Once Upon a Time Baby Names

Owain Departs from Landine by Sir Edward Burne-Jones Laudine (LAW-deen) is an Arthurian baby name from the tales of Owain (sometimes Yvain), The Knight with the Lion and The Lady of the Fountain . This name does seem familiar, either like a word just on the tip of your tongue, or perhaps because it’s just one letter short of becoming Claudine. Ultimately this name might be traceable back to Nodens, a Celtic god, whose name meant “to acquire.” The name is cognate with Lludd, son of Beli Mawr, and also with the name Nuada, who was seen in Irish myth. Laudine is connected by way of the land she resides on, as the Lady of Landuc - Landuc being identified with Lothien and Lothien with Lludd. Sometimes Laudine has been connected to the name Lauda, meaning “praise,” because they look so similar, but Laudine was around well before this name came into use. I will not spoil the events of the story, as one should always be familiar with the works of literature or media they’re ta...

Myrddin Wyllt is the Welsh legendary character that became Geoffrey Monmouth's Arthurian character Merlin, who may have also been inspired by the legendary Welsh figure Emrys. To be clear, Merlin, Latinized as Merlinus, came after Myrddin. His own tale closely resembled Lailoken, a British figure found in the 12th century Life of Kentigern , but in the 15th century they may have blended a bit. A madman living in the Caledonian forests, he was an ex-bard reflecting over his life, who'd become wild and mad, and may have had some power of prophecy. The name Myrddin derives from the capital of the Demetae tribe called Moridunum, meaning "sea fort." As an important note, the place Caerfyrddin means "Myrddin's castle" and was supposedly his place of birth. Myrddin can also be found as a Stargate character, and it was the name of Welsh writer Myrddin Fardd. Mryddin has never shown up in U.S. data, while Merlin has been used since at least 1885. It started w...

This girl's baby name is Welsh in origin, and it derives from Arianrhod, meaning "silver circle." Arianrhod was a Celtic goddess associated with the moon. Pronounced arh-ee-AHN-wen, it means "blessed silver."  Arianell  is a related name meaning "shining silver." Arianwen verch Brychan was the daughter of legendary 5th century Welsh chieftan Brychan Brycheiniog, and in more recent times we can find the name on celebrity Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood, and even in the book series The Magician Trilogy by Jenny Nimmo as the character of the Snow Spider. Arianwen had no U.S. data, nor does Arianell or Arianrhod.

Morgan le Fay by Frederik Sandys Morgana is one of those names a good majority of people have heard of, yet rarely, if ever, see on a real person. It might really be the perfect “beautiful-dark” name, as it conjures the same imagery of sorcery, a dark haired maiden, and ancient magic in almost everyone’s mind, seeing how the most well known namesake was the legendary Morgan le Fay of Arthurian tales. She’s seen many variants over time, including Morganna, Morgen, Morgaine, Argante, Feimurgen, and her sister is similar-sounding Morgause. Morgana, half-sister of King Arthur, is a sorceress who shows signs of being both good and evil (here’s a nod to feminine duality in literature) and she undeniably has healing abilities along with several other magical abilities. In early versions of Arthurian legend, Morgana was called Queen of Avalon. Morgana is an Old Welsh name meaning “sea-born,” the earliest form being Morgen. The male version is Morien in Old Welsh. The name Morgen is ...

Tacita : this Latin name means “silent, secret,” and was given to the nymph Lara after Jupiter was cruel and cut out her tongue. Tacitus is the masculine, used as a Roman cognomen, and found on the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus. The names are pronounced TASS-ih-tuh and TASS-it-uss. The names Tacy and Tace derive from the root word taceo as well, and could make fitting nicknames. Talarican (tah-LAR-ih-kan), Tarkin (TAR-kin), and Tarquin (TAR-kwin): while Talarican stands out as the name of a Pictish bishop and saint, Tarquin is the English variant of Latin masculine name Tarquinius, which was a famous Roman gens used by the kings of Rome. The etymology is unknown.  Tarquin is the only spelling that has been used in the U.S., since 1987, and only rarely.  Uriana : this may be a female form of Urian, meaning “privileged birth,” from Welsh masculine name Urien.  Urien was a legendary Welsh figure who featured in Arthurian Romances. Uriana has only been used ...

