Angharad

Angharad (/æŋˈhærəd/, ang-HARR-ad; or /æŋˈhæræd/^{[citation needed]}; Welsh: [aˈŋ̊arad] ^ⓘ) is a feminine given name in the Welsh language, having a long association with Welsh royalty, history and myth. It translates into English as much loved one. In Welsh mythology, Angharad Golden-Hand is the lover of Peredur in the myth cycle The Mabinogion.

Variations

Other Welsh spellings of the name have been recorded, including Acgarat and Ancarat. There have been a number of variations of the name Angharad in medieval English, including Anchoretta, Ancret, Ancreta, Ancrett, Ankaret, Ankerita, Ingaretta, Ingaret, Anchoret, Ancoretta, Ancharita, Ancret, Ancarett, and Ankeret.

Mythology & Fiction

The name Angharad appears in various mythological, folktale, and fictional works, including the medieval Welsh romance Peredur son of Efrawg, in which Angharad Golden-Hand is the lover of the knight Peredur.

Historical figures

There have been a number of historical or semi-historical Angharads, most notably the daughter of Owain Gwynedd (1100–1170), King of Gwynedd, who married Gruffydd Maelor. Other historical Angharads include (ferch signifies 'daughter of'):

Angharad ferch Meurig, wife of Rhodri the Great (820–878)
Angharad ferch Llywelyn, daughter of Llywelyn the Great (1173–1240), Prince of Wales
Angharad ferch Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor, sister to Gruffydd II ap Madog, Lord of Dinas Bran
Angharad ferch Maredudd ab Owain, wife of Llywelyn ap Seisyll, King of Gwynedd and of Deheubarth
Angharad ferch Rhys ap Gruffydd (1132–1197)
Angharad ferch Gruffydd II ap Madog, Lord of Dinas Bran
Angharad of Brittany, wife of Idwal Iwrch
Angharad, daughter of Rhydderch Hael, a 6th-century king of Strathclyde
Ankarette Twynho, a 15th-century lady-in-waiting to the Duchess of Clarence, falsely accused of the Duchess's murder

People

Angharad Evans (born 2003), British swimmer
Angharad Gatehouse (born 1954), British entomologist
Angharad James (poet) (1677–1749), Welsh poet
Angharad James (footballer) (born 1994), Welsh football player
Angharad Llwyd (1780–1866), Welsh historian
Angharad Mair (born 1960), Welsh television presenter
Angharad Mason (born 1979), Welsh cyclist
Angharad Price (born 1972), Welsh academic and novelist
Angharad Rees (1944–2012), Welsh actress
Angharad Tomos (born 1958), Welsh author

Fiction

Angharad, mother of Princess Eilonwy in Lloyd Alexander's fictional land of Prydain
Angharad, fictional character in The Rowan by Anne McCaffrey
Angharad, fictional character in The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
Angharad, fictional character in Into the Green by Charles de Lint
Angharad, fictional character in Juniper by Monica Furlong
Angharad, fictional character in How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn
Angharad, fictional character in the King Raven Trilogy, by Stephen R. Lawhead
Angharad, fictional character in Monk's Hood by Ellis Peters
The Splendid Angharad, fictional character in the film Mad Max: Fury Road, played by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Angharrad, fictional horse in the young adult series Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness
Angharad, sister of fictional character David in the book The Blue Rose by Kate Forsyth
Angharad is Queen Guenièvre's lady's maid in the television series Kaamelott
Angharad Scott, fictional character in the book Piranesi (novel) by Susanna Clarke
Angharad, fictional character in A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
Angharad, offscreen fictional character in the film I am love by Luca Guadagnino
Angharad, fictional village in Louisa M. Spooner's novel Country Landlords (1860)

References

↑ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
↑ "Peredur the Son of Evrawc" (translation by Lady Charlotte Guest), The Camelot Project at the University of Rochester. Retrieved 2012-01-02.
↑ "Peredur the Son of Evrawc". The Mabinogion, transl. Lady Charlotte Guest [1877], sacred-texts.com, pp. 100, 105. Retrieved 2012-01-02.
↑ "Angharad". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
↑ "Ankarette". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
↑ "Anchoretta". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
↑ "Anchoret". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
↑ "Angharad". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2 March 2026.

[1] Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.

[2] "Peredur the Son of Evrawc" (translation by Lady Charlotte Guest), The Camelot Project at the University of Rochester. Retrieved 2012-01-02.

[3] "Peredur the Son of Evrawc". The Mabinogion, transl. Lady Charlotte Guest [1877], sacred-texts.com, pp. 100, 105. Retrieved 2012-01-02.

[4] "Angharad". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2 March 2026.

[5] "Ankarette". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2 March 2026.

[6] "Anchoretta". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2 March 2026.

[7] "Anchoret". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2 March 2026.

[8] "Angharad". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2 March 2026.