English, Scots and Irish: Would a kid with a Welsh name bother you? True story inside!

In My Humble Opinion
1

Does the origin of a name in the UK cause consternation among the population?

OK, then. Lady Chance’s was, by background Northern Irish. He was raised outside of Belfast someplace. Born in the 1920s he grew up on a farm out there somewhere and emigrated to the United States in his early 20s, I think, to join the Army and get an education. I imagine that educational opportunities for him were limited back home.

This is to give you all some background. He’s been dead for years, in any event.

But he has a sister. Aunt of Lady Chance and elderly at this point. She spent some time in Ireland but grew up in England near Reading for most of her childhood through the 20s. Now she snowbirds between England and Florida. More power to her.

Here’s where I’m going with this:

At my brother-in-laws wedding last year we got to sit with Dorothy (the aunt) and her husband. It was the first time we’d seen each other since the funeral of her brother (Lady Chance’s father) in 2000. At that point she’d met our oldest, named Kathleen, by the was when Kathleen (called Kate) was about 2 months old.

So now, in 2009, we see her and she meets our youngest, then four, who is named Gwendolyn. Gwen, for short.

Dorothy gets really hung up on the fact that we hung a ‘welsh’ name on the littlest Chance. We apparently did well with an Irish name for the older child but it was unsettling and apparently unbelievable to her that we would have done something so strange as to choose a Welsh name for Gwen.

That got Lady Chance and I wondering this morning. How much does such naming patterns matter to folks in the UK and Ireland? If we should relocate their would Gwen face a stigma for having a Welsh name? It is surreal to us, as Americans, that it would matter at all. But clearly there’s something to it for Dorothy.

Truly, I’m reminded of the song ‘The Orange and the Green’ wherein a Irishman’s father was protestant and his mother was catholic. “To my father I was William while my mother called me Pat”

2

It wouldn’t bother me, and I can’t possibly imagine why it would bother anyone. I’d just chalk this up to old people being weird.

3

This phenomenon is ‘foreign’ to me. In other words I’ve not heard of the idea of having a welsh name being a stigma. I think if anything it would be a minor bonus point or ‘cool’ point to have an unusual name.

As if to slightly contradict this. One of our US based work contacts I think is either welsh-born or from welsh stock. His name is Lawen. And for ages I assumed he was a she (I’ve never met or seen him) because to me ‘Lawen’ sounds completely like a girl’s name.

4

Small differences mean the most. These folks are - by and large - already so ethnically, culturally, and genetically alike that to some, even a little thing like a name can be a betrayal, because they need something to call theirs.

5

It wouldn’t be remarked upon at all. Most people wouldn’t even notice that Gwen has a Welsh origin.

The lady you’re talking about is old and spent part of her early life in Ireland though, right? Ex-pats can often be more patriotic than people who’ve lived in the country all their lives, and someone who was from Ireland fifty or more years ago would be quite likely to prefer Irish names in their family. Whereabouts in Ireland is she from?

6

An Irish perspective:

Nope not at all, although Gwen is a rare name in this country. Stefani would be most peoples’ point of reference. :slight_smile:

I do lament the fact that many families have hundreds of years of the same names coming generation after generation but that seems to be breaking down now as people go more for novelty and pop culture. In my own family names like Francis, Michael, George, and Charles have been used in every generation going back at least 200 years.

7

My wife’s name is Gwen, and it’s never been any sort of problem. Other than her being irritated by people assuming it’s short for Gwendolyn, that is.

8

Callum and Dylan are both in the top 20 boys names in Northern Ireland for 2009, so I’m going to say “no” to your question.

I know Irish Morgans, Bronwens, Lloyds and even a Taliesin.

I think your wife’s aunt is a little odd.

9

Definitely chalk it up to individual difference, the woman’s a weirdo.
Seems more like she’s bothered it’s not an ‘Irish’ name rather than it is a ‘Welsh’ name though. She wouldn’t happen to be the type to get worked up over other seemingly non important things does she?
Naming patterns matter as little here as they do over the pond. People are more likely to get flack over having an odd name, a ‘surname’ first name or a name with odd spelling and suchlike, even then it’ll just be teasing, rather than someone being ‘hung up’ over it, IME.

10

Agreed - apart from Callum, which is Scots or Irish origin.

11

Given that I know people who have named their children such absurdities as “Summer Giea” [sic… yes, I know], a nice normal name like “Gwen” would be a pleasant respite.

Or, in short, no. I’ve never met anyone who was concerned about a child’s name having a Welsh, Scottish or Irish origin. Or any other origin.

Your aunt Dorothy is apparently a little bit on the crazy side.

12

I can’t speak for Ireland, but I don’t think anyone would care one iota in Great Britain.

13

First names can be important here as far as people getting ideas about your background - the OP gave the canonical example of William / Patrick in Northern Ireland. It would be foolish to think that there was no difference between the two, in places like Belfast or Derry. Whereas no heed will be paid to such names in England.

Welsh names just sound Welsh, on hearing they’ll create whatever associations people have about Wales - maybe none, maybe some. Welsh names sound quite rustic to me, sort of like Billy-Jo, or Stu-Bob might sound to American ears. Gwen is a lovely name IMO, and pretty neutral. Gwendolyn is clearly Welsh, and has that bucolic, high priestess of Druidery feel to it.

14

Oddly enough, I always get very English upper-class county house associations from the name Gwendolyn. Which may be from The Importance of Being Ernest, now I think of it…

Gwen is a lovely name, though – as I’ve often told my wife, it sounds like a gentle, loving caress.

15

Callum is Scots- the Irish version would be Colm, which is why I put it in.

In Northern Ireland, some names will definitely have a sectarian feel- Lily, Billy and Sadie would be “Protestant” names, with Eugene, Barney and Majella being “Catholic” ones, for example.

Our daughter is Maya, and that barely raises an eyebrow.

16

Gwen seems a perfectly reasonable name to me.

17

This is my take too.

18

I’m American by birth, but have lived in the UK for 15 years now - not far from Reading, in fact.

In general there would be no stigma at all attached to having a Welsh or Scottish or any other sort of ‘regional’ name. In fact, it’s often seen as being somewhat cool and trendy. The Irish name ‘Niamh’ (pronounced Neeve) is quite popular here at the moment, regardless of whether anyone in the family is actually of Irish descent or not.

Aunt of Lady Chance sounds a bit barking. :stuck_out_tongue:

19

You did? Looks like an English name to me (The Irish would be Caitlin, no?)