In medieval Wales the descriptive word  llwyd , meaning "grey," was corrupted to Lloyd, and since the double "ll" sound in Welsh is so hard to make if you don't have a handle on the language, it came out Floyd for English speakers. The namesake that comes to mind first is boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, who is a junior. The story on his name isn't clear, but because we know he is Floyd Jr., we can assume his father was named Floyd because it was a moderately popular name in the year he was born, 1952. It ranked in the top 100 in 1886, 1889, and 1893. In 2015 it was given to 107 boys, a far cry from the 1,864 boys given the name in 1952. However, there is a chance Floyd Sr. was named after boxer Floyd Patterson, who won the Olympic gold medal in the middleweight division the year 1952. There has been a hurricane Floyd, tropical storm Floyd, and two songs with the name. Over a dozen places in the U.S. are named Floyd. Pink Floyd is an English progressive...

This name is currently worn by actor Idris Elba, whose birth name was Idrissa. He was born in the U.K. and his birth name name is of Krio African origin, chosen by his parents who came from countries in Africa. Guinean professional footballer Idrissa Sylla is an example of the African name as well. Idris, as he shortens it, happens to be an ancient Welsh name meaning "ardent lord," pronounced IDD-riss. In legend, Idris Gawr was a leader of giants, and a mountain in Snowdonia was given his name - Cadair Idris, or "Idris's Chair." As a name it can be found as far back as the 6th century, but it was not really used in Britain until the 19th century. Alternately, Idris is also an Arabic name meaning "lengthy learning," although some say it means "interpreter." It is most commonly pronounced idd-REES. This form of the name is worn by one the second prophet of Islam. He is sometimes identified as Enoch, from the Bible, because of his character ...

Pherick/Pherrick might seem strange at first, but with the name Pharell being more well-known today thanks to the rap star (at least in the U.S.), and names like Finnick and Phelan being brought out of hiding, the Manx (a Celtic language) boys name may be ready for use. This name comes from the Isle of Man, where a local "legend" of sorts tells of a fisherman named Pherrick who waits by the ocean for his mermaid wife to return. An Ash Wednesday fair on Isle on Man used to be held at Keeil Pharick (now Cabbal Pherick), Manx for "Saint Patrick's Chapel." The name derives from Patrick and can also be seen spelled Pharick or Pherick. It is not to be confused with Pharlane, which was used in place of Bartholomew. Patrick, meaning "patrician, nobleman" in Latin, has been one of the most commonly used names ever recorded. It ranked in the top 100 from 1880, when records for the SSA started being kept on names, to 1904, and also from 1936 to 2004, and in 201...

Melior is a Cornish and Devon girl's baby name, sometimes spelled Meliora. This was the name of a fairy in medieval legend, sister to the illusive  Melusine , except all we really know about her is that she lived on the Isle of Avalon. Her story can be found in Jean d'Arras's Le Roman de Melusine , where Melior and her sisters take revenge upon their father for breaking their mother's marriage terms, but their mother punishes them for the act. Melior's fate was to be imprisoned in an Armenian castle. In The Romans of Partenay , the king of Armenia completes a challenge and asks for Melior's hand in marriage, but Melior knows that he is a descendant of her sister Melusine. He doesn't really care, but they still don't get married. Their sister Palatine has no better luck, as she was punished to guard a treasure that no man can win. There's another namesake, however - Saint Melior, whose gender is undetermined. If someone wanted Melior for a boy and M...

www.walesonline.co.uk Rhodri (HRO-dree) is a Welsh boy's name meaning "circle; disk; crown" and "ruler." 'Crown of royalty' could be what this is hinting at. Consider the following three historical namesakes and you'll agree that this is certainly a name for a circle of rulers. Rhodri Molwynog, also known as Rhodri the Bald and Grey, was an 8th century king of Gwynedd. Little is known about him, but he is called King of the Britons in the Annals of Wales, and he probably died in 754 A.D. Rhodri the Great (820-878) was also a Welsh king, named Rhodri ap Merfyn and also known as Rhodri Mawr, and he was from either the Isle of Mann or Manau. His father, Merfyn Frych, was King of Gwynedd until 844, who took the throne after the previous line (Cunedda) ran out of male heirs. In the Annals of Ulster he is called King of the Britons. Fun fact: it may be possible that rap superstar Eminem (Marshall Mathers) is descended  from him. Then we have Rhod...

