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1874k Cymraeg
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Our comments are in orange type
From around 1825 onwards one begins to see in birth registers, censuses and parish
records Welsh names of Celtic origin being used once more after centuries of
abandonment. This was in no small part due to two items which appeared in Seren
Gomer, 1823, under the title 'Enwau Cymreig' (Welsh Names). The authors were
'Cymro' (Welshman' and 'Ieuan Ddu o Lan Tawÿ' - 'black-haired Ieuan (John) from
the bank of the Tawÿ (= Tawe) river'
Below is the article
broken up into sections with an ENGLISH TRANSLATION (fairly literal) appended.
SPELLING: In the text either the author or editor makes use of a grave accent
in an unpredictable and inconsistent fashion.
We have marked the ‘y’ pronunced [i, i:]
as ‘ÿ’. Unmarked ‘y’ is pronounced with the obscure vowel.
ENWAU CYMREIG
{WELSH NAMES}
___________________
”Odid Cymro, tro treiglais,
Nad aeth, ysywaeth, yn
{ A rarity the Welshman, ??each time I passed by??
Who didn’t become, more’s the pity, an Englishman.}
___________________
“Mi welaf, er ys dyddiau,
Ar rai o Gymrÿ, feiau:
Sef, troi yn Saeson - atgas waith!-
A gwadu iaith eu mamau.”
{ I can see, for some days now,
Faults with some Welsh people,
Namely, turning into English people - an odious work ??= an odious thing to
do??!
And rejecting the language of their mothers.}
___________________
Mr. GOMER, - Yr achos penaf i mi eich blino yn bresenawl ÿw yr arferiad gwrthun
lleddfol sÿdd gan y Cymrÿ, o alw enwau Seisnig, &c., àr eu plant.
Ymhyfrydant drigolion pob gwlad, ond Cymru, i osod enwau eu gwlad eu hunain àr
eu plant. Gwelwn fel y bostia y Ffrancod yn eu De, y Gwÿddelod yn eu Fitz, ac
eu O, ac y Celyddoniaid eu Mac;
{ Mr. GOMER, - The main reason for me bothering you at
present is the reprehensible and sad habit of the Welsh people of calling their
children by English names. The inhabitants of every country, except the Welsh,
take pleasure in giving names of their own country to their children. We see
how the French boast of their ‘De’, the Irish of their ‘Fitz’, and their ‘O’,
and the Caledionians their ‘Mac’; }
___________________
ond, pa le y canfyddir y gwladgarwch hynÿ yn y Cymrÿ? Os dygwÿdda fod ar un o
honÿnt yr enw Ap, ymwrthodant âg ef yn ddioed, os gallant: neu os bÿdd rhÿw
amgylchiadau nas gallant ymwrthodu âg ef àr unwaith, y maent mor wÿlaidd fel
y tröant AB OWEN i Bowen, AP HARRI i Parri, ac AP HUW i Pugh,
&c. yn union, fel pe buasai yn waradwÿdd oc y mwÿaf i wisgo rhÿw hen enw
Cymreig. Ai canmoladwÿ hÿn? Gadawaf iddÿnt ateb drostÿnt eu hunain.
{ but where is this patriotism to be found in the
Welsh people? If one of them happens to have the name AP, they get rid of it at
once, if they can; or if there are some circumstances so that they can’t get
rid of it at once, they are so humble that they change AB OWEN into Bowen,
AP HARRI into Parri, and AP HUW into Pugh, &c. exactly as if
it was the greatest disgrace to bear an old Welsh name. Is this praiseworthy? I
shall let them answer for themselves. }
___________________
Ond y cynhyrfiad penaf idd y llinellau hÿn ydÿw - nad ydÿnt yn gosod enwau cyntaf
Cymreig àr eu plant. Eu rheswm pènaf, ysgatfÿdd, ÿw, am nad ÿw eu cymdogion
yn gwneuthur fellÿ: ond dylent gofiaw yr hên ddiareb wiw Gymreig, mai “Deuparth
gwaith ÿw dechreu”. Er anffured y Cymrÿ, nid wÿf am eu cyfrif mor ddrelaidd ag
i feddwl eu bod yn tybied yr enwau Sacsonaidd, Hebreaidd, &c., yn harddach
nog yr enwau Cymreig, ond ei fod yn gyfrifiadwÿ idd y rheswm a roddwÿd uchod;
ond gobeithiaf yn awr y gwellâant {sic} yr hÿn drachefn, màl y gwnaethant mewn
rhai pethau oddiar gyfodiad eich SEREN gain.
