Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!

Happy St David’s Day — from a sunny (yes, it is!) Wales!

As a St David’s Day present, here are the entries from Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Names for David and Dewi.

David ♂ Biblical name of Hebrew origin. The meaning isn’t all that clear, but seems mostly likely to derive from a root meaning “beloved,” although, interestingly enough, the Hebrew letters which make up the name David are exactly the same ones used for “mandrake.” 12th C. St. David is the famous leek- and daffodil-wielding patron saint of Wales — but his real name was actually DEWI.

Diminutive forms: Dawe (historic); Dave, Davey, Davie, Davy.

David in other languages: Welsh: Dafydd; Dai (diminutive), Irish: Dáibhead, Daithí, Gaelic: Dàibheid, Dàibhidh, Cornish: Daveth, Czech, French, German, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish: David, Hungarian: Dávid, Lithuanian: Davidas, Italian: Davide, Latvian: Dāvids, Pol: Dawid, Arabic: Da’wud, Hawaiian: Kāwika, Maori: Rāwiri, Finish: Taavetti, Taavi (diminutive).

Bearers: two medieval Scottish kings (d. 1153 and 1371); David Copperfield, the eponymous hero of Dickens’s 1850 novel, and the stage-name of  American illusionist David Kotkin (b. 1956); David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George, (1863–1945) and David Cameron (b. 1966), both British Prime Ministers; David Eddings (1931–2009), the American novelist; David Bowie (b. 1947), the British singer-songwriter.

Dewi ♂ ♀ The boy’s name Dewi is a very old and very interesting name. Dewi Sant is the Welsh name for St. David, and many people believe it is simply the Welsh form of David. It isn’t. David is simply the name adopted to render Dewi in English, a long time ago. Almost certainly, his name actually derives from the Common Celtic *dOEwo- “(a) God,” cognate with Zeus, Latin deus, Sanskrit deva and the Irish Dagda, etc.

The element is well attested in given names in the Roman period — examples include Deomiorix, Deiana, and Deieda. Some have attempted to derive the name from Dewydd, an alleged “old form” of Dafydd—the Welsh form of David — but the argument works just as well the other way — Dewydd may well represent an attempt to synthesize Dewi and Dafydd. The simple fact is, biblical names were not used in sub-Roman Britain, and thus the likelihood of someone genuinely being called “David” in sixth-century Wales is, quite frankly, about as likely as someone in the period being called Jayden.

Dewi was used as a given name in the Middle Ages, probably in honor of the saint, but then disappeared until its revival in Wales in the nineteenth century.

By coincidence, the Malaysian girl’s name Dewi means “Goddess.”

I love coincidences! 😉

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus!

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The Sons of Wales

This Thursday, we’ll be celebrating St David’s Day here in Wales. So to mark the occasion, this week will have an entirely Welsh theme.

Today it overlaps with a name category which has been on my mind a lot recently: the “son” names.

These are most familiar, of course, as names ending in –son itself, or beginning with Mac-

But there is also the Welsh equivalent – ap.

Wales holds the distinction of being the last place in the British Isles where surnames became universally hereditary.

In many parts of the principality where Welsh remained the dominant language, the patronymic system — in which a person was formally known as ap “son of” or ferch “daughter of” — remained common until the nineteenth century.

But across the centuries, the ap also gave rise to hereditary surnames, surviving as an initial “b” or “p.”

And many of these make interesting first name options.

Here then, are the sons of Wales:

• Barry – ap Harry (although it has a number of other origins too)
• Beddard, Bedward – ap Edward
• Bellis, Belliss – ap Ellis
• Benian, Benyon, Beynon, Baynham, Binyon – ap Einion
• Bevan, Beven, Beavan, Beaven, Beavon – ap Evan
• Bowen – ap Owen
• Breese, Breeze – ap Rhys
• Brobyn – ap Robin
• Brodrick, Broderick – ap Rhydderch/Roderick
• Parry – ap Harry
• Penry, Pendry – ap Henry
• Pinyon – ap Einion
• Pleaden, Pleavin, Pleven, Plevin – ap Blethyn
• Pluthero — ap Rhydderch/Roderick
• Pomfrey, Pomphrey – ap Humphrey
• Powell, Poel – ap Howel
• Preece, Prees – ap Rhys
• Price, Pryce, Prise, Pryse – ap Rhys
• Prichard, Pritchard – ap Richard
• Probert – ap Robert
• Probin, Probyn — ap Robin
• Probus – ap Robert
• Prodger – ad Roger
• Prosser – ap Rosser (an old Welsh form of Roger)
• Prothero, Protheroe – ap Rhydderch/Roderick
• Prytherick – ap Rhydderch/Roderick
• Pugh , Pughe – ap Hugh/Huw
• Upjohn — ap John
• Uprichard – ap Richard

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Welsh Flower Names — Part 2

As promised, here’s the second part of Welsh Flowers that have great name potential. Pronunciation at the end if you want to sound like you were born and bred in the Land of Song.