Albion (AL-bee-on), one of the many old names for Britain, is a boy's name from the Latin albus  o r Proto-Indo-European  albho, both   meaning "white." One legend has it that Albion was a giant and the son of the god Neptune. After Neptune put Albion in charge of ancient Britain it was named after him - possibly in the form Alebion. The legend obviously isn't true, but Albion is indeed ancient, and could possibly be older than the Latin albus , and it might have a much longer story. If the popular theory that Albion's etymology of "white" refers to the white cliffs of Dover is not where the story ends, then it would have an old er origin. It is most likely the island's old name is from Proto-Celtic a lbi̯iū,   meaning "w orld," although it could have started as a PIE word meaning "white," which would tie it together nicely. As "world," the specific meaning is "upper world," as opposed to the underworld....

Nimue (NEE-mu-ay, NEEM-way, NIHM-oo-ay) is an Arthurian baby name and just one name given to the Lady of the Lake, also known as Niniane, Vivian (multiple spellings), Evienne, or Nivien. Some have claimed she is, or represents, a triple goddess, due to the fact that her names could come from the goddesses Coventina, Nemain, and Mnemosyne (and the Celtic love of triple personifications is well known). Nimue may be a corrupted form of Nineve, which may have been taken from Nineveh, a city in Syria, which is an Assyrian name that ultimately means "a habitation of rebels." If not, it may be taken from Mnemosyne (meaning "memory") a water nymph from Greek mythology whose story was a bit similar. As Nimue could be a spelling error, along with Nynyve, Nynyue and Ninive, there is no set-in-stone pronunciation. In Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur there are three different spellings used: Nimue, Ninive and Nineve/Nyneve (perhaps on purpose because all good things com...

Rohan (for boys) and Rohana (for girls) mean "to ascend" in Sanskrit. It is pronounced ROW-han in Sanskrit, however, some say this is an alternate or a French spelling of the Anglicized Irish name Rowan, meaning "red-haired," and the pronunciation for that would be closer to RO-an. Currently #601 in the U.S., Rohan was given to 419 boys in 2013. It is used less since the mid-2000's and not at all before 1969. Rohana, on the other hand, is strictly a Hindi name and only started being used around 2006 and was only given to 5 girls in 2013 - a dramatic difference. As a boys name it is also doing well in England and Wales. Rohan Kanhai, a cricket player, made this a household name in the Caribbean (and there are four more cricket players named Rohan). Film maker Rohan Fernando, Bob Marley's son Rohan Marley, and actor Rohan Chand all share the name. Rohan is also a place name used in  The Lord of the Rings , a real French place name, a role-play game "R...

Dover is a place name from an ancient Celtic word dubra , meaning "water," or another older word meaning "separated beach." and applies to the British seaport of the English Channel. Dover the town came from the river named Dour flowing through it, from the same root word. Dover saw many different spelling options, such as Douer and Dower, before its current spelling stuck. It is otherwise a popular place name and business name, but as a given name in the U.S. it has never been popular - only given every few years between 1914 and 1973 and never to more than 13 babies a year.

Like  Tannen , Oren is a very subtle winter or Christmas name. From Hebrew, Oren means "pine tree," and it is the word for orange in Welsh. Oren is also very close to the names Orin and Oran (Odhran) - Gaelic, meaning "pale green." Spelled Orrin it is both a place name and a Scottish name meaning "pale-skinned," but also in Scottish the spelling Oran means "song."  Ören  is a  Turkish  word meaning "ruins" and is used as a surname and place name. Oren  has been used in the Old Testament and on several modern, not very well known namesakes, both as a first and last name. The Hebrew version is regularly used in Israel. In 2013 there were 108 boys given the name Oren in the U.S., and it hasn't been used so much since the 1920's but it has been used steadily since 1880. Orin was given a bit less in 2013 with only 64 boys, while Orrin was an equally popular spelling with 62 boys. Oran was only given to 20 boys the same year. Bein...

