Character Name
Osian
Osian Osian carries the bard's combination of physical prowess and poetic soul — a name for men who are as comfortable with words as with deeds, whose deepest experiences find expression in song and story. The Ossianic literary movement gave the name Romantic associations with wild landscape, noble melancholy, and the elegy for a vanished heroic world. Characters named Osian tend to be intensely aware of beauty and loss in equal measure.
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Famous characters named Osian
Ossian
The Poems of Ossian — James Macpherson (trans./composed)
The ancient Celtic bard whose "recovered" poems by Macpherson sparked the Romantic movement's fascination with Celtic antiquity, even though their authenticity was famously disputed.
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Related names
Taliesin
Welsh · “Derived from the Welsh elements "tal" meaning "brow" or "head" and "iesin" meaning "shining" or "radiant" — together meaning "shining brow". This was the name of the great semi-legendary 6th-century Welsh bard who is credited with the earliest surviving Welsh poetry. Taliesin appears in Welsh legend as a shape-shifting prophet born of the enchantress Ceridwen's cauldron after consuming drops of her potion of wisdom.”
Gawain
Welsh · “Derived from the Welsh name "Gwalchmei", meaning "hawk of May" or "hawk of the plain", from "gwalch" (hawk) and "mei" (May) or "mei" (field). Alternatively derived from a Brythonic form meaning "white hawk". Sir Gawain is one of the most important knights of the Round Table in Arthurian legend, nephew to King Arthur and known for his legendary courtesy, honour, and prowess in arms.”
Emrys
Welsh · “Welsh form of the Late Latin "Ambrosius", from the Greek "ambrosios" meaning "immortal" or "divine", from "ambrotos" (immortal). Emrys is most famous as the Welsh name of the legendary wizard Merlin, who appears as "Myrddin Emrys" in Welsh tradition — the prophetic magician who serves as counsellor to Uther Pendragon and Arthur. The name carries associations with prophecy, hidden knowledge, and sacred power.”
Bran
Welsh · “Derived from the Old Welsh and Old Irish word "bran" meaning "raven". In Welsh mythology, Bran the Blessed (Bendigeidfran) is a giant king of Britain who possesses a magical cauldron capable of restoring the dead to life. In Irish mythology, Bran mac Febail is the hero of an early voyage tale, sailing to the otherworldly islands of the west. The raven was a bird of prophecy and the battlefield in Celtic tradition.”
Gethin
Welsh · “Derived from the Welsh word "cethin" or "gethin" meaning "dark" or "dusky", often applied to complexion or colouring. The name was used in medieval Wales and is associated with Rhys Gethin (Rhys "the Dark"), a 15th-century Welsh military commander who served under Owain Glyndŵr in the Welsh rebellion against English rule. The name projects a brooding, intense quality.”
More Welsh names
Gwenno
“Welsh and Cornish diminutive of "Gwen" meaning "white", "blessed", or "fair" — giving the affectionate meaning "little white one" or "little blessed one". Gwenno is used in both Welsh and Cornish traditions as an endearing, intimate form of the many "gwen" names (Gwenllian, Gweneth, etc.). It has a gentle, approachable quality while retaining the essential blessing of its root.”
Llefelys
“Welsh name of uncertain etymology, possibly from elements meaning "smooth" or "excellent". Llefelys appears in the early Welsh tale "Lludd and Llefelys" from the Mabinogion as the wise king of France who advises his brother Lludd on how to defeat the three plagues afflicting Britain. He represents the archetype of wise counsel and effective, discreet problem-solving.”
Ceridwen
“The etymology of Ceridwen is debated, but the most common interpretation draws on Welsh "cerdd" meaning "poetry" or "craft" and "gwen" meaning "white" or "blessed" — suggesting "blessed poetry" or "fair craftswoman". Another reading connects it to "creirwy" (a precious thing) and "gwen". In Welsh mythology she is the enchantress who brews the cauldron of poetic inspiration (the Awen) from which the bard Taliesin is born.”
Rhiannon
“Possibly derived from the Old Celtic title "Rigantona" meaning "great queen" or "divine queen", from "rigan" (queen) and a divine suffix. In Welsh mythology, Rhiannon is one of the most important figures of the Mabinogi — a sovereign goddess associated with horses, birds, and the Otherworld who endures unjust punishment with superhuman patience before being vindicated.”
Tegwen
“Compound Welsh name from "teg" (fair, beautiful) and "gwen" (white, fair, blessed). The combination creates a double emphasis on radiant beauty and purity. The name belongs to the tradition of Welsh compound feminine names and carries the same root as names like Gwenllian and Branwen, placing it firmly in the medieval Welsh naming tradition.”
Annwn
“From the Welsh "annwfn" or "annwn" meaning "the very deep" or "the un-world" — the Welsh Otherworld, a paradise beneath or within the earth where time moves differently and the dead feast with the gods. Arawn is its king and Pwyll of Dyfed visits it in the First Branch of the Mabinogi. As a personal name (extremely rare), it carries the entire weight of the Welsh Otherworld tradition — mystery, depth, and the liminal space between living and dead.”
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