | AL-win | Traditional | Easy | 12 in E and W | |
| Aneirin | Old Welsh, possibly from Latin Honorius | an-AY-rin | Legend and history | Easy | 4 in E and W | |
| Aneurin | modern form of Aneirin | an-AY-rin | Traditional | Easy | 17 in E and W | |
| Arwel | Old Welsh, meaning unknown | AR-wel | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Arwyn | ar- (very) plus gwyn, white or blessed | AR-win | Traditional | Easy | 13 in E and W | |
| Bedwyr | Welsh form of Bedivere | BED-weer | Legend and history | Easy | rare | |
| Berwyn | white top (barr plus gwyn) | BERR-win | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Bleddyn | from blaidd, wolf | BLETH-in | Legend and history | Tricky | 9 in E and W | |
| Bryn | hill | BRIN | Traditional | Easy | 19 in E and W | |
| Brynmor | great hill | BRIN-mor | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Cadwaladr | leader of the battle | kad-WAL-ad-er | Legend and history | Tricky | rare | |
| Caerwyn | fortress plus white or blessed | KYR-win | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Cai | from Latin Caius | KY | Legend and history | Easy | #81 in Wales | |
| Caradog | from Old Welsh Caratauc, loved | ka-RAD-og | Legend and history | Easy | 3 in E and W | |
| Carwyn | loved and blessed | KAR-win | Modern | Easy | 8 in E and W | |
| Celyn | holly | KEL-in | Modern (also girls) | Easy | 7 in E and W | |
| Ceri | a river in Ceredigion; possibly short for Ceridwen | KERR-ee | Traditional (also girls) | Easy | rare | |
| Cledwyn | possibly hard or rough plus white or blessed | KLED-win | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Dafydd | Welsh form of David, from Hebrew for beloved or friend | DAV-ith | Traditional | Tricky | 11 in E and W | Gaelic Dàibhidh |
| Dai | pet form of Dafydd | DY | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Deiniol | Welsh form of Daniel | DAYN-yol | Legend and history | Easy | rare | English Daniel |
| Delwyn | pretty plus white or blessed | DEL-win | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Dewi | an Old Welsh form of David | DEH-wee | Legend and history | Easy | #96 in Wales | Gaelic Dàibhidh |
| Dilwyn | genuine plus white or blessed | DIL-win | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Dylan | often given as son of the sea; from dy plus llanw, tide | DUL-an | Legend and history | Easy | #36 in Wales | |
| Eifion | from the district of Eifionydd | AYV-yon | Traditional | Tricky | 3 in E and W | |
| Einion | anvil; from Old Welsh Enniaun | AYN-yon | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Eirian | bright, beautiful | AY-ree-an | Traditional (also girls) | Easy | rare | |
| Elis | Welsh form of Ellis | EL-iss | Traditional | Easy | #36 in Wales | |
| Emlyn | from an ancient district in south west Wales | EM-lin | Traditional | Easy | 25 in E and W | |
| Emrys | Welsh form of Ambrose | EM-riss | Legend and history | Easy | #65 in Wales | English Ambrose |
| Emyr | king, lord | EM-ir | Traditional | Easy | 13 in E and W | |
| Eurig | gold with a pet ending | AY-rig | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Evan | anglicised Ifan, a Welsh form of John | EV-an | Traditional | Easy | #90 in Wales | Gaelic Iain |
| Gareth | uncertain: a form of Geraint, or civilised | GA-reth | Traditional | Easy | 6 in E and W | |
| Geraint | meaning unknown; possibly from Gerontius | GERR-aynt | Legend and history | Easy | rare | |
| Gerallt | Welsh form of Gerald | GERR-ahlt | Traditional | Tricky | rare | English Gerald |
| Gethin | dark, swarthy | GETH-in | Traditional | Easy | 30 in E and W | |
| Glyn | valley | GLIN | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Glyndwr | valley of the water; honours Owain Glyndwr | glin-DOOR | Modern | Tricky | rare | |
| Goronwy | variant of Gronw | go-RON-wee | Legend and history | Easy | rare | |
| Gruffudd | Old Welsh Grifud; second part means lord or prince | GRIFF-ith | Traditional | Tricky | 9 in E and W | |
| Gruffydd | variant spelling of Gruffudd | GRIFF-ith | Traditional | Tricky | #96 in Wales | |