{ But what spurred me the most to write these lines
(‘the greatest excitation for these lines’) - is that they don’t give their
children Welsh first names. Their main reason, maybe, is that their
neighbours don’t do so: but they should remember the splendid old Welsh saying,
“Deuparth gwaith ÿw dechreu”. (‘Two thirds of a job is beginning’ - beginning
is half a job done). But though the Welsh people are so unwise, I don’t
consider them so foolish as to think that the Saxon, Hebrew, etc names are more
attractive than Welsh names, but that it is due to the reason given above. But
I hope that now they will improve the thing again, as they do in some things
since the rising of your fair SEREN (= “star” - Seren Gomer, (= ‘Star of
Gomer’, ‘Gomer’s star’, the name of the magazine founded in 1814 by Joseph
Harris, whose by-name was ‘Gomer’) }
___________________
A chàn y rhoddaf isod gofrestr da o enwau Cymreig gwÿch ar fenÿwaid a
gwrrÿwaid, ni bÿdd ganddÿnt yr esgus nad oeddÿnt yn gwÿbod am neb enwau
Cymreig; a chan fod yn rhaid idd y rhianod gael y flaenoriaeth, dechreuaf efo
hwÿnt: -
ENWAU MENYWAIDD CYMREIG
{And since I shall give a good list below of fine
Welsh names for males and females, they won’t have the excuse that they didn’t
know of any Welsh names; and since the ladies / maidens / girls must have
priority, I’ll begin with them }
[NOTE: AFTER THESE ARTICLES
APPEARED, WELSH NAMES WERE INCREASINGLY GIVEN TO CHILDREN.
I’VE ADDED SOME COMMENTS TO THE
ORIGINAL LIST OF NAMES.
NAMES WHICH ARE / WERE IN COMMON
USE AFTER 1825 ARE IN BOLD TYPE.
OTHERS HAVE PROBABLY NEVER BEEN
USED. I HAVE PUT ‘NEVER USED’ WITH THE NAMES I’VE NEVER COME ACROSS USED AS A
FORENAME; THOUGH ONE OR TWO MAY HAVE BEEN. MOST THOUGH HAVE DEFINITELY NEVER
BEEN ADOPTED AS MODERN FORENAMES!
THESE THOUGH ARE SUBJECTIVE
COMMENTS - ONE WOULD HAVE TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON NAMES IN WELSH BIRTH
CERTIFICATES TO KNOW IF I’M COMPLETEY RIGHT.
MAYBE SOMEONE HAS DONE THIS
ALREADY - LET ME KNOW, I’D BE EXTREMELY INTERESTED!]
Anan (never used)
Angharad (popular in the 1800s, and
1900s; still popular)
Arddun (never used)
Aregwedd (never used)
Ceinwen (popular in the late 1800s and
early 1900s)
Canna (never used)
Ceinfron {in occasional use, ?late 1800s, ?early
1900s}
Creidylad (never used)
Cwÿlog (never used)
Cyridwen (as Ceridwen, popular in the
late 1800s and early 1900s; still in use today but to a lesser extent)
Diar (? - there’s an ink blotch on my photocopy, but it’s probably this)
(never used)
Dolgar (never used)
Dwÿnwen (popular in the late 1900s)
Dyfÿr (never used)
Edwen (probably never used)
Efelino (never used)
Eigÿr { very occasionally as Eigra? in the
1900s}
Eluned { very popular, especially in the 1900s}
Elen { very popular in the 1900s, including
today}
Elgen (never used)
Eleri {very popular in the 1900s, including
today}
Eurddÿl (proabably never used)
Eneiliau (never used)
Enid { popular in the late 1800s??}
Esÿllt { occasionally used at the beginning of the 1900s}
Eurgain { occasionally used today}
Euronwÿ (used very occasionally?)
