The most popular Welsh baby names in England and Wales, ranked by official ONS birth registration data. Welsh names carry the soul of the oldest living language in Britain — musical, meaningful and increasingly popular far beyond the Welsh border. Click any name for a full profile with classroom prediction.
Welsh is one of the oldest living languages in Europe, and Welsh names carry centuries of history. Dylan (from Welsh dy llanw, meaning 'son of the sea') reached #64 in England and Wales in 2024. Rhys means 'enthusiasm' and has been a consistent top 50 name for decades. Seren — meaning 'star' — is rising fast for girls.
Welsh names are distinct, elegant and unlikely to cause classroom clashes. Even the most popular Welsh names are far rarer than English equivalents — a real advantage for parents who want something meaningful but not generic.
Sorted by 2024 UK birth count. Trend shows rank change over 5 years. Click any name for the full profile.
| # | Name | UK Babies (2025) | 5yr Trend | Classroom Probability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dylan (UK #72) | 717 | ▼ 8 | Likely unique |
| 2 | Ellis (UK #92) | 582 | ▲ 3 | Likely unique |
| 3 | Idris (UK #142) | 368 | ▲ 11 | Likely unique |
| 4 | Owen (UK #170) | 298 | ▼ 15 | Likely unique |
| 5 | Evan (UK #195) | 261 | ▼ 17 | Likely unique |
| 6 | Macsen (UK #314) | 141 | ▲ 82 | Likely unique |
| 7 | Morgan (UK #331) | 128 | ▲ 3 | Likely unique |
| 8 | Elis (UK #352) | 119 | ▼ 72 | Likely unique |
| 9 | Rhys (UK #389) | 106 | ▼ 34 | Likely unique |
| 10 | Harri (UK #404) | 100 | ▲ 86 | Likely unique |
| 11 | Emrys (UK #418) | 96 | ▲ 72 | Likely unique |
| 12 | Cai (UK #687) | 52 | ▼ 23 | Likely unique |
| 13 | Tomos (UK #716) | 49 | ▲ 31 | Likely unique |
| 14 | Dewi (UK #1007) | 30 | ▲ 46 | Likely unique |
| 15 | Gethin (UK #1007) | 30 | ▲ 315 | Likely unique |
| 16 | Emlyn (UK #1153) | 25 | ▲ 129 | Likely unique |
| 17 | Bryn (UK #1406) | 19 | ▲ 269 | Likely unique |
| 18 | Owain (UK #1466) | 18 | ▼ 267 | Likely unique |
| 19 | Griff (UK #1538) | 17 | ▼ 376 | Likely unique |
| 20 | Huw (UK #1705) | 15 | ▼ 30 | Likely unique |
| 21 | Ifan (UK #1798) | 14 | ▼ 798 | Likely unique |
| 22 | Arwyn (UK #1897) | 13 | ▼ 222 | Likely unique |
| 23 | Alwyn (UK #2014) | 12 | ▼ 256 | Likely unique |
| 24 | Sion (UK #2014) | 12 | ▼ 256 | Likely unique |
| 25 | Iwan (UK #2269) | 10 | ▼ 410 | Likely unique |
| 26 | Wyn (UK #2664) | 8 | ▼ 989 | Likely unique |
| 27 | Aled (UK #3256) | 6 | ▼ 1 | Likely unique |
| 28 | Dyfan (UK #3256) | 6 | ▼ 1 | Likely unique |
| 29 | Gareth (UK #3256) | 6 | ▼ 1167 | Likely unique |
| 30 | Ifor (UK #5137) | 3 | ▼ 2215 | Likely unique |
Sorted by 2024 UK birth count. Click any name for the full profile.
| # | Name | UK Babies (2025) | 5yr Trend | Classroom Probability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miriam (UK #237) | 197 | ▲ 22 | Likely unique |
| 2 | Seren (UK #238) | 196 | ▲ 22 | Likely unique |
| 3 | Nia (UK #316) | 138 | ▲ 12 | Likely unique |
| 4 | Mali (UK #328) | 132 | ▲ 55 | Likely unique |
| 5 | Ffion (UK #413) | 98 | ▲ 54 | Likely unique |
| 6 | Eleri (UK #747) | 49 | ▼ 39 | Likely unique |
| 7 | Megan (UK #816) | 44 | ▼ 313 | Likely unique |
| 8 | Lowri (UK #894) | 39 | ▼ 9 | Likely unique |
| 9 | Carys (UK #997) | 34 | ▼ 142 | Likely unique |
| 10 | Gwen (UK #997) | 34 | ▼ 246 | Likely unique |
| 11 | Anwen (UK #1051) | 32 | ▼ 15 | Likely unique |
| 12 | Cerys (UK #1197) | 27 | ▲ 209 | Likely unique |
| 13 | Rhiannon (UK #1407) | 22 | ▼ 209 | Likely unique |
| 14 | Bronwen (UK #1512) | 20 | ▼ 21 | Likely unique |
| 15 | Gwenllian (UK #1639) | 18 | ▲ 104 | Likely unique |
| 16 | Olwen (UK #2278) | 12 | ▼ 383 | Likely unique |
| 17 | Bethan (UK #2440) | 11 | ▼ 324 | Likely unique |
| 18 | Elan (UK #2440) | 11 | ▲ 1256 | Likely unique |
| 19 | Catrin (UK #2605) | 10 | ▼ 193 | Likely unique |
| 20 | Elen (UK #2788) | 9 | ▲ 1405 | Likely unique |
| 21 | Gwyneth (UK #2788) | 9 | ▼ 893 | Likely unique |
| 22 | Eirlys (UK #3333) | 7 | ▼ 14 | Likely unique |
| 23 | Mair (UK #3705) | 6 | ▲ 1139 | Likely unique |
| 24 | Tesni (UK #4201) | 5 | ▼ 882 | Likely unique |
| 25 | Branwen (UK #4867) | 4 | ▼ 674 | Likely unique |
| 26 | Gwendolen (UK #4867) | 4 | ▼ 1171 | Likely unique |
| 27 | Rhian (UK #4867) | 4 | ▼ 1548 | Likely unique |
| 28 | Angharad (UK #5927) | 3 | ▼ 3155 | Likely unique |
| 29 | Nerys (UK #5927) | 3 | ▼ 2231 | Likely unique |
What are the most popular Welsh baby names in the UK?
The most popular Welsh baby names for boys in England and Wales in 2024 include Dylan, Ellis, Idris, Owen, Evan. For girls, the most popular Welsh names include Miriam, Seren, Nia, Mali, Ffion.
Are Welsh names popular outside Wales?
Yes — Welsh names are used across the whole of the UK. Dylan is ranked in the top 70 in England and Wales as a whole. Megan, Seren and Carys are used widely in England. Morgan is popular for both boys and girls. Welsh names are appreciated for their distinctive sound and Celtic heritage.
What does the name Seren mean?
Seren means 'star' in Welsh. It is one of the most popular Welsh girls' names in current use, ranking around #300 in England and Wales. It has a beautiful, simple meaning and works well in both Welsh and English-speaking households.
Will a Welsh name be unique in an English school?
Most Welsh names will be unique in an English classroom — even popular ones like Dylan or Megan have less than a 5–10% chance of being shared. Rarer Welsh names like Ffion, Nia or Bethan are almost certain to be unique anywhere outside Wales.
Enter any Welsh name — or any name at all — to see how many children will share it in a UK class of 28, school of 600 and workplace of 200.
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