Your Cart is Empty
Instinctively all Welsh people know that there are lots of Jones', Davies' and Williams' in Wales. In the table below, here's the proof. The ten most popular Welsh surnames account for over 60% of all Welsh people. Did you also know that many Welsh surnames have their own tartan.
The ancient Welsh patronymic naming system describes the process of giving a child the father's forename, as a surname. This means that a family's name (surname) changes in successive generations. The Welsh patronymic system describes family trees in terms of the male line only and records the family association in the 'ap' or 'ab' prefix ('ap' is a contraction of the Welsh word 'mab', which means son). For example, Rhys ap Dafydd translates as 'Rhys, son of David'. 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 Hywel, ap Rhys and ap Richard.
This process of conversion to the system of fixed names in Wales began in the fifteenth century and continued through to the middle of the eighteenth century. The trend was stratified socially: the higher classes in society began the process, which then was passed on to the lower classes.
The range of Welsh surnames is small, due in part to this process of conversion, but also because of the growing tendency to adopt English forenames (usually taken from Christian saints), particularly in towns on the Welsh borders. Names such as John, William, David and Hugh became Jones, Williams, Davis and Hughes. In north Wales, place names were frequently adopted, and in mid Wales families adopted nicknames for surnames. Jenkins is possibly derived from two different sources: as a corruption of a Flemish version of John, and as a result of the popularity of the name Ieuan in Wales during this period. Ieuan also gave rise to Evan(s) and Jones.
The way in which official records of births, marriages and deaths were kept also complicates the issue. The Act of Union (1536) stated that all official documentation in Wales was to be carried out in the English language. This meant that Welsh names were registered in an anglicised form. The process of civil registration in 1837 completed the long transition to fixed surnames. The traffic was not all one-way, though. The names of Welshmen who migrated to England were often transposed into English, so Ddu became Dee and Caradog became Craddock.
Embrace your Heritage with a Welsh Tartan Scarf or Keyring. Many Welsh surnames have a Welsh tartan. Our Welsh tartan scarves are made with luxury, pure new worsted wool. These unisex scarves are approximately 150 x 28 centimetres (58 x 11 inches) in length and is 350 grams (13 ounces) in weight. Finished with a fringe., it includes the sewn in label of the tartan name.
Many of the most numerous Welsh surnames available - the most popular five are Jones, Davies, Williams, Evans and Thomas, but there are many more! There's also a range of Welsh national tartans such as Owain Glyndwr, St David's and Pride of Wales. (Go to Welsh Tartans)
See all Welsh tartans - Click here...
| Ranking | Surname | Most Popular Welsh Surnames |
| 1 | Jones | 14.5% |
| 2 | Davies | 9.5% |
| 3 | Williams | 9.4% |
| 4 | Evans | 6.3% |
| 5 | Thomas | 6.1% |
| 6 | Roberts | 3.9% |
| 7 | Lewis | 3.4% |
| 8 | Hughes | 3.2% |
| 9 | Morgan | 2.9% |
| 10 | Griffiths | 2.5% |
| Top Ten Welsh Surnames | 61.7% | |
| 11 | Edwards | 2.4% |
| 12 | Smith | 2.2% |
| 13 | James | 2.1% |
| 14 | Rees | 2.1% |
| 15 | Owen | 1.8% |
| 16 | Jenkins | 1.7% |
| 17 | Price | 1.7% |
| 18 | Morris | 1.7% |
| 19 | Phillips | 1.6% |
| 20 | Richards | 1.4% |
| 21 | Lloyd | 1.3% |
| 22 | Harris | 1.1% |
| 22 | Taylor | 1.1% |
| 24 | Parry | 1.1% |
| 25 | Powell | 1.0% |
| 26 | Brown | 1.0% |
| 27 | John | 0.9% |
| 28 | Watkins | 0.8% |
| 29 | Howells | 0.7% |
| 30 | Pritchard | 0.7% |
| 31 | Rogers | 0.6% |
| 32 | Hill | 0.6% |
| 33 | Hopkins | 0.5% |
| 34 | Ellis | 0.5% |
| 35 | Bowen | 0.5% |
| 35 | Johnson | 0.5% |
| 37 | Matthews | 0.5% |
| 38 | White | 0.5% |
| 39 | Wilson | 0.5% |
| 40 | Rowlands | 0.5% |
| 41 | Martin | 0.5% |
| 42 | Baker | 0.5% |
| 43 | Clarke | 0.5% |
| 44 | Bennett | 0.5% |
| 45 | Pugh | 0.5% |
| 46 | Green | 0.5% |
| 47 | Turner | 0.4% |
| 48 | Walters | 0.4% |
| 49 | Collins | 0.4% |
| 50 | Bevan | 0.4% |
Our company, FelinFach Natural Textiles is located in the heart of the Preseli area of Pembrokeshire near to Boncath. We design Welsh blankets and the iconic Welsh Tapestry blankets which are traditionally woven at Welsh mills. We also design and make natural hand dyed yarn, cotton, silk and wool scarves and other handmade products. We also offer Sheepskin Rugs, Gift Cards and tools and books for crafters and knitters - Cocoknits, Laine, Amirisu and Making to name a few!. We are a proud supporter of the Campaign for Wool and Global Welsh.
Last update 9th February 2021
St David is the Patron Saint of Wales and on 1st March each year commemorating the anniversary of his death in 589 AD. St David’s is the smallest UK city with an estimated population of 1,800. Celebrations are not done by half and not just on one day but are usually spread over a two-week period!!
When is St. Davids day? Here in Wales we commemorate the anniversary of Saint Davids death on the 1st of March of each year. St David was the Patron Saint of Wales who died on 1st March 589 AD. However, it wasn’t until the 18th century that St Davids Day became a national day of celebration in Wales.
Here in Wales on the 1st of March we celebrate St David’s Day, which commemorates the anniversary of Saint David's death in 589 AD. Interestingly, a survey made available by CADW suggests that a surprisingly high number of adults in Wales are not familiar why the country celebrates St David’s Day each 1st March
