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HelpRe: Welsh BAs
in reply to a message by Pie
Valmai used to be used in South Africa as well, also for no apparent reason! It doesn't run in families, but suddenly it pops up. I know a woman in her late 60s who is Valerie but whose parents seriously considered naming her Valmai (which they pronounced Valmay. I take it Valmai would have a -my sound rather than a -may?) instead, though they were both Afrikaans and must have just liked the "sound" (or the look) of it. And I know of an Afrikaans girl who must be 20 by now who was named Valmy. That looks French-geographical, but in Afrikaans the y makes an -ay sound, and her name sounds like Valmay. I've also seem Valmae. It's also been noted in New Zealand, if I recall. And it is a puzzlement!
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Yup, it's a -my sound in Welsh - like Dai. There are Valmays and Valmaes and Falmais here too, but nowhere near as many and Valmai was the first version to appear, so I'm assuming it was the original. The first three were born in 1899, and nearly 600 of them in the following 40 years - quite a lot for an unusual name. They were mostly born in Wales, but there are quite a few elsewhere too. I keep thinking it must have been in a popular song, or something - but popular enough to spawn Valmais thousands of miles away, and yet completely unheard of now? Maybe not.
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Gwalchmai? Male and medieval? The plot thickens! Good catch - thank you!
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Glad to help;-)
I've no idea how reliable the info is, but from what I gathered on other sites, no one really knows where it came form. Since it spread like that there must have been some public story/person/event that prompted it and brought it to attention.
I've no idea how reliable the info is, but from what I gathered on other sites, no one really knows where it came form. Since it spread like that there must have been some public story/person/event that prompted it and brought it to attention.
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