125 Breton Baby Names From The Land Of Legends

A culturally significant set rooted in three strong languages.

Written by Nisha Bharatan, B.Tech Specialty: Kids Fun and Developmental ActivitiesExperience: 6 years

Nisha Bharatan is a writer with six years of experience. After completing her engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University, she did content marketing courses to complement her interest in writing. Nisha discovered her passion for writing in 2016 when she started documenting her journey into motherhood.

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Edited by Rebecca Malachi, BSc Specialty: Pregnancy, Health and WellnessExperience: 12 years

Rebecca is a pregnancy writer and editor with a passion for delivering research-based and engaging content in areas of fertility, pregnancy, birth, and post-pregnancy. She did her graduation in Biotechnology and Genetics from Loyola Academy, Osmania University and obtained a certification in ‘Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy’ from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU).

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Fact-checked by Trisha Chakraborty, MA, BEd Specialty: Child development & educationExperience: 5 years

Trisha worked as a schoolteacher for three years before taking up professional writing in 2021. She completed her masters in English from the University of Calcutta and bachelors in Education from the University of Burdwan.

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Last Updated on Jul 24, 2024

Illustration: MomJunction Design Team

Bretons are thought to be the natives of Brittany, a region in France (1). And Breton baby names reflect the strong artisans’ legacy of their ancient Altmer rule, cherishing nobility and power. The Bretons are considered to be especially religious and follow the Roman Catholic faith. Every town has its own patron saint, and the people honor them by immortalizing the saints as wooden statues in their churches. They are worshiped with great respect and often prayed for relief from the people’s sickness. Thus, the Bretons are a diverse group of people with interesting histories, traditions, and a deeply rooted faith. All of these influences can be seen in their names, such as Annick, meaning ‘God is gracious,’ Meriadoc, meaning ‘sea Lord,’ and Youenn, meaning ‘little archer.’ These names are mainly inspired by real-world French, English, and Gaelic names but are modified to give them the perfect Old English or Breton feel. But that’s not a hard-and-fast rule. Breton also uses plenty of unusual names that do not seem to fit any particular pattern. On the other hand, the family names or surnames are mainly normal French, English, or Gaelic last names. Breton baby names were at the height of their popularity in 1972, with over 2.975% of boys given Breton names and six of them appearing in the top 1,000 name list. The frequency of use may have declined over the years, but that doesn’t mean they are no longer in use. Breton names are still quite popular in Europe, especially among the Celtic Britons inhabiting the Brittany region. And if you are also one of those people who are curious to know more about the unique historical names, you’ll find our list of Breton baby boys’ and girls’ names handy. Take a look!

Name	Gender	Meaning
Evan	Boy	Yahweh is gracious; God is gracious; Youth; Born from the yew tree
Ronan	Boy	Little seal; A pledge; An oath
Brian	Boy	High; Power; Hill
Lena	Girl	Torch; Bright shining light
Brendan	Boy	Fiery hill; Prince; King
Brittany	Girl	From Britain; From the land of Britons
Yuna	Girl	Gentleness; Friendliness
Brenden	Boy	Prince; King; Outstanding
Mai	Girl	Water; Love; Dance; Beloved
Aela	Girl	Rock; Rampart

Braya	Girl	Brave; Fine
Iven	Boy	Little archer
Yann	Boy	Yahweh is gracious
Abran	Boy	Father of the multitude
Ewen	Boy	One who is of the yew tree
Solenn	Girl	Sunshine
Bren	Boy	King; Prince; Heat
Enora	Girl	Honor; Dignity
Maden	Boy	Good
Armel	Boy	Bear prince; Bear chieftain

Avel	Boy	A fresh and refreshing breath of air
Brandan	Boy	King; Prince; Hill covered with broom
Gaelen	Boy	Healer; Calm; Descendant of Gallán
Lito	Boy	Peasant settlement
Gaelle	Girl	My father is joy
Yanick	Boy	A form of John; Yahweh is gracious
Carlens	Boy	Settlement of free men
Erwan	Boy	The archer
Hervey	Boy	Battle worthy
Divi	Girl	Beloved; Glorious; Sun-like glow

Loana	Girl	Good light
Brien	Boy	High; Power; Hill
Brittnay	Girl	From Brittany; From Britain; From the land of Britons
Gael	Girl	My father is joy
Briac	Boy	One with force and strength
Gwendal	Girl	White-browed person; The sign of blessings and intelligence
Katell	Girl	Pure
Maiwenn	Girl	The one who raises
Nolwenn	Girl	Unpolluted one from Noal
Tanguy	Boy	A warrior of fire

