History of the Name Gruffudd
The Gruffudd name is a Welsh boy’s name that’s an old form of the name Griffith. It is pronounced “GRUF fith.” Variant spellings of the name include “Griffin,” “Gruffud,” and “Gruffydd.” Gruffudd evolved from the names Gripuid and Grippiud, and it was the ancestor of some names like Gruffydd.
People with the Name Gruffudd
The name dates back to at least the Middle Ages. The Welsh prince, Llywelyn the Great, had a son named Gruffudd (or Gruffydd) ap Llywelyn (1198 – 1244), with ap meaning “son of.” Gruffydd ap Rhys (c. 1081 – 1137) was a prince who ruled Deheubarth and fought the Normans. Gruffudd and its variants were common names among medieval Welsh royalty.
Gruffudd and its variants are still sometimes used today. Gruffudd Glyn, for example, is an actor who has performed in “Thor: The Dark World” and “The Theory of Everything.” He will also be in an upcoming movie called “The Martian.”
The meaning of Gruffudd is “prince” or “strong lord.” Some say it also means “red-haired.”
The popularity of Gruffudd is low; the variant Gruffyd is the 882nd most popular boy’s name in the UK. In 2007, Gruffudd was the 11497th most popular name in Australia. In 2013 it wasn’t in the top 100 Welsh baby boys’ names.
How popular is the name Deiniol?
As of 2013, the Deiniol name wasn’t found in the top 100 most popular baby boy names in Wales according to the Office for National Statistics.
The Meaning of Deiniol is “Good is my judge”. It’s the Welsh form of Daniel. The name has a Hebrew origin as it comes from the prophet turned writer of the book of Daniel. The Welsh roots of the name are attractive or charming.
How to Pronounce Deiniol
Deiniol can be pronounced as “die-knee-ee-ol”.
Famous People and Places with the Name Deiniol
There have been at least two famous people with the name Deiniol over the years, and at least one shopping centre with the name Deinol. Saint Deiniol was the first Bishop of Bangor in the Kingdom of Gwynedd, Wales. The Saint was the first known person to use the name in Wales. Deiniol William Thomas Graham is a former Welsh football player turned manager. North Wales has Deiniol Shopping Centre with about 20 shops.
History of the Name Geraint
The Geraint name has a long and interesting history as a Welsh boy’s name. Historically Geraint was the King of Dumonia from the 7th to 8th century, as Sir Geraint in the Arthurian legend as well as Welsh folk tales such as “Geraint and Enid.” He was a brave warrior and king who was one of the “Three Seafarers of the Isle of Britain,” though there is some debate as to whether he existed.
Meaning of Geraint
The meaning of Geraint is unknown but is sometimes seen as “belonging to me” or “old man” from the Greek “geron” meaning old. Learning how to pronounce Geraint looks difficult but is actually very simple, say the “Ger” to rhyme with “glare” and “raint” to rhyme with “pint,” with the emphasis on “Ger.”
The popularity of Geraint has been low especially outside of Wales, with some minimal usage in the mid to late 1990s, therefore it would be ideal for parents looking for a name that is unusual and with a historical and folkloric background. In 2013, it was not in the top 100 baby boys’ names in Wales.
Famous People with the Name
Some famous bearers of the name Geraint include: Geraint Davies and Geraint Lewis Welsh rugby players, Geraint Jones and English cricketer, Geraint Thomas the cyclist, and Geraint Wyn Davies the actor.
Meaning and Origin of Rhain
The boy’s name Rhain is most popular amongst most Welsh speaking communities. It is a uncommon name for boys and the moment, not even making most top 1000 lists for baby names . It is of a Celtic/Welsh origin. The meaning of Rhain is “spear” or “lance”.
Famous People with the Name
Many kings and rulers have carried this name through history. Rhain ap Cadwgan was an 8th – century king of Dyfed and Brycheiniog. Another great King, Rhain ap Maredudd, was also a king in Dyfed who was succeeded by his brother Owain. Eventually Rhain ap Maredudd had a son, Triffyn, take over the throne from his uncle. His lineage is included in the Harleian Genealogies. There were also some rather interesting rulers. Rhain the Irishman claimed to be the son of Maredudd ap Owain and was accepted as royalty by the people, however, it is unknown if he was in fact relation.
In conclusion, Rhain is a strong name meaning “spear” and has been carried by many rulers in Welsh history. Although it is a rather uncommon name it is mostly used for boys in Welsh speaking communities.
Origin and Popularity Selwyn
Selwyn was not one of the 100 most popular baby names in 2013 in Wales, but it is still a very good choice. The Selwyn name was originally a surname, and was later gained popularity as given name, after the famous Bishop from the 19th century, George Augustus Selwyn.
The meaning of Selwyn is quite simple. It originates from the combination of two words, sel, which means castle, and wyn which translates to friend. Thus the meaning of Selwyn is friend in the castle.
Famous People Called Selwyn
The popularity of Selwyn is low, as it is quite uncommon, but this just means it is unique and stands out more. However there are several famous people with the name Selwyn. This includes Sewlyn Roberts, who has gained fame as movie and television producer, as well as director. Among his most famous films are Muppet Treasure Island and X-men 2. Other famous people named Selwyn include British party politician Selwyn Lloyd, as well as the character Selwyn Froggit from the tv show, Oh No, It’s Selwyn Froggitt!