| Guto | pet form of Gruffudd | GIT-o | Traditional | Easy | 15 in E and W | |
| Gwilym | Welsh form of William | GWIL-im | Traditional | Easy | 20 in E and W | Gaelic Uilleam |
| Gwydion | probably born of trees | GWID-yon | Legend and history | Easy | 4 in E and W | |
| Gwyn | white, fair or blessed | GWIN | Legend and history | Easy | 5 in E and W | |
| Gwynfor | white or blessed plus great | GWIN-vor | Modern | Easy | rare | |
| Harri | Welsh spelling of Harry (Henry) | HA-ree | Modern | Easy | #21 in Wales | Gaelic Eanraig |
| Heddwyn | peace plus white or blessed | HETH-win | Modern | Tricky | rare | |
| Hefin | summer, a poetic form of haf | HEV-in | Traditional | Tricky | rare | |
| Huw | Welsh form of Hugh | HEW | Traditional | Easy | 15 in E and W | Gaelic Aodh |
| Hywel | eminent, prominent | HUH-wel | Legend and history | Easy | 6 in E and W | |
| Iago | Welsh form of James | YAH-go | Traditional | Easy | 16 in E and W | English James |
| Ianto | pet form of Ifan | YAN-to | Modern | Easy | 12 in E and W | |
| Idris | ardent lord | ID-riss | Legend and history | Easy | #53 in Wales | |
| Idwal | lord plus ruler | ID-wal | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Iestyn | Welsh form of Justin | YESS-tin | Traditional | Easy | 10 in E and W | English Justin |
| Ieuan | Welsh form of John, from Latin Iohannes | YAY-an | Traditional | Tricky | 9 in E and W | Gaelic Iain |
| Ifan | modern form of Ieuan (John) | EE-van | Traditional | Tricky | 14 in E and W | Gaelic Iain |
| Ifor | Welsh form of Ivor | EE-vor | Traditional | Tricky | 3 in E and W | English Ivor |
| Illtyd | from Old Welsh Eltut | IHLT-id | Legend and history | Tricky | rare | |
| Ioan | Welsh form of John | YO-an | Traditional | Easy | 31 in E and W | Gaelic Iain |
| Iolo | pet form of Iorwerth | YO-lo | Traditional | Easy | 6 in E and W | |
| Iorwerth | worthy lord; the Welsh form of Edward | YOR-werth | Traditional | Tricky | 3 in E and W | English Edward |
| Islwyn | below the grove (a mountain name) | ISS-lwin | Traditional | Tricky | rare | |
| Iwan | a form of Ifan and Ioan (John) | YOO-an | Modern | Easy | 10 in E and W | Gaelic Iain |
| Jac | Welsh spelling of Jack | JAK | Modern | Easy | #26 in Wales | English Jack |
| Llew | short for Llywelyn; also the Welsh word for lion | HLEW | Legend and history | Tricky | 10 in E and W | |
| Llywelyn | debated: from the gods Lugus and Belenus, or from llyw, leader | hluh-WEL-in | Legend and history | Tricky | 7 in E and W | |
| Macsen | Welsh form of Maximus | MAK-sen | Legend and history | Easy | #12 in Wales | |
| Madog | good, fortunate | MAD-og | Legend and history | Easy | rare | |
| Maldwyn | the old Welsh name for Montgomeryshire | MALD-win | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Meical | Welsh form of Michael | MY-kal | Traditional | Easy | rare | Gaelic Mìcheal |
| Meirion | from Meirionnydd (Merioneth) | MAYR-yon | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Meredydd | possibly greatness plus lord | me-RED-ith | Traditional | Tricky | rare | |
| Merfyn | uncertain; a 9th-century king of Gwynedd | MER-vin | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Meurig | possibly from Latin Mauritius | MAY-rig | Traditional | Easy | rare | |
| Mihangel | Michael plus angel: the archangel | mee-HANG-el | Traditional | Easy | rare | Gaelic Mìcheal |
| Morgan | from Old Welsh Morcant, possibly with mor, sea | MOR-gan | Legend and history (also girls) | Easy | #94 in Wales | |
| Myrddin | original Welsh form of Merlin | MUR-thin | Legend and history | Tricky | rare | |
| Nye | pet form of Aneurin | NY | Modern | Easy | 8 in E and W | |
| Osian | named after a poet of Irish legend | OSH-an | Modern | Easy | #10 in Wales | |
| Owain | well born; possibly from Latin Eugenius | OH-wine | Legend and history | Easy | 18 in E and W | English Owen |
| Owen | modern form of Owain | OH-wen | Traditional | Easy | 298 in E and W | |
| Pedr | Welsh form of Peter | PED-er | Traditional | Easy | rare | Gaelic Peadar |
