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Welsh Last Names

Common Welsh surnames with their meanings, origins and type — patronymic, occupational, toponymic or descriptive.

The “ap” that hides inside

Wales stuck with patronymics — “son of” names — long after the rest of Britain, using ap (or ab) meaning “son of.” When surnames finally fixed, the ap often fused onto the father’s name: ap Rhys became Price, ap Hywel became Powell, ab Owen became Bowen, ab Evan became Bevan. Spot the surviving p or b and you can often see the father’s name inside.

-s patronymics and nicknames

The other big group adds an English-style -s (“son of”): Jones (son of John), Williams, Davies, Evans. A few are descriptive — Lloyd, “grey”; Vaughan, “the younger.”

Frequently asked questions

What does u201capu201d mean in Welsh surnames?

Ap (or ab) means u201cson of.u201d It often fused onto the fatheru2019s name u2014 ap Rhys became Price, ap Hywel became Powell.

What are common Welsh surnames?

Jones, Williams, Davies and Evans (the -s u201cson ofu201d names), plus Price, Powell, Lloyd and Morgan.

Where does the surname Price come from?

From u201cap Rhys,u201d meaning u201cson of Rhys.u201d

All last names A–Z