• Gwaedlys — pink persicaria
• Gwendon — bedstraw
• Gwenith y gog — figwort
• Gwenonwy — lily of the valley
• Gwern — alder
• Gwlithlys (g-LITH-lis) — sundew
• Helogan — celery
• Helygen — willow
• Helyglys — lesser willowherb
• Isop— hyssop
• Lili Mai — lily of the valley
• Ller — darnel
• Llin — flax
• Llwyfen (“LHOO-ee-ven”) – elm
• Llyriad — broad-leaved plantain
• Maglys — lucerne
• Meillion — clover
• Melenydd — hawkweed
• Melyn euraidd — golden rod
• Melyn Mair — marigold
• Melenllys — greater celandine
• Merllys — asparagus
• Merywen — juniper
• Mesen — acorn
• Miaren — briar
• Murlys — wall pellitory
• Onnen — ash
• Oren — orange
• Pabi — poppy
• Pansi — pansy
• Pengaled -(pen-GA-led) – knapweed
• Persli — parsley
• Pren — tree
• Pren Ceri — medlar tree
• Pren Eirin — plum tree
• Rhedyn — fern
• Rhos Mair — Rosemary
• Rhosmari (ros-MA-ree) — Rosemary
• Rhosyn — rose
• Saets — sage
• Safri — savoury
• Serenyn — squill
• Siasmin — jasmine
• Suran — common sorrel
• Syfi — strawberries
• Syfien — strawberry
• Taglys — field bindweed
• Tansi — tansy
• Tegeirian (te-GAY-ree-an) — orchid
• Teim — thyme
• Tormaen — golden saxifrage
• Tresi Aur — laburnum
• Trilliw (TRI-lhee-oo) — pansy
• Trydon — agrimony
• Ywen — yew

Pronunciation notes:

• “ae,” “ai,” “au,” and “eu” pronounced “eye”
• “c” always hard, as in “cat”
• “e” pronounced like “e” in “bet,” “set,” etc
• “ei” pronounced “ay”
• “f” ipronounced “v”
• “ff” pronounced “f”
• “g” always hard, as in “get”
• “ll” see Extreme Welsh Names
• “s” always “s,” never “z”; often “sh” before an “i”
• “th” pronounced like the “th” in “thistle”
• “y” in the last syllable is pronounced “i” as in “in”, but in most other syllables, is pronounced “uh.”

(In words of two syllables, stress is divided equally. In words of three, stress usually falls on the first syllable, unless otherwise stated.)

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Welsh Flower Names — Part 1

The adoption of “word names” is much more widespread and accepted in Welsh, and are regularly heard within Wales.

Names of flowers and trees are, naturally, a popular choice too.

But there are still many that have been little used so far, names which are accessible to English-speakers too.

So if you have Welsh heritage you want to honor, or simply a love of Celtic lands, here’s a collection of Welsh flowers and trees for you:

(If you want to say ’em like a native, general pronunciation guidance given at end — unless something is particularly tricky)