Fflur { occasionally used today}
Gwladus { very common in the late 1800s;
now regarded as old-fashioned}
Garwen (never used)
Gwenddolen { occasionally used in the late 1800s }
Gwenhwÿfar { occasionally used in the late 1800s }
Gwen {very common in the 1800s and 1900s and
today}
Gwenfron {occasionally used in the late 1800s }
Gwenllian { popular in the late 1800s, and
to an extent in the 1900s; still given today}
Gwèno { popular at the moment, as Gwenno}
Indeg {sometimes found in the early 1900s }
Madrÿn (never used)
Morfudd { popular in the late 1800s, and
to an extent in the 1900s; seems a bit old-fashioned today}
Mechell (never used)
Meisÿr (never used)
Myfanwÿ { very popular in the late
1800s, and the early 1900s; seems a bit old-fashioned today}
Nefed (never used)
Non { popular from around 1980 onwards}
Nÿf (never used)
Olwen { popular around 1900 }
Perwÿr(never used)
Penarwen (never used)
Rhiannon { popular from late 1800s? Still
given today}
Rhelemon (never used)
Rhÿell (never used)
Tegïwg (never used)
Tefrïan (never used)
Tegwedd { occasionally used in the early 1900s }
Tudfÿl { fairly popular in the late 1800s in
the Merthÿrtudful area}
Ystrawel (never used)
___________________
Yn awr, gofynaf i ddarllenwÿr diduedd y SEREN, onid oes yma enwau llawn hardded
ag y rhai Seisnig, &c.? Pa le y cânt harddach enwau nag Anan (yr hwn
sÿdd gystal ag Ann, neu Hannah un amser), Angharad, Aregwedd,
Gwladus, Olwen, Gwenhwÿfar, Eluned, Tefrian {sic}, &c.? Onid ydÿnt lawer
gwell no Cati, Salÿ, Beti, Sianw, Nani, &c.?
{ Now I shall ask the impartial readers of the SEREN,
aren’t there names here just as attractive as English ones? Where would you
find names more attractive than Anan (which is as good as Ann, or
Hannah, any time), Angharad, Aregwedd, Gwladus, Olwen, Gwenhwÿfar,
Eluned, Tefrian {sic}, &c.? Aren’t they a lot better than Cati, Salÿ, Beti,
Sianw, Nani, &c.?}
___________________
Ond yn awr af yn mlaen at yr enwau gwrrÿwaidd; ac hyderaf y medraf ddangos i
bob meddwl diragfarn, fod genÿm wir enwau Cymreig berted ag a geir mewn un
iaith yn y bÿd, ond ymarfer â hwÿ.
{ But I’ll go on now to masculine names; and I trust
I’ll be able to show every unprejudiced mind that we have Welsh names as
appealing as those to be had in any other language in the world, once we become
accustomed to them}
Adebon (never used)
Afan { occasionally used at present }
Afaon (never used)
Anamwd (never used)
Aneurin { occasional examples in the
1900s}
Arthur { popular from the late 1800s; still
popular, but may be due to the fact that it is also popular in England}
Beli (never used)
Benlli (never used)
Bleddÿn { popular around 1950?}
Brochwel (never used)
Brychan { used occasionally at present}
Cadell (never used)
Catwg (never used)
Cadrod (never used)
Cadwaladr { used now and then in the late
1800s, early 1900s}
Cadwallon (never used)
Cadwgan (used very occasionally)
Caradog { used now and then in the early
1900s}
Caswallon (never used)
Cynedda (never used)
Cynan { occasionally used in the early 1900s??
}
Cynddelw (never used)
Cynfelÿn (never used)
Cystenÿn (never used)
Dewi { popular from about ?1850. Still in
common use}
Ednyfed { very occasionally used in the 1900s }
Ednywain (never used)
Efrog (never used)
Einion { sometimes used in the 1900s }
Emrÿs { uswas popular in the early 1900s}
Geraint { in popular use after about 1950; at
present very popular}
Goronwÿ { used now and then in the 1900s}
Gruffÿdd (or Gruffudd) { popular throughout
the 1900s, still used}
Gutÿn { occasioanlly used in the 1900s? }
Gwalchmai (never used)
Gwgan (never used)
Gwrgan (never used)
Gwrtheÿrn (never used)
Hu neu Huw { Huwis extremely popular at
present, but rarely used in the 1800s}
Hywel { popular since the early 1900s; still
popular}
Idris { popular in the late 1800s and into the
mid-1900s}
Idwal { used now and then after about 1950}
Iestÿn { used now and then after about 1950}
Ifan { very popular thhrough the 1900s, and
at present }
Ifor { introduced in the early 1900s; quite
popular at present }
Illtÿd {occasionally used in the 1900s }
Iolo { used at present }
Iorwerth { fairly popular in the 1900s}
Lleirwg (not used)
Llÿr {used at present }
Llywarch {occasionally used in the late 1800s? }
Llewelÿn { very popular since the late
1800s}
Madog { used occasionally in the late 1800s? }
Meurig { quite popular from the late 1800s
onwards }
Merddin [Myrddin] { first used in the early 1900s? quite popular at
present }
Meredÿdd { quite popular through the
1900s}
Morgan { quite popular at present }
Owain { very popular at present }
Padrig (never used)
Rhiwallon (never used)
Rhodri { very popular at present }
Rhydderch {occasionally used in the 1900s }
Talhaiarn (never used)
Taliesin { quite popular in the 1800s}
Tudur { sometmes used at present }
___________________
Digoned hy`na er cynllun y tro hwn. Os nad oes digon yma er boddiaw pawb, os
dymunol fÿdd, gallaf eu hanrhegu â chymaint a hyny eto o enwau gwÿch a weddant
yn eithaf da idd yr oes waraidd hon. Ac, wrth ddybenu, da iawn genÿf
fynegu i fy mrodÿr fod yr arfer wedi dechreu; y mae genÿm eisoes un neu ddau o
yr enw Aneurin, Taliesin, &c. Gw`n am ddau yn Morganwg o’r enw TALIESIN.
