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 432
Labourer 185
Agricultural Labourer 124
House Servant 106
Servant 63
At Home 56
General Servant 35
Coal Miner 35
Farm Labourer 32
Laundress 32
Hawker 29
Tailor 29
Shoe Maker 27
Dress Maker 24
Pauper 23
Annuitant 22
Charwoman 21
Carpenter 18
Errand Boy 17
House Keeper 17
Farm Servant 16
Wife 15
General Labourer 14
Mason 13
Mariner 13

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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