• Aethnen — aspen
• Afal — apple
• Afallen — apple-tree
• Afan — raspberries
• Afanen — raspberry
• Alaw — water-lily (also means “melody”)
• Arian Gwion — yellow rattle (literally Gwion’s silver)
• Banadl — broom
• Bedwen — birch
• Blodyn — flower
• Bronwerth — borage
• Brwynen — rush
• Brythlys — scarlet pimpernel
• Calon Afal — devil’s bit scabious
• Camri — camomile
• Cawnen — reed
• Ceian — carnation
• Ceilys — pink
• Ceirios — cherries
• Celyn — holly
• Celyn Mair — butcher’s broom
• Cenawen — catkins
• Clais yr hydd — dog’s mercury
• Clais y moch — clary
• Clefryn — sheep’s bit scabious
• Collen — hazel
• Corsen — reed
• Crinllys — dog violet
• Crys y brenin — henbane
• Cyren — currants
• Dail Arian — silverweed
• Danadl — blind nettle
• Delia — dahlia
• Derwen — oak
• Draen — briar
• Draenen ddu — blackthorn
• Draenen wen — hawthorn
• Dringol — common sorrel
• Drysïen (“DRUH-see-en) — briar
• Dwyfog (“DOO-ee-vog”) — wood betony
• Eglyn — golden saxifrage
• Eirin — plums
• Eirinen — plum
• Eirlys — snowdrop
• Eithen — gorse
• Elinog — bittersweet
• Erwain — meadowsweet
• Eurlys — yellow vetch
• Fandon — woodruff
• Fioled — violet
• Ffarwel haf — Michaelmas daisy
• Ffion — foxgloves
• Ffwsia — fuchsia
• Gellygen — pear-tree
• Glesyn — borage
• Greulys — groundsel

Pronunciation notes:

• “ae,” “ai,” “au,” and “eu” pronounced “eye”
• “c” always hard, as in “cat”
• “e” pronounced like “e” in “bet,” “set,” etc
• “ei” pronounced “ay”
• “f” pronounced “v”
• “ff” pronounced “f”
• “g” always hard, as in “get”
• “ll” see Extreme Welsh Names
• “s” always “s,” never “z”; often “sh” before an “i”
• “th” pronounced like the “th” in “thistle”
• “y” in the last syllable is pronounced “i” as in “in”, but in most other syllables, is pronounced “uh.”

(In words of two syllables, stress is divided equally. In words of three, stress usually falls on the first syllable, unless otherwise stated.)

Part 2 next week!

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Nook of Names Pick of the Week — Argent

It was the full moon last night, which is the inspiration for today’s pick of the week, the little heard Argent.

Argent falls into the categories of both “surnames as first names” and “word names,” though they share the same source: the Old (and Modern) French argent “silver.”

Silver’s association with the moon goes back to ancient times. It has long been believed to enhance the power of the moon, capable of forging a strong link between the the physical and metaphysical worlds.

The surname probably arose as a nickname for someone with silver hair, while the word has been used in the past as a noun (for a silver coin) and an adjective.

Nowadays, it is mostly confined to heraldry, where it is used of both silver and white in coats of arms.

The Old French word came from the Latin for silver argentum, which gives us the chemical symbol for silver — Ag.

It is cognate with the Welsh arian “silver” — which is still used to mean “money” in Welsh — which is found in more than one Welsh name, such as Arianwen, which combines it with gwyn “white,” “pure,” and “blessed,” and Arianell, which combines it with gell “yellow,” and “shining.”

It may also feature in the name of the Goddess Arianrhod — which is popularly interpreted as meaning “silver wheel” and a reference to the moon.

Caer Arianrhod is the Welsh name for the Milky Way.

The Common Celtic word from which arian derived was *arganto-, and the “g” is preserved in the medieval name Argante — used by Layamon in the twelfth century epic poem Brut as the name of the Queen of Avalon.

She is usually identified with Morgan le Fay, and there are those who argue that the name derives from an older form of Arianrhod.

Another old form is Eraint, which features in the epithet of the mythical Welsh figure Lludd Llaw Eraint “Lludd of the Silver Hand.”

This form also happens to demonstrate well the etymological relation between arian and the Modern Welsh Eirian “shining.”

Meanwhile, its Sanskrit cognate is Arjuna, a name borne by a hero of the epic Mahabharata. The modern Hindi form of the name is Arjun.

Argent itself is first found as a given name as early as the sixteenth century, interestingly enough as a girl’s name. This probably represented a simpler form of Argentea, which was taken directly from the Latin argenteus meaning “silvery” and “of silver.”

By the nineteenth century, it is more commonly found as a boy’s name, often as a middle name, indicative that the surname was now the principal source.

Today, Argent is a rarity. It has never reached the top 1000 in America, and only even appears in the data at all on one occasion, in 1926, when five girls were given the name.

Bursting as it is with heritage and meaning, I think it makes for a great unusual and contemporary choice for a boy or a girl. What do you think?

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Dydd Santes Dwynwen Hapus!

