Welsh baby names
Welsh names come from the Welsh language and its legends (Rhys, Dylan, Gwendolyn) and from Welsh surnames. Of the names we have researched, 27 are Welsh, given to 32,219 US babies in 2025.
Rising Welsh names
Biggest climbers in rank since 2020: Winnie (#771 to #475), Winifred (#1,104 to #923), Meredith (#585 to #469), Guinevere (#1,011 to #899), Gwen (#823 to #725), Morgan (#695 to #559), Idris (#828 to #694), Reese (#733 to #603), Bowen (#395 to #266), Arthur (#163 to #87).
Welsh girl names (13)
| Name | Meaning | Rank 2025 | Babies 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reese | ardor (Welsh Rhys) | #192 | 1,631 |
| Morgan | #312 | 977 | |
| Gwendolyn | white or blessed ring (Welsh) | #360 | 848 |
| Brynn | hill (Welsh bryn) | #407 | 767 |
| Meredith | great lord (Welsh) | #469 | 656 |
| Winnie | pet form of Winifred (and others) | #475 | 646 |
| Gwen | white, fair, blessed (Welsh) | #725 | 384 |
| Guinevere | white, fair + uncertain element (Welsh) | #899 | 295 |
| Winifred | Welsh "white/blessed" + uncertain element | #923 | 284 |
| Lynn | lake or pool (surname) | #2,558 | 69 |
| Lynette | #2,633 | 66 | |
| Gladys | Welsh Gwladus (origin uncertain) | #3,224 | 49 |
| Glenda | holy + good (Welsh coinage) | #5,987 | 20 |
Welsh boy names (14)
| Name | Meaning | Rank 2025 | Babies 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owen | Meaning disputed | #31 | 7,190 |
| Dylan | Origin uncertain | #41 | 6,208 |
| Arthur | #87 | 3,847 | |
| Maddox | son of Madog (Welsh surname) | #210 | 1,664 |
| Griffin | prince (from Welsh Gruffudd) | #222 | 1,627 |
| Gavin | #303 | 1,125 | |
| Bowen | son of Owen | #266 | 1,292 |
| Rhys | ardor, fiery warrior | #412 | 778 |
| Trevor | big village (Welsh) | #680 | 400 |
| Arturo | Italian/Spanish Arthur (origin uncertain) | #627 | 446 |
| Marvin | Welsh Merfyn (meaning uncertain) | #699 | 385 |
| Idris | Welsh: 'lord' + uncertain element; Arabic: name of a prophet | #694 | 391 |
| Lloyd | gray, gray-haired | #1,549 | 111 |
| Floyd | gray-haired (variant of Lloyd) | #2,237 | 63 |
How origins are assigned
Each name gets one origin: the language its meaning comes from, which is not always the language it reached English through. Mateo is Spanish in form but Hebrew in origin, so it is listed as Hebrew. The lists cover the roughly 2,000 most used names we have researched so far. Common meanings among Welsh names: a color, warrior, king or queen.