Wales, the smallest country in Britain, is home to coastal plains, ancient rights of way, historic castles–and some seriously cute dog breeds. Whether you’ve got a new dog with Welsh ancestry or want to remember a dream vacation, we’ve got a list of Welsh dog names!
Welsh Words as Dog Names
The Welsh language has no k, q, v or z — but you’ll still find plenty of fun Welsh words that make cute dog names:
- Cyw (pronounced kewh): term of endearment meaning young animal or baby
- Ci (pronounced key): dog
- Ci Bach (pronounced key bach): puppy
- Croesco (pronounced croy-saw): welcome
- Cwtch (pronounced Kutch, like Butch): cuddle or hug
- Diolch (pronounced dee-ol-ch): thank you
- Helô: Hello
- Yaki Dah: Cheers
Welsh Dog Breeds
Does your dog’s breed or mix of breeds hail from Wales? If so, you might want to select a Welsh name! These dog breeds originated in Wales:
- Cardigan Welsh Corgi: Even the word “Corgi” is derived from the Welsh phrase “cor gi“, meaning “dwarf dog.” The Cardigans originated in the town and county of Cardigan on the River Teifi.
- Pembroke Welsh Corgi: A longtime favorite of Queen Elizabeth II, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, like the related Cardigan, was also once known by the Welsh term ci-llathed or “yard-long dog.” This breed hails from the county of Pembrokeshire.
- Sealyham Terrier: The Sealyham also traces its origin to the county of Pembrokeshire at Sealyham House.
- Welsh Sheepdog: Known as the Ci Defaid Cymreig in Wales, this working dog is still used in the more rural northern parts of Wales.
- Welsh Springer Spaniel: The Welsh Springer Spaniel is known as Llamgi Cymru in Welsh.
- Welsh Terrier: The Welsh Terrier–or Daeargi Cymreig–is often cited as the oldest dog breed in the United Kingdom.
Famous Welsh Names
- Anthony Hopkins, actor
- Bartholomew Roberts, famous pirate
- Catherine Zeta-Jones, actor
- Charlotte Church, actor
- Duffy, singer
- Dylan Thomas, poet
- Ioan Gruffudd, actor
- Matthew Rhys, actor
- Roald Dahl, writer
- Shirley Bassey, singer
- Tom Jones, singer
Welsh Culture
- Celtic: connected with the culture of Wales (or other Celtic areas including Scotland and Ireland)
- Cymru: Wales in Welsh
- Daffodil: symbol of Wales
- Dragon: symbol of Wales
- Leek: symbol of Wales
- Myrddin: the Welsh name for Merlin of King Arthur fame. (The red dragon on the flag of Wales comes from a prophesy of Merlin.)
Welsh Dog Names: Male
More than even, we all love naming our dogs with human names–so what better list than the most popular boys’ names in Wales? This list is from the General Register Office (GRO):
- Adam
- Albert
- Albie
- Alexander
- Alfie
- Archie
- Arlo
- Arthur
- Benjamin
- Blake
- Bobby
- Brody
- Cai
- Caleb
- Carter
- Charlie
- Chester
- Daniel
- Dylan
- Edward
- Eli
- Elias
- Elijah
- Elis
- Ellis
- Ethan
- Evan
- Ezra
- Finley
- Finn
- Frankie
- Freddie
- Gabriel
- George
- Grayson
- Harley
- Harri
- Harrison
- Harry
- Henry
- Hudson
- Hugo
- Hunter
- Ioan
- Isaac
- Jac
- Jack
- Jackson
- Jacob
- James
- Jax
- Jaxon
- Jenson
- Jesse
- Joey
- Jonah
- Joseph
- Joshua
- Jude
- Kai
- Leo
- Logan
- Louie
- Louis
- Luca
- Lucas
- Macsen
- Mason
- Max
- Morgan
- Myles
- Noah
- Oakley
- Oliver
- Ollie
- Oscar
- Osian
- Owen
- Reggie
- Reuben
- Rhys
- Riley
- Roman
- Ronnie
- Rory
- Rowan
- Samuel
- Sebastian
- Sonny
- Teddy
- Theo
- Theodore
- Thomas
- Tobias
- Toby
- Tommy
- Tomos
- William
- Zachary
Welsh Dog Names: Female
Like the list of boys’ names above, this list of the most popular girls’ names in Wales from the GRO can help inspire a beautiful name for your new dog!
- Ada
- Alice
- Alys
- Amelia
- Arabella
- Aria
- Arya
- Aurora
- Ava
- Ayla
- Bella
- Bonnie
- Cadi
- Charlotte
- Chloe
- Connie
- Daisy
- Delilah
- Efa
- Eira
- Eleanor
- Elena
- Eleri
- Elin
- Eliza
- Elizabeth
- Ella
- Ellie
- Elsi
- Elsie
- Emilia
- Emily
- Erin
- Esmae
- Esme
- Eva
- Evelyn
- Evie
- Ffion
- Florence
- Frankie
- Freya
- Grace
- Hallie
- Harper
- Harriet
- Holly
- Imogen
- Indie
- Isabella
- Isabelle
- Isla
- Ivy
- Jasmine
- Jessica
- Lili
- Lily
- Lola
- Lottie
- Lowri
- Lucy
- Lyla
- Mabel
- Maisie
- Mali
- Marnie
- Matilda
- Maya
- Mia
- Mila
- Millie
- Mollie
- Molly
- Myla
- Nancy
- Nansi
- Nia
- Olivia
- Orla
- Penelope
- Phoebe
- Poppy
- Rose
- Rosie
- Ruby
- Scarlett
- Seren
- Sienna
- Sofia
- Sophia
- Thea
- Violet
- Willow
Place Names in Wales
Wales has many beautiful places to visit–but it also has some tough place names to pronounce! While Caernarfon and Caerfyrddin might be too much of a mouthful when calling your dog, we’ve fetched some Welsh places names that will be easy for your dog to learn!
- Anglesey: The Isle of Anglesey is known for its small, picturesque fishing villages.
- Brecon: Brecon Beacons National Park is often cited as one of the most beautiful spots in Wales
- Cardiff: Capital of Wales
- Conwy: Conwy Castle (on the river Conwy) dates back to the 1200s.
- Snowdon: Mount Snowdon, the tallest mountain in Wales
- Snowdonia: the most famous national park in Wales
- Tenby: this seaside resort town is home to historic castle walls.
Looking for more ideas? Don’t miss our post on British Dog Names as well!
Pin it to remember these Welsh dog names!
Wales Baby name lists contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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