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- The limited range of Welsh surnames is due in large part to the ancient Welsh patronymic naming system. This is whereby a child took on the father’s given name as a surname. The family connection was illustrated by the prefix of ‘ap’ or ‘ab’. (A shortened version of the Welsh word for son, ‘mab’).
www.hallofnames.org.uk › the-history-of-welsh-surnames
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Mar 20, 2024 · Patronymic surnames are based on the father’s given name. Generally, ap or ab was added between the child’s name and the father’s name. For example, David ab Owen is David "son of" Owen. For a woman’s name, the word ferch or verch (often abbreviated to vch ), meaning "daughter of", was used.
In the 1300s nearly 50 per cent of Welsh names were based on the patronymic naming system, in some areas 70 per cent of the population were named in accordance with this practice, although in North Wales it was also typical for place names to be incorporated, and in mid Wales nicknames were used as surnames.
Oct 13, 2023 · The Naming Standards for the Welsh are NOT the same as those for other European aristocrats. The major difference is the Last Name at Birth. Please read the guidance below.
One of the more complicated aspects of Welsh family history is the common surnames and given names. This is due to the patronymic naming system used in Wales where a child had a given name and used the father’s given name for a second name.
Patronymic surnames are based on the father’s given name. Generally, ap or ab was added between the child’s name and the father’s name. The Welsh for son is mab, often written in Old Welsh as map, cognate with the Irish mac. A process of mutation produced ab (usually before vowels) and ap (before consonants).
Aug 3, 2009 · Modern Welsh surnames such as Powell, Price and Prichard are the result of this contraction and a progressive tendency to Anglicise Welsh names: under the patronymic system they would have been ap...
Sep 14, 2023 · One of the most distinctive features of Welsh names is the use of patronymics, where a child’s surname is derived from their father’s first name. For example, the son of a man named Owain would be named Dafydd ap Owain, while the daughter would be named Elin ferch Owain.