That’s “Happy Saint Dwynwen’s Day!” in English.

Saint Who?

In Wales, Dwnywen (pronounce “doo-in-wen” — the “doo-in” bit pronounced so quickly that it almost sounds like “dwin”) is considered the “Welsh St. Valentine,” and people increasingly mark St Dwynwen’s as well as — sometimes instead of — Valentine’s day.

Naturally, she has also become the Welsh patron saint of lovers.

Like Valentine, she’s a saint of very shadowy roots.

The legend says she lived in the fifth century, one of the many daughters of the legendary Brychan Brycheiniog — a man who, according to the myths, has more saintly children under his belt than most of us have hot dinners.

There are many versions of her tale, but in essence, she fell in love with a young man called Maelon, but would not marry him, either because her father forbade it or because she had sworn herself to a life of saintly celibacy.

She prayed for a solution — and an angel appeared with a magic potion to give to Maelon.

She gave it to him — and it turned him into a block of ice, thus saving him the sorrow of pining away for her, and to remove him from her temptation.

In some versions, she then asks for three requests — that Maelon be released, that she never marry, and that she could become the patron of true loves.

Not exactly happy-ever-after, but at least there’s no beheading!

The centre of Dwynwen’s cult was originally on a small island off the coast of Anglesey called Llanddwyn Island, which preserves another form of her name within its — Dwyn.

She is also known as Donwen, and Donwenna — all of which hint strongly at what may well be her true origin, the ancient Cymric Goddess Dôn.

Her name is almost certainly a combination of Dôn with gwyn. This is a familiar ending in Welsh names — featuring as Gwyn and Gwen at the start of names, and –wyn and –wen at the end (in Welsh, –wyn is always masculine, and –wen is feminine).

It’s basic meaning is “white,” but it also carries the sense of “pure” and “blessed.”

Dôn is the Welsh equivalent of the Irish Goddess Danu. In Welsh myth, she is the mother of the Plant Dôn—the “Children of Dôn”— a number of major Welsh deities, including Gwydion and Arianrhod.

As a very ancient Goddess, unraveling her name is difficult, and there are a number of options. One is the Common Celtic *dƒnu– “gift.”

However, she is associated with a number of rivers. There are four called Don in the British Isles, plus others that are related: the Dane in Cheshire,
two Devons (one English, one Scottish), and possibly the Teign, Tone, and Tyne too. Then there are the great European rivers deriving from the same root: the Danube, the Dneiper, and the Donetz.

Moreover, in the early medieval period, Dôn may also have been known as Donwy. An old name for the River Dee, which flows through Chester, is the Dwfrdonwy (dwfr is a Middle Welsh word meaning “water” + Donwy), while the Welsh name for the Danube is Afon Donwy—i.e. “River Donwy.” Donwy is also found in the name of yet another Welsh river, the Trydonwy, known in English as the Roden.

All this makes it quite likely that the name’s roots lie far, far back with the Proto-Indo-European *dānus “river.”

But there’s a further twist to this tale. What if this Goddess’s associations with rivers is so ancient that instead of her gaining the name “river,” the word *dānus derived from her name?

This would explain why there does not seem to be any vestige of *dānus with the meaning “river” in any of the living Celtic languages, despite the large number of rivers in the British isles which seem to derive from it.

But there is a further option for its etymology.

A clue lies with Deva, a Celtic name by which the Romans knew the River Dee. It points firmly towards the Proto-Indo-European *deyw-o– “a divine being,” combined with the suffix –ono– (often indicative of the name of a Deity).

Originally, *deyw-o-, seems to have carried connotations of relating to a sky God; it litters the Indo-European languages in words meaning “a god”, as well as names of individual Gods and Goddesses themselves, such as Zeus and Diana.

Despite her popularity in modern Wales, Dwynwen is a rarity. But it’s a pretty name, and whatever the truth that lies at its roots, no-one can dispute that it has history and positive associations in abundance.

Dydd Santes Dwynwen Hapus!

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Nook of Names Pick of the Week — Branwen

Branwen is one of a small and select group of Welsh names which featured in Welsh mythology and was also used widely as a genuinue given name in medieval times.

It is also one of the Welsh names richest in significance.

Superficially, it breaks down to bran “raven” and gwyn “white.”

But there’s a great deal more to these two words than meets the eye.

