Names to explore
Approachable Welsh choices
Names that are uncommon in the U.S. but relatively easy to introduce and remember.
Aneirin
Aneirin is rooted in Welsh naming tradition and feels distinctive in current U.S. use.
Arwel
Arwel keeps a strong Welsh identity while giving the shortlist a sound you are unlikely to hear everywhere.
Bedwyr
Bedwyr is a heritage-rich choice worth learning in its Welsh pronunciation rather than anglicizing automatically.
Cai
Cai stands out in the U.S. while remaining an established name rather than an invented spelling.
2025 U.S.: 69 births · #2,113Peak: 2022 · 108 births
Emrys
Emrys is rooted in Welsh naming tradition and feels distinctive in current U.S. use.
2025 U.S.: 157 births · #1,260Peak: 2024 · 185 births
Gareth
Gareth keeps a strong Welsh identity while giving the shortlist a sound you are unlikely to hear everywhere.
2025 U.S.: 46 births · #2,776Peak: 2016 · 104 births
Geraint
Geraint is a heritage-rich choice worth learning in its Welsh pronunciation rather than anglicizing automatically.
Traditional Welsh spellings
Names whose spelling is part of what gives them their Welsh identity.
Iestyn
Iestyn stands out in the U.S. while remaining an established name rather than an invented spelling.
2025 U.S.: no published countPeak: 2010 · 5 births
Ioan
Ioan is rooted in Welsh naming tradition and feels distinctive in current U.S. use.
2025 U.S.: 6 births · #11,185Peak: 2014 · 11 births
Llewelyn
Llewelyn keeps a strong Welsh identity while giving the shortlist a sound you are unlikely to hear everywhere.
2025 U.S.: 17 births · #5,516Peak: 2024 · 24 births
Osian
Osian is a heritage-rich choice worth learning in its Welsh pronunciation rather than anglicizing automatically.
2025 U.S.: 9 births · #8,736Peak: 2017 · 9 births
Rhodri
Rhodri stands out in the U.S. while remaining an established name rather than an invented spelling.
2025 U.S.: no published countPeak: 2017 · 6 births
Aled
Aled is rooted in Welsh naming tradition and feels distinctive in current U.S. use.
Caradoc
Caradoc keeps a strong Welsh identity while giving the shortlist a sound you are unlikely to hear everywhere.
Deep-cut heritage names
Very uncommon choices for families comfortable with teaching pronunciation.
Dafydd
Dafydd is a heritage-rich choice worth learning in its Welsh pronunciation rather than anglicizing automatically.
Dewi
Dewi stands out in the U.S. while remaining an established name rather than an invented spelling.
Emyr
Emyr is rooted in Welsh naming tradition and feels distinctive in current U.S. use.
2025 U.S.: 20 births · #4,909Peak: 2024 · 21 births
Glyn
Glyn keeps a strong Welsh identity while giving the shortlist a sound you are unlikely to hear everywhere.
2025 U.S.: no published countPeak: 1934 · 39 births
Idris
Idris is a heritage-rich choice worth learning in its Welsh pronunciation rather than anglicizing automatically.
2025 U.S.: 391 births · #694Peak: 2025 · 391 births
Owain
Owain stands out in the U.S. while remaining an established name rather than an invented spelling.
2025 U.S.: 7 births · #10,411Peak: 2008 · 16 births
Taliesin
Taliesin is rooted in Welsh naming tradition and feels distinctive in current U.S. use.
2025 U.S.: 11 births · #7,624Peak: 2021 · 23 births
The data line uses the exact spelling shown. “No published 2025 count” can mean the spelling had zero births or fewer than five, because SSA does not publish counts below five.
Do not judge Welsh pronunciation by English rules
Welsh spelling is systematic, but the letter sounds are not always the ones English speakers expect. Listen to a reliable Welsh pronunciation before deciding a name is difficult.
Some names have crossed borders
Names such as Rhys and Idris are more familiar internationally than others on this page. The 2025 U.S. count helps show how widely each exact spelling is currently used here.
A rare spelling can still be an established name
Several Welsh names barely appear in U.S. national data. That does not make them invented; it simply means the spelling is uncommon in the American dataset.
Roscoe's pick
Emrys
Emrys is compact, unmistakably Welsh and uncommon in the U.S. without feeling impossible to say or spell.
More names to explore
Questions parents ask
Are all of these names rare in the United States?
They are selected for uncommon U.S. use or for a distinctive heritage style. Each card shows the exact-spelling 2025 U.S. count when Social Security published one, so you can see the current context for yourself.
Does a missing 2025 count mean the name was unused?
No. The national public file does not publish a spelling when fewer than five boys received it that year, so a missing count can mean zero or one to four births.
Can the same name belong to more than one naming tradition?
Yes. Names travel between languages and cultures, and spellings can have more than one history. These guides group names by the tradition most relevant to the page rather than claiming every name has only one possible background.
Should U.S. popularity decide which name I choose?
No. The numbers are context. Family connection, pronunciation, cultural fit and how the name sounds with your surname usually matter more.