Name profile

Llywelyn

Probably a Welsh form of an unattested old Celtic name * Lugubelinos, a combination of the names of the gods Lugus and Belenus, or a compound of Lugus and a Celtic root meaning "strong".

PronunciationWelsh /ɬə.ˈwɛl.ɨn/; Welsh /ɬə.ˈweːl.lɪn/; English /lu.ˈɛl.ɪn/
Usage languagesWelsh

Meaning and history

Probably a Welsh form of an unattested Old Celtic name *Lugubelinos, either combining the gods Lugus and Belenus or joining Lugus with a Celtic root meaning “strong”; alternatively, it may come from Welsh llyw meaning “leader.” The name was borne by several Welsh rulers, especially the 13th-century Llywelyn the Great, who fought against the English.