For a start, Bran is also the name of perhaps the most significant figure in all Welsh myth, called Bran the Blessed in English, and Bendigeidfran in Welsh.

In the important Welsh collection of tales dubbed the Mabinogion by a scholar of Welsh in the nineteenth century, Bran is called a king — but he is also a giant, whose head, after he himself has been killed, continued to live on, laughing and joking with his companions for seven years… until one of them accidentally opened a forbidden door.

His head is said to be buried beneath the White Tower at the Tower of London, as a talisman against Britain ever being invaded.

And to this day, his totem animals, ravens, can be found at the Tower.

As such, the raven is considered a bird whose presence invokes protection.

In Norse mythology, the ravens Huginn and Muninn are associated with Odin, and were depicted on Viking banners. Their names derive from the Old Norse hugr “thought” and munr “memory.”

To many Christians, however, the bird, with its strong associations of death, is sinister — but to Pagans, the raven’s associations with death serve only to remind us of the ever-turning wheel of life, death, and rebirth, a motif which is found in myth.

In Beowulf, it is the raven who heralds the new day after Beowulf ’s victory, while in some versions of the Arthurian cycles, King Arthur is said to be reincarnated as the raven.

Which brings us back to Bran and Branwen.

Branwen’s name carries all the same potency of Bran’s, and all the same symbolism. But hers is coupled with that ever significant Welsh gwyn. It doesn’t just mean “white,” but also “pure” and “sacred.” Many of the shadowy early Welsh “saints”, whose names are only known to us through the existance of a “llan” (a word now used of the land upon which an ancient church stands, but which almost certainly goes back to Pagan times) contain gwyn as an element.

If most of them aren’t in reality Gods, Goddesses or genii loci (“spirits of the place”), I’ll eat all my hats.

Sadly, Branwen’s own tale is tremendously sad. Her marriage to Matholwch, King of Ireland was doomed from the start, when her brother, Efnisien, chose to insult Matholwch by attacking his horses. Bran compensated Matholowch by giving him the fabled Cauldron of Rebirth, and, after that all seemed at first well — for a time.

In Ireland, Branwen gave Matholowch an heir — a son called Gwern (this means “alder” in Welsh; a significant choice, as the alder is Bran’s sacred tree). But malicious gossip at court turned Matholwch against his wife, and he began to mistreat her badly. Branwen sent the birds to tell her brother, who came to Ireland with a great army.

At first the two sides attempted to negotiate, but when Efnisien once again wreked havoc (this time by throwing Gwern on the fire), full-scale war ensued, leading to Bran’s death. Only seven of his warriors survived to take his head back to Britain.

As for Branwen, she died of grief.

Despite this sad tale, Branwen was used in the medieval period in forms such as Brangwain, Brangwayna and Brangwyne, giving rise to the surnames Brangwyn and Brangwin. As Brangain (and many variations therein), it features in the medieval lays of Tristan and Isolde. The latest variation of this character’s name to emerge is Bragnae, which occurs in the 2006 film Tristan and Isolde.

Branwen fell out of use in Wales by the end of the medieval period, but returned again in the nineteenth century and became quite popular. It doesn’t see much use in Wales now — or anywhere else — but it’s a beautiful and evocative name ripe for use once more.

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Pagan Name of the Month — Owen

In Pagan Name of the Month, I feature a name currently in the top 100 in the US or UK, which has a particularly rich Pagan flavor.

This month, it is the turn of the wonderful Welsh Owen.

In 2010, Owen was 47th in the US, and 59th in the UK (although in Wales, it was 49th).

Owen is actually an Anglicized form of the correct Welsh form, Owain — pronounced “ō-wīn” (i.e. like “oh wine”) — and is also used in Ireland to render the cognate Irish Eoghan, which is pronounced pretty much exactly the same as Owen.

Traditionally, both are derived from Eugene (Greek: Eugenios “well-born”); it is certainly true that Eugene was used to “translate” Owen and Eoghan in medieval times, but few contest today that they are actually native Celtic names in origin.

They may still, however, be cognate with the Greek, as a likely source is the Common Celtic *wesu- “excellent”  and “noble” + *geno- “born,” cognate with the Greek eu “well” and gignomai “to be born.”

Both Celtic elements were in use in names in the Romano-British period.

Another very tempting option for the first element is *yewo- “yew,” which was also used in names in ancient times. This is currently the most favored option.

