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
Scholar 1,568
Labourer 251
General Labourer 201
Coal Miner 130
Domestic Servant 114
General Servant 86
Agricultural Labourer 83
Charwoman 68
Laundress 68
Hawker 61
Farm Labourer 57
Cotton Weaver 56
Dress Maker 46
House Keeper 41
Servant 39
Tailor 34
Bricklayer Labourer 32
Dock Labourer 31
Annuitant 29
General Servant Domestic 29
Labourer In Iron Works 27
No Occupation 25
Cotton Operative 23
Servant Domestic 19
Farm Servant Indoor 19

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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