Welsh Names from 1602

by Sara L. Uckelman
known in the SCA as Aryanhwy merch Catmael

© 2013 Sara L. Uckelman; all rights reserved
last updated 26Apr13

Introduction

The following names are taken from Owen's accounts of Cardiganshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, and Montgomeryshire in 1602, as it appears in The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Chronicle of December 1832, pp. 511-514 (the article ends `to be continued', but I have not yet been able to find where). For each of these shires, Owen recorded the names of the local nobles, the names of their mansions, and the names of their wives. Important geographical names such as the names of the chief towns, forests, ports, and rivers are also recorded. Owen was a native Welshman, and his spellings show strong Welsh influence, though the record was written in English. In this article, I present the personal names and the names of major geographical locations; in another article (cf. Uckelman), I have written about the names of the mansions.

Abbreviations

The following abbreviations are used:

el.element
MEMiddle English
pers.n.personal name
r.n.river name
unc.uncertain/unclear

Feminine given names, by frequency

Many of the women were recorded simply as the daughter or heir of their father, or occasionally as someone's sister, without their given name provided. Of those listed with a given name, only 6 were recorded with a surname which was not a literal patronymic. Most of the women bore given names which are not native Welsh, but rather loan-names from the English.

NameNumberShiresNotes
Anna4
    Anna2Cardigan, DenbighA Latinized form of Anne.
    Anne2Cardigan
Margaret4
    Margaret2Cardigan, Denbigh
    Margt.2Cardigan, Denbigh
Catherine3
    Catherine1Denbigh
    Katharine1Cardigan
    Katherine1Denbigh
Eliz.3CardiganAbbreviation of Elizabeth.
Ellena3A Latinized form of Ellen/Helen.
    Ellena2Cardigan
    Helena1Denbigh
Jana3Denbigh, FlintA Latinized form of Jane.
Gwen2CardiganA native Welsh name.
Maria2Cardigan, FlintA Latinized form of Mary.
Angharad1CardiganA native Welsh name.
Blanch1Denbigh
Bridget1Cardigan
Joice1Cardigan
Julia1Montgomery
Lleiki1CardiganAn anglicized form of Welsh Lleucu.
Lowrey1Flint
Ursula1Denbigh

Masculine given names, by frequency

NameNumberShires
John19
    John17Cardigan, Denbigh, Flint, Montgomery
    Jenkyn1Montgomery
    Johannes1DenbighA Latinized form of John.
Thomas11
    Thos.9Denbigh, Flint, Montgomery
    Thomas2Cardigan
Edward9
    Edward6Denbigh, Flint, Montgomery
    Edw.3Denbigh, Montgomery
William9
    Wm.8Denbigh, Flint, Montgomery
    William1Denbigh
Richard8Cardigan, Denbigh, Montgomery
David7Cardigan, Denbigh
Moregan4
    Moregan2Cardigan, Montgomery
    Morgan2Denbigh, Montgomery
Robert4Denbigh, Flint
George3Denbigh
    Geo.2Cardigan, Denbigh
    George1Flint
Griffin3
    Gr.1Montgomery
    Griff.1Montgomery
    Gryff1Denbigh
Roger3Flint
Carolus2MontgomeryA Latinization of Charles.
Gilbert2Denbigh, Montgomery
Lewis2Cardigan
Mauritius2
    Mauritius1Montgomery
    Morris1Cardigan
Owen2Denbigh, Montgomery
Peter2Denbigh, Flint
Roland2
    Rd.1Montgomery
    Roland1Montgomery
Evan1Denbigh
Hugo1Cardigan
Hy.1Denbigh
Kinvrig1DenbighAn anglicized form of Welsh Cynwrig.
Matthew1Montgomery
Nicholas1Cardigan
Piers1Flint
Riceus1Montgomery
Riscus1Cardigan
Tulk1Denbigh

Surnames and bynames, alphabetically

SurnameNumberShiresNotes
ap Hugh1Cardigan
Byrth1Cardigan
Griffiths1Cardigan
Lewis1Cardigan
Llloyd [sic]1Cardigan
Lloyd5Cardigan
Mortimer1Cardigan
Price2Cardigan
Stedman2Cardigan
Mortimer1Cardigan
Vaughan1Cardigan

Names of market towns

Aberstwith (Cardigan): Modern Aberystwyth.
Caerwyss (Flint): Modern Caerwys.
Cardigan (Cardigan): Modern Cardigan
Denbigh (Denbigh): Modern Denbigh.
Lanbider (Cardigan): Modern Lampeter.
Llanwilling (Montgomery): Modern Llanfyllin.
Machynleath (Montgomery): Modern Machynlleth.
Montgomery (Montgomery): Modern Montgomery.
Newton (Montgomery): Modern Newtown.
Ruthyn (Denbigh): Modern Ruthin.
Tregaron (Cardigan): Modern Tregaron.
Welsh-Pool (Montgomery): Modern Welshpool.
Wrexham (Denbigh): Modern Wrexham.

Names of ports and havens

Aberdyvy (Cardigan): Modern Aberdyfi.
Aberporth (Cardigan): Modern Aber-Porth.
Aberstwith (Cardigan): Modern Aberystwyth.
y Borth (Cardigan): Modern Y Borth.
Cardigan (Cardigan): Modern Cardigan.
Llanina (Cardigan): In the mid 19th C, Llanina was a small town (around 450 people) 15 miles from Lampeter. I haven't been able to find it more recently than Lewis's citation in 1849.

Names of rivers

Alen (Denbigh), Allen (Flint): Modern Alun.
Ayron (Cardigan): Modern Aeron.
Ceirog (Denbigh): Modern Ceiriog.
Ceri (Cardigan): Modern Ceri.
Clyvd (Denbigh), Clyyd (Flint)
Conway (Denbigh): Modern Conway.
Dee (Denbigh): Modern Dee.
Dovy (Montgomery), Dyvy (Cardigan): Modern Dyfi.
Eleri (Cardigan): Modern Leri.
Elwy (Denbigh): Modern Elwy.
Fyddron (Flint)
Rheidiol (Cardigan): Modern Rheidol.
Rue (Montgomery): Modern Rhiw.
Scerviog (Flint)
Severn (Montgomery): Modern Severn.
Tanatt (Montgomery): Modern Tanat.
Teivi (Cardigan): Modern Teifi.
Vyrnewy (Montgomery): Modern Efernwy.
Whater (Flint)
Yswith (Cardigan): Modern Ystwyth.


Bibliography of sources consulted.

The Gentleman's Magazine: And Historical Chronicle vol. XCIII, part. 2 (Dec. 1832), http://books.google.de/books?id=uLIUAAAAQAAJ.

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales, 4th ed. (1849), http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=371.

Owen, Hywel Wyn & Richard Morgan, Dictionary of the Place-Names of Wales, (Gomer Press, 2007).

Uckelman, Sara L., "A Collection of Welsh Household Names from 1602", to appear.