| Pryderi | care, worry | pruh-DERR-ee | Legend and history | Easy | rare | |
| Rhodri | wheel plus king | HROD-ree | Legend and history | Tricky | 36 in E and W | |
| Rhydderch | king plus exalted | HRUTH-erkh | Legend and history | Tricky | rare | |
| Rhydian | possibly from rhyd, ford | HRID-yan | Modern | Tricky | 15 in E and W | |
| Rhys | ardour, enthusiasm | HREESS | Legend and history | Easy | 106 in E and W | English Reece |
| Siarl | Welsh form of Charles | SHARL | Traditional | Tricky | rare | Gaelic Teàrlach |
| Siôn | Welsh form of John | SHAWN | Traditional | Tricky | 12 in E and W | Gaelic Iain |
| Siôr | Welsh form of George | SHOR | Traditional | Tricky | rare | Gaelic Seòras |
| Steffan | Welsh form of Stephen, from Greek for crown | STEF-an | Traditional | Easy | 19 in E and W | Gaelic Steafan |
| Talfryn | front of the hill | TAL-vrin | Traditional | Tricky | rare | |
| Taliesin | shining brow | tal-YES-in | Legend and history | Easy | 15 in E and W | |
| Tegid | possibly from teg, fair, or Latin Tacitus | TEG-id | Legend and history | Easy | 3 in E and W | |
| Tomos | Welsh form of Thomas | TOM-oss | Traditional | Easy | #56 in Wales | Gaelic Tòmas |
| Trefor | big village (tref plus mawr) | TREV-or | Traditional | Tricky | rare | English Trevor |
| Trystan | Welsh form of Tristan | TRISS-tan | Legend and history | Easy | 9 in E and W | English Tristan |
| Tudur | possibly ruler of the people | TID-ir | Traditional | Easy | rare | English Tudor |
| Twm | pet form of Tomos | TOOM | Traditional | Tricky | 6 in E and W | |
| Wyn | white, fair or blessed | WIN | Traditional | Easy | 8 in E and W |
FAQ about Welsh boy names
What is the most popular Welsh boy name?
Osian. In 2025 it was 10th in Wales with 114 boys, according to the ONS, the highest Welsh-spelled name on the boys’ list. Macsen (12th), Harri (21st) and Jac (26th) come next. The most popular boys’ name in Wales overall was Noah, with 218 babies.
What are some strong Welsh boy names?
Look at the princes and poets: Owain, Llywelyn, Gruffudd, Rhodri, Hywel, Dafydd and Taliesin all belonged to famous Welsh rulers or bards. For something short and strong, Bryn (hill), Idris, Emrys and Macsen are easy to say anywhere and are all in use right now.
Is Dylan a Welsh name?
Yes. Dylan ail Don is a character in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, the medieval Welsh tales, and the name is often read as son of the sea. In Welsh it is said DUL-an. Dylan Thomas made it famous, and it was 36th in Wales in 2025.
How do you pronounce Dafydd and Gruffudd?
Dafydd is DAV-ith and Gruffudd is GRIFF-ith. In Welsh a single f is a v, a double ff is an f, dd is the soft th in this, and u in a last syllable sounds like i. Once those click, Bleddyn (BLETH-in) and Hefin (HEV-in) follow the same rules.
What does Rhys mean?
Rhys means ardour or enthusiasm. It was the name of the Lord Rhys, who ruled Deheubarth in south Wales from 1155 to 1197. It gave English the spellings Rees, Reece and Rice and, through ap Rhys (son of Rhys), the surnames Price and Preece. Say HREESS, with a breath on the r.
Final thoughts on Welsh boy names
If you want one Welsh boy name that is popular in Wales now and easy everywhere else, make it Macsen or Elis. If you want the deep end, Llywelyn and Gruffudd carry centuries of Welsh princes between them, and the ll and dd are worth learning for that alone.
For his sister or cousin, our list of Welsh girl names works the same way. If you would rather the name did not pick a side, our guide to unisex Celtic names has the figures for Morgan and Celyn, and the male Viking names cover the Norse names that reached Wales and Scotland by sea.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales: 2025, released 9 July 2026
- ONS, Baby names for boys 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
- Idris (name)
- Owain Glyndwr
- Llywelyn ap Gruffudd
- Dafydd ap Gwilym
- Dylan Thomas
- Hywel Dda
- Old North (Britain)
- Aneirin
- Hedd Wyn
- Behind the Name, Welsh names (used to cross-check meanings)