History of the Name Maredudd
The Maredudd name is the masculine form of the Welsh name and surname, Meredith. This interesting yet rare name was often used by high authorities in Wales, mostly princes and kings.
Some of the famous figures possessing this name included Maredudd ab Owain (king of Wales in the 10th century), Maredudd ap Gruffydd (prince in Southwest Wales), Maredudd ap Bleddyn (king of eastern Wales) and many more.
What was the meaning of this unique name?
Because Maredudd is a derivative of Meredith, the meaning of Maredudd is generally determined to be “great chief.” Other possible meanings, for the male derivative of Meredith, include “great lord” or even “sea lord.”
The popularity of Maredudd was at its peak from the 11th century up into 13th century Wales. This was roughly in the days of the time period where the language, Middle Welsh, was prevalent, which were the years between 1150-1300s. In the present day, Maredudd is a quite a rare name.
Variations of the Name
Maredud, with one ending ‘d’ instead of two, was a common alternate spelling of the name. Much earlier variants of this name include “Mredydd” and “Meredydd.”
The Boy’s Name Llywelyn
Once you find that you are expecting a baby there are many decisions to make. One of the biggest is what to name your baby. Baby names are very difficult to decide upon. If you live in Wales or are of Welsh origin you might want a Welsh name. There are many Welsh names from history that you may choose from.
Origin of the Name Llywelyn
The Llywelyn name is of Welsh origin, and evolved from the British name Lugubelinos. There are various spellings of the name Llywelyn, but this version was made popular by Llywelyn The Great(Llywelyn Ap Iorwerth). Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (Llywelyn the Last) is also a famous historical figure.
Meaning and Popularity of the Name
The meaning of Llywelyn is “Like A Lion”. It could also have been derived from the Welsh name Lleu meaning “shining one.” The popularity of Llywelyn isn’t high. It wasn’t in on the list of top one hundred names in Wales in 2013. The name Lewis is also closely associated with the name Llwelyn. This is possibly because the name Llywelyn can be hard to pronounce for non Welsh speakers.
- See other Welsh boy’s names just like Llywelyn on our website.
Meaning of Trefor
The Trefor name has a Welsh origin that has a couple of different meanings. The meaning of Trefor is “large village,” or “goodly town.” The popularity of Trefor is not nearly as popular as it once was.
A common nickname for Trefor is Tref.
The name Trefor did not even rank in the top one thousand on the list of the most popular baby names and did not make the top 100 baby boys names in Wales in 2013. It is possible that if a parent were to name their child Trefor that it could make a comeback.
How to Pronounce Trefor
Trefor is pronounced as “T-re-for.” If you are saying the name Trefor, it sounds similar to the American name Trevor. Parents could use the name Trefor as a more unique spelling for Trevor.
Famous People with the Welsh Name
Several famous people have had the name Trefor. Trefor Davies, the English cricket player, Trefor Evans, a Welsh rugby player, and Trefor Proud a famous make-up artist. Parents can use the name Trefor to incorporate an old world name into a newer world social scene. Using the name Trefor is a great way to ensure that your child has a very unique name that no one else will have.
Arthur – Meaning and Origins
The meaning of Arthur is unknown. Though some speculate that it derives from two Celtic words, artos(bear) and viros(man). Many are split on where the name Arthur is originally from. Some say it is Celtic while others say it is Roman.
Arthur’s popularity began in England during the Middle Ages. But since then popularity of the name has died down drastically. The name failed to be in the top 100 boys name in Wales in 2012. The name Arthur is very popular in Belgium and France as it made the top 10 for boy names in both countries.
Famous people with the name Arthur include
King Arthur: A British king in the Arthurian legend who during the Middle Ages helped defend off invading Saxons.
- Arthur Miller: A famous American Playwright who wrote “Death of a Salesman”.
- Arthur Conan Doyle: A famous Scottish author who is best knows for writing Sherlock Holmes stories.
- Arthur I, Duke of Brittany: Nephew of King John of England and his rival to the throne.
- See other Welsh and Celtic boys’ name just like Arthur here
- Discover the most popular names in Wales at the moment
Meaning and Origin of Darren
The name Darren did not gain in popularity until the 20th century when the American television show “Bewitched” began to show. Once the show became popular so did the name Darren.
Darren actually means ‘great’ in the Gaelic language. The meaning of Darren says it all. Great. For those that wish their sons to have good strong names, you can’t beat the name Darren.
Darren’s popularity as a name remains strong though out the world. Many people feel that the name says it all when they decide to give it to their son. If you look at census charts through out the world Darren’s popularity has remained on a steady rise. It wasn’t until approximately 10 years ago that the popularity of the name hasn’t changed as much.
Possible Name Combinations
Some good combinations when thinking of using Darren as the first name are; Darren Michael, Darren Thomas, Darren Lee, Darren Jacob Alan (that’s right be different and go with three names), how about Darren Philip. Because of the character of the strength Darren, it makes one of the best first names around today.
Checkout our comprehensive list of Welsh boys’ names