Welsh Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Welsh Name Meaning: A surname of Irish origin meaning 'Welshman' or 'foreigner' taken from the Old English word 'waelisc'.

A name given to someone from Wales or someone who has relocated to somewhere new. Became especially popular in Ireland after the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland.

Discover how your Welsh ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Welsh Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Welsh family

Profession Census Frequency
Labourer 157
Female Servant 121
Agricultural Labourer 100
Independent 97
Male Servant 36
Tailor 26
Laundress 23
Farmer 20
Shoe Maker 18
Hawker 16
Weaver 15
Carpenter 13
Ag Lab 13
Cotton Weaver 12
Lab 12
Coal Miner 11
Servant 11
Blacksmith 11
Mason 9
Clerk 9
Ag Labourer 8
Mariner 8
Dress Maker 8
Brick Maker 8
Apprentice 8

Welsh Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Walsh 80% 106,152
2 Welch 80% 69,279
3 Welsh 100% 51,280
4 Walshe 67% 954
5 Wilsh 80% 595
6 Weltch 67% 167
7 Wlash 60% 144
8 Whelch 67% 135
9 Wealsh 83% 127

Did you know?

The surname Welsh is the 3rd most popular variant of Walsh.

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