The yew was an extremely important tree to the ancient Celts. Yews are exceptionally long-lived trees, symbolic of rebirth, immortality, and the Otherworld.

In the British Isles, many ancient yews — predating Christianity — are found in old churchyards, a sign that Christian priests built their churches on sites already regarded as sacred.

But there is yet another possibility for the first element of this ancient name —  the theonym Esus, which also featured in Brythonic personal names.

Esus is a Celtic God mentioned by Lucan by Roman writer, and linked with two other well-known Celtic deities — Teutates and Taranis.

One of Owen’s other British cognates is Ewan — commonly spelled Euan. This is now largely considered the Scottish form of Owen and Eoghan, but it is found across “the Old North,” particularly in Lancashire, from time to time until the name’s modern resurgence across the British Isles, and its use in those areas probably goes back to Celtic times too.

Owen itself has also been in use since the Middle Ages, not just in Wales but also in the English Marches — the counties which border Wales. It is one of the few Welsh names which remained in constant, common use from medieval times to the present day, and is as well-known now for the surname derived from it as the personal name.

There are many notable bearers, from history and legend.

Probably the earliest is the semi-legendary Owain Ddantgwyn “White-tooth”, a fifth-century king of the small early medieval kingdom of Rhos in North Wales (roughly the region of the modern county of Conwy). He is often cited as a likely candidate for the historic King Arthur.

Another very early Owain was Owain mab Urien, king of Rheged, often known as Ywain or Ywein in Arthurian Romance, who probably lived in the sixth century. In the Arthurian cycles, he features as the hero in the tales of the Lady of the Fountain, such as Chrétien de Troyes’ Yvain, the Knight of the Lion (1170s).

There was also more than one king of the Brythonic kingdom of Strathclyde called Owen between the seventh and eleventh centuries.

Owain was very common in the Middle Ages, giving rise to the surnames Owen and Owens.

There are numerous Owens (or rather Owains) of note, such as Owain ap Gruffydd, King of Gwynedd (c.1100-70), and Owain Glyndŵr (c.1354-c.1416) — known as Owen Glendower in English — who almost succeeded in wresting Wales from English control. He was the last native Welshman to bear the title “Prince of Wales.”

Meanwhile, Sir Owen Tudor (c.1400-61), founder of the Tudor dynasty, was the grandfather of King Henry VII.

Bearers of the surname include the Welsh novelist Daniel Owen (1836-95), the English First World War poet Wilfred Owen (1893-1918), British actor Clive Owen (b. 1964), and footballer Michael Owen (b.1979).

So if you’re looking for a boy’s name which is “mainstream” but with plenty of Pagan kudos, and a name with a long rich history of use as a first name, Owen might be the perfect one for you.

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Equinox

It’s the Equinox today — one of the two days in the year when the hours of day and night are equal. Up in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the Autumnal Equinox, and we have to face the less than cheery fact that from now on, the nights will be drawing in as winter approaches.

Those fortunate enough to be in the Southern Hemisphere, on the other hand, are celebrating spring and the fact that from now on, their days will be growing longer and warmer. Lucky blighters.

But fate has made me an Earthling of the Northern Hemisphere, so the Autumnal Equinox is the focus of today’s post.

What makes the Autumnal Equinox special? Well, because of their equal length of day and night, both Equinoxes are a time of balance — and among many Pagans and folk of alternative spiritualities, they are regarded as good times to focus on achieving balance in our lives.

It is an interesting co-incidence (or possibly not) that Libra — the astrological sign of the balance scales — begins on September 23.

The Autumnal Equinox also sits at the heart of the harvest-season — many a church and school are celebrating their harvest festivals around this time. It is therefore a good time to focus on the bounty of Nature and the Earth.

Autumn — from the Latin autumnus “autumn,”  “fall” and “autumnal” — is already seeing a lot of use as a girl’s name. In the US, it peaked (for the time being) in 2001 in 72nd place, but remains in the top 100. In the UK, where “autumn” is the usual name for the fall, it is still gradually climbing; it was ranked 238 in 2010.

Equinox itself — from the Latin aequus “equal” + nox “night” has seen only a very little use as a given name since the late twentieth century — not enough to register on the radar at all in the US or UK. But with the rise in Knox as a given name, however, perhaps it is time to consider Equinox?