Gan hyderu weled {sic} gwelliant yn hÿn, y gorphwÿsa
IEUAN DDU O LAN TAWY.
{ That’s sufficient as a first draft (‘for a plan’)
this time. There isn’t enough here to satisfy everybody, but if so wished, I
can award it with as many splendid names again which will suit this civilised
age. And in conclusion, I’m happy to inform my brothers that the practice has
begun; we have already one or two called Aneurin, Taliesin, &c. I know of
two in Morganwg (Glamorganshire) called TALIESIN. Hoping to see an improvement
in this, I remain,
IEUAN DDU O LAN TAWY.}
___________________
O.Y. Och o fi! Mr. Gomer, beth a wnaf! gadewais y rhan mwÿaf {sic} pwÿsig o fy
ngwaith heb ei gyflawni! Do, yn wir: anghofiais annerch y Rhÿwogaeth Hawddgar,
gan ddaer ddymuno eu cÿdweithrediad â mi, ar y pwnc hwn; canÿs, diau ÿw pan
ymosodant hwÿ o brysur at orchwÿl, y llwÿddant, o fic i ddiflastod a Dic
Sion Dafiaeth eu gwÿr!
{ Oh dear me! Mr. Gomer, what am I doing? I left the
most important part of my work unfinished. I forgot to address the Gentle Sex,
earnestly wishing for their cooperation with me in this matter. Because,
without a doubt, when they apply themselves seriously to a task, they succeed,
to the ill-feeling and disgust of the Englishness of their husbands.
(The expression Dic Siôn Dafiaeth
has its origin in the from the hero of a poem by Jac Glan y Gors (John Jones,
Cerrigydrudion 1766-1821) about an illiterate haberdasher - Dic Siôn Dafÿdd -
who goes to work in London, becoming the grand Richard John Davies, though
through his arrogance and dishonesty he loses all his money and has to return
to Wales in poverty. However, he pretends that he can no longer understand
Welsh, and refuses to speak to his monolingual Welsh mother. This attitude of
despising one’s one people and affecting Englishness is known as - ‘Dic Siôn
Dafÿdd-ism’ - Dic Siôn Dafiaeth)}
___________________
”Gwÿlaidd [a pha beth a lwÿdda yn debÿg i Wÿlder?] ydÿw beynÿwaid - hen Walia,
Ni welodd fy llygaid
Eu heilÿdd! - “
{ modest (and what succeeds more than Modesty?) are
women - of ancient
My eyes didn’t see
Their equal! }
___________________
”Call, medrus, gweddus, ac addwÿn -
ÿ’nt hwÿ
Neud teg maent yn ymddwÿn!”
{ Clever, capable, decent, gentle
are they
doing fair they act}
___________________
”Gwell hwÿr na hwÿrach;” am hynÿ, wrth ddiweddu, dywedaf, Rianod! cynnorthwÿwch
fi! amddiffynwch eich iaith ac eich gwlad! ïe, a pherchwch eich plant, trwÿ roddi
iddÿnt enwau gwroniaid a doethion Cymru gÿnt!
{Better late than never; for this reason, in
concluding, I say, ladies, help me! defend your language and your country; Yes,
respect your children, by giving them the names of heroes and sages of
___________________
Os mynwch, g`wn y llwÿddwch; eithr os
bÿdd rhai o eich meistri mor gorgïaidd a nacáu eich cais i chwi, ar ol
gwneuthur eich goreu, na ofidiwch, eithr ymgysurwch, trwÿ feddwl i chwi wneuthur
eich dyledswÿdd, er ichwi fethu yn eich amcan.
{ If you insist, I know you will succeed; but if some
of your masters are so churlish as to deny you your request, after doing your
best, don’t worry, but console yourself, through thinking that you did your
duty, although you failed in your objective}
__________________________________________
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