Ael	Boy	Rocks or rampart
Aergad	Boy	One who is strong in battle
Aihran	Boy	Exalted; Bretons form of Aaron
Alanig	Boy	Bretons form of Alan; Handsome
Alouarn	Boy	An iron brow
Ambroas	Boy	One who is immortal
Annaeg	Boy	Grace; Favor
Aodren	Boy	Of high birth
Aodrena	Girl	Of high birth
Aogust	Boy	Venerable; Bretons form of August

Aouregan	Girl	Derived from Breton elements aour which means gold and gwen, which means white, fair, and blessed
Aourgen	Girl	A spelling variant of Aouregan, gold and beautiful
Argant	Boy	Silver
Argantael	Girl	Noble silver
Argantlowen	Girl	Silver; Happy and joyful
Armela	Girl	Bear prince
Arven	Boy	Battle worthy; Carnage worthy
Arzhel	Boy	Bear prince
Arzhela	Girl	Feminine variant of Arzhel; Bear prince
Arzhur	Boy	Bear man

Azelice	Girl	She who is noble
Azilis	Girl	A noble kind; of the noble sort
Bernez	Boy	Brave as a bear
Bleuzen	Girl	The Bretons form of the Welsh Blodwen; White flowers
Branoc	Boy	Raven
Briaca	Girl	Feminine form of Briac; Meaning disputed
Brieg	Boy	Bear; Stone; Disciple
Brocardo	Boy	Armed warrior
Budoc	Boy	Victory
Budog	Boy	A variant of Budog; Victory

Caarlo	Boy	Settlement of free men
Carlitis	Boy	Peasant settlement
Carloto	Boy	Peasant settlement
Elouan	Boy	Light
Emilion	Boy	Rival
Erwann	Boy	The archer; A variant of Erwan
Goulwen	Boy	White light
Gurvan	Boy	Assault
Gwenael	Boy	White, fair or generous
Gwenlaouen	Girl	One who is white, fair or blessed

Gwenneg	Boy	One who is white, fair, blessed
Gwilherm	Boy	Will; Desire; Helmet; Protection
Haerviu	Boy	A man who is battle-worthy or carnage-worthy
Jacut	Boy	Breton form of Jacob; Supplanter
Jagu	Boy	Breton form of James or Jacob; Supplanter
Janic	Boy	Yahweh is gracious
Jannic	Boy	Yahweh is gracious
Jodoc	Boy	Bretons variant of Joyce; Lord
Jodocus	Boy	Experienced in battle
Judicael	Boy	Generous lord

Judikael	Boy	A variant of Judicaël; Lord or prince
Judoc	Boy	Lord
Karlus	Boy	Settlement of free men
Kireg	Boy	Benevolence
Kirus	Boy	Breton form of Cyrus, meaning sun
Laorans	Boy	From Laurentum; A variant of Lawrence
Lusian	Boy	Bretons form of Lucian; Light
Maelis	Girl	Prince
Mailys	Girl	A form of Maelis; Prince
Marzhin	Boy	From Mars

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You have the choice to give your child a name that carries deep meaning, connects to tradition, holds historical significance, or represents a sense of freedom. However, selecting a name that will suit your baby as they grow from infancy to adulthood is important. Breton baby names can help distinguish individuals in a globally connected world, making them unique and highlighting their special cultural heritage. These names play an important role in keeping traditions alive and honoring the region’s distinct identity.

Infographic: Traditional And Meaningful Breton Baby Names

Parents who want to honor their Breton heritage may consider Breton names for their children. These names have a rich heritage and culture and help children feel more connected to their roots. We curated a list of wonderful Breton baby names for your precious little one, and you can find them in this infographic.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are some Breton baby names that are easy to spell?

Some Breton names that may be easier to spell for non-native speakers include Ael or Aela, meaning ‘rock’ or ‘angel;’ Enora, meaning ‘honor;’ Gwen, representing ‘white’ or ‘holy;’ Iven, meaning ‘little archer’ and Yuna, meaning ‘lamb’ or ‘the archer.’

2. What are some Breton baby names that have historical significance?

Some Breton baby names with historical significance include names such as Anna, the Greek and Latin Old Testament version of Channah or Hannah. This name can be translated to mean ‘favor’ or ‘grace’ and is associated with Saint Anna, mother of Mary, and was also used by numerous Russian Royals. Corentin is another such Breton name that possesses historical significance. This name can be translated to mean ‘hurricane’ or ‘storm,’ and it was borne by a 5th-century bishop of Quimper in Brittany.

References

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

Leo Carruthers; (2014); What Makes Breton Lays’ Breton’? Bretons
Britons and Celtic ‘Otherness’ in Medieval Romance.

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