Many Pagans, especially North American Wiccans, call the Autumnal Equinox Mabon, while to Druids across the Norther Hemisphere, it is Alban Elfed.

The festival of Mabon is named in honor of the Welsh deity Mabon ap Modron, and has been in use since the 1970s, its use promoted by Wiccan writer Aidan Kelly.

Mabon ap Modron is often dubbed “the Divine Son of the Divine Mother”; he features in (and gives his name to) the Mabinogion, an important source of early Welsh mythology. He is considered by many to be one and the same with another important figure of Welsh myth — Pryderi ap Pwyll, the son of Rhiannon.

Mabon is almost certainly a survival of the Celtic deity Maponus, whose name derives from the Common Celtic *makwos “son” + the suffix -on- commonly found in theonyms. From the same source derives the Old Irish macc (source of the Mac– which features in so many Scottish and Irish surnames), Old Welsh map and Modern Welsh mab — all meaning “son.”

Five little boys were called Mabon in the UK in 2010.

Meanwhile, the Druid Alban Elfed combines two Old Welsh words — alban meaning “solstice” and “equinox” and elfed “the fall” and “autumn.”

As the Welsh name for the Brythonic Kingdom of Elmet, which had a short-lived existence in the region roughly inhabited now by West Yorkshire following the departure of the Roman legions, until it was absorbed by the neighboring Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria and Mercia.

This derives from the same source as the Old Welsh elfydd “world,” “country” and “region.” This also happens to be related to both Albion and the Scottish Alba.

Elfed — pronounced “el-ved” — has been used as a boy’s name in Wales since the late nineteenth century. It is rare now, however, largely because it is used as the name of the patchwork elephant in the Welsh versions of David McKee’s Elmer the Patchwork Elephant series of children’s books.

While Equinox might be a bit bold for some tastes, Autumn, Mabon, Alban and Elfed certainly provide subtle but interesting options for an Autumnal Equinox baby.

Whatever your spiritual path in life, a bright, blessed and fruitful Equinox, one and all.

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Extreme Welsh Names

Yesterday, I featured some of my favorite Welsh names. These were mostly those Welsh names which aren’t too difficult for non-Welsh speakers to get their tongues around.

Today, however, I thought I’d take a look at some of Wales’ names which are — how shall we say? — not for the faint-hearted!

They may not be the easiest to pronounce, but they do demonstrate the great richness in myth, history and meaning of Welsh names. Many of them have their roots in the Dark Ages — and some even earlier still.

A few notes on pronunciation to start off with:

• ‘c’ is always hard like ‘k’
• ‘ch’ is like the German ‘ch’ of ‘ich’, and the Scottish ‘ch’ of ‘loch’
• ‘dd’ is like ‘th’ in ‘the’, ‘that’, ‘then’, etc
• ‘g’ is always hard, as in ‘gate’
• to pronounce ‘ll’ properly, you position your tongue as you would for an ‘l’, but then blow along the sides of your tongue. You should end up with a sort of clicky hiss. Probably the closest approximate sound in English is ‘cl’ — this is better than bottling out and just saying ‘l’ anyway!
• ‘ng’ is like the ‘ng’ at the end of ‘sing’, ‘ring’, ‘fling’ etc — same as the Spanish ñ
• ‘r’ is rolled like a Scottish ‘r’
• ‘rh’ is very breathy. Very hard to explain how to say in English; sort of like Welsh ‘r’ followed by an almost audible ‘h’
• ‘s’ always like ‘s’ in ‘soft’, never like a ‘z’ as in ‘his’
• ‘th’ is like ‘th’ in ‘thin, ‘think’, ‘thirst’, etc.

Clear as mud? Brave enough to try some? The worst offenders are flagged up in bold and red to help.

Off you go!

MERCHED (THE GIRLS):

Angharad (‘ang-ha-rad’) — combination of the intensive prefix an- + car ‘loved’, thus meaning ‘my very beloved’. An old and traditional name.

Blodeuwedd (‘blod-EYE-wedd‘) — blodau  ‘flowers’ + gwedd ‘image’. The name in myth of Lleu’s wife after she was turned into an owl; originally a maiden formed from flowers.

Briallen (bree-all-en) — Welsh ‘ll’, remember! Means ‘primrose’ in Welsh.

Buddug (bi-ddig) — Welsh form of Boudicca, and also treated as the Welsh version of Victoria.

