About the Author

Judy Sierra is a folklorist and the author of over fifty books for adults and children. Her annotated anthologies Nursery Tales Around the World and Can You Guess My Name? were awarded the Aesop Prize by the American Folklore Society. Nursery Tales Around the World was named a best book of the 20th century by Scholastic Books and by the San Francisco Chronicle. Dr. Sierra studied Celtic languages and literature in the Folklore and Mythology program at UCLA. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

"Sierra provides an excellent introduction to each of the six Celtic languages that helps give an understanding of the cultural and religious background of the names. A useful contribution is the inclusion of pronunciation, a definite advantage over many baby name books. Recommended." —American Library Association Choice

"Authoritative, useful, and fun to browse." —Midwest Book Review

"This guide is highly recommended." —American Reference Books Annual

Celtic Baby Names is a guide to traditional names from the six Celtic languages—Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Breton, Welsh, Cornish, and Manx.

Some Celtic names can be traced back a thousand years or more to a time when everyone understood their meanings.The Welsh Teyrnon meant 'divine prince', and the Breton Gwencalon signified 'shining heart', and the Irish Riordan was a 'royal poet'. The names of ancient Celtic heroes, heroines, saints, and scholars have survived to the present day (though their spelling and pronunciation often changed). The old Irish royal name Conchobar is now Conor, while the queenly Eithne evolved into Enya. Names rose and fell in popularity. Dylan, a name that means 'ocean' in Middle Welsh, was a mysterious sea child in a medieval tale, but the name was seldom bestowed upon babies until 1914, when schoolmaster Gwilym Thomas gave it to his newborn son, a boy who would grow up to have the Celtic gift of poetry.

For names steeped in history, mystery, myth and magic, look no further than Celtic Baby Names.