First things first: a -wyn ending to a name in Welsh means it is a boy name, while a -wen ending means it is a girl name. So if you're looking for a name for your baby girl, whether it be Branwen or Ceridwen or Tanwen, make sure you take this into consideration. Very few people outside of Wales and the surrounding area will know the difference, but now you do. Secondly, Branwen is pronounced BRAHN-wen (not BRANN-wen) and Bronwen is pronounced BROHN-wen depending on your accent. Third, both Branwen and Bronwen have their own respective meanings. Branwen means "white, blessed raven," while Bronwen means "fair, blessed breast (breast not necessarily meaning boobs - chest works as well, or, alternatively, the heart which lay beneath the breast)." They also have their own respective histories. Branwen in legend was the daughter of Llyr in the "Mabinogi," tales from Welsh mythology. She is known as the most beautiful girl in the land and turns out to b...

Arianell (ar-ee-ah-nell) is the name of a 6th century Welsh saint, a member of a royal family who became possessed by an evil spirit. Saint Dyfrig exorcised her and she then became a nun and followed him as a student. From the name Arianrhod of Welsh literature, meaning "silver, blessed," Arianell or Ariannell (formerly Arganhell) meaning "shining silver," is a little-used variant. Also connected to these two names is Arianwen, the daughter of a legendary 5th century Welsh chieftan, meaning "silver, blessed." A folk etymology of Arianrhod is "silver circle," referring to the moon. None of these were used on children until modern times.  [source]  Please note that the double L in Welsh has a unique sound, much like a hissing breath, or pronouncing "eth." Add an A to the end to make Arianella, from Arianna and in turn from Ariadne, which is Greek, meaning "most holy." Ariadne was a character in Greek mythology who married Dion...

   Cedric (SED-rik) is an Old English boy's name meaning "bounty, loved." The name was invented by Sir Walter Scott for his 1819 novel Ivanhoe . He may have been inspired by or misunderstood Cerdic, the Old English name of the Saxon king that founded the kingdom of Wessex, although this name could be Germanic or Welsh (from Cedrych, meaning "pattern of bounty," or "from Caradoc," (Caradoc meaning "love") in origin. Cedric was later used by Frances Hodgson Burnett in the 1886 children's novel Little Lord Fauntleroy . Most recently Cedric was used in the Harry Potter series for the character Cedric Diggory. Cedric comes with the nicknames Ced and Ric. In 2011 Cedric ranked at #751, a decrease in popularity with the name given to 299 boys. It has been accounted for since 1890, but other spellings have been used as well, such as Cedrick, Cederick, Cedrik and Ceddrick. By 2016 the name fell a bit in popularity, at #914. Cedric the Ente...

  Alternatively spelled Rhidian from the 20th century, Rhydian (RID-ee-an) is a Welsh boy's name meaning "red," from the element rhudd (rudd), sharing some similarities with Rowan. An early Welsh saint may have had this name. There is a church  established by the saint in the 6th century Namesakes include British-Taiwanese actor Rhydian Vaughan (pictured above), Welsh singer Rhydian Roberts, novelist Rhidian Brook (who coincidentally wrote The Testimony of Taliesin Jones - I just wrote about Taliesin), and bass player Rhydian Dafydd for the band The Joy Formidable. As a name in the U.S., Rhydian has not been used more than four times in a year, and is therefore not recorded by the SSA. White Pages tells me that only one exists.

  Taliesin (tahl-YES-in / tahl-ee-ESS-in) is a seldom heard Welsh boy's name meaning "shining forehead, radiant brow." A 6th century Welsh bard with this name was mentioned in Alfred Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King , the classic Arthurian romance. This Taliesin was a beloved and respected poet celebrated into the 12th century, and written about in other works such as Bran the Blessed . However, the name Taliesin is more well known in America as the name of architect Frank Lloyd Wright's homes located in Arizona and Wisconsin. The icing on the cake is that Taliesin was the son (sort of) of the goddess Ceridwen from Celtic mythology - she ate someone and he was reborn as the poet and wizard Taliesin. Many have found TAHL-ess-in and tahl-EYE-ess-in to be acceptable pronunciations, as well as Tall, Tali, and Lee to be acceptable nicknames. In 2011 this name was given to just six boys, never more than ten since 1993. In 2013 it was only given to 5. In Wales, Ta...