Creuddylad (‘cray-DDUH-lad’) — craidd ‘heart’ + dyled ‘debt’. Welsh form of Cordelia, and probably the origin of the name.

Dyddgu (‘deedh-gee’) — dydd ‘day’ + cu ‘beloved’; medieval girl’s name.

Eurddolen (‘ayr-DDOL-en’) — aur ‘gold’ + dolen ‘link’; Welsh form of Goldilocks.

Goleuddydd (‘gol-ay-ddeedd‘) — golau ‘light’ + dydd ‘day’; figure from Welsh myth.

Gwawrddydd (‘gwour-ddeedd‘ — ‘gwour’ rhyming with ‘hour’) — gwawr ‘dawn’ + dydd ‘day’; an early saint.

Gwenllian (‘gwen-LLEE-an’) — trad old name.

Llio (‘llee-oh’) — short form of Gwenllian.

Marchell (‘march-ell‘) — ‘yellow horse’; name from myth.

Morfudd (‘mor-veedh‘) — môr ‘sea’ or mawr ‘great’ + budd ‘profit’ and ‘advantage’; trad old name.

Myfanwy (‘muh-VAN-wee’) — ‘my delicate/rare (one)’; quite well-known outside Wales because of the song.

Siwan (‘shoo-wan’ or ‘see-wan’) — Welsh form of Joan.

Tangwystl (‘tang-OO-ist-ul’) — ‘peace-pledge’; one of Brychan’s legendary daughters.

Undeg (‘een-dayg’) — ‘fair one’.

Ystwyth (‘ust-with‘) — ‘supple’; a Welsh river which gives its name to Aberystwyth.

DYNION (THE BOYS):

Bendigeidfran (‘BEN-di-GAYD-vran’) — translates as ‘Bran the Blessed’, a name by which the Welsh hero/God Bran is often known.

Brychan (‘bruh-chan’) — ‘little speckled one’, borne by a legendary figure of the 5th Century.

Brython (‘bruh-thon’) — ‘Briton’.

Cadwallon (‘kad-WALL-on’) — ‘battle- leader’; Modern Welsh form of the Iron Age tribal name Catuvellaunus.

Cunedda (‘kin-EDD-a’) — ‘good lord’; a legendary hero.

Cynddelw (‘kin-DDEH-loo’) — possibly ‘manner of a lord’; another ancient name, borne by a legendary chieftain.

Dafydd (‘dav-idh‘) — Welsh form of David.

Dyfnwallon (‘duv-en-WALL-on’) — ‘deep lord/lord of the Deep’; trad old name.

Euroswydd (‘ayr-OS-widh‘) — aur ‘gold’ + oswydd ‘enemy’; a figure from mythology.

Fflamddwyn (‘FLAM-ddoo-in’) — ‘flame-bearer’; trad old name.

Gerallt (‘geh-rallt’) — Welsh form of Gerald.

Gwalchmai (‘gwalch-my’) — either ‘May-hawk’ or ‘hawk-field’; the original Gawain (Gavin!).

Gwynllyw (‘gwin-LLEE-oo’) — ‘white/blessed/pure leader’. Name of an early saint and king.

Illtud (‘ill-teed’) — ‘many-people’; an early saint.

Llefelys (‘lleh-VEL-is’) — ‘sweet-voice’; mythological figure.

Llŷr (‘lleer’) — from a very old Celtic root meaning ‘sea’; figure from mythology.

Matholwch (‘math-OH-looch‘) — the name of an Irish king in Welsh mythology.

Meredudd (‘meh-REH-deedh‘) — original form of Meredith. NB: boy’s name :D.

Oswallt (‘os-wallt’) — Welsh form of Oswald.

Pryderi (‘pruh-DEH-ree’) — from a verb meaning ‘to take pains’. Figure from mythology.

Rhiwallon (‘rhee-WALL-on’) – ‘lord-ruler’; trad old name.

Rhydderch (‘rhidd-erch‘) — probably ‘exalted ruler’; trad old name.

Sulien (‘SEEL-ee-en’) — ‘sun-born’; very old name. Sulicena is an earlier feminine form found on a Roman era tombstone.

Wmffre (‘UM-freh’) — Welsh form of Humphrey.

Ynyr (‘un-eer’) — Another Welsh form of Honorius.

All together now, Gwlad, Gwald, pleidiol wyf i’m gwlad!

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