Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney may be ordered to rename Wrexham AFC in response to calls for places with solely Welsh names. A petition requesting that certain locations only be referred to by their Welsh names has been brought before the Senedd.
According to Welsh Language Minister Jeremy Miles, there is sometimes “a strong argument” in favour of using only Welsh place names. However, he cautioned that small adjustments can result in “strong disagreements” and that more inclusive solutions need to be sought out.
Wrecsam is the spelling of Wrexham in Welsh. It is one of several Welsh communities named Merthyr Tydfil (Merthyr Tudful) and Caerphilly (Caerffili) that have names that are similar in both languages.
The Welsh Language Commissioner advises using the Welsh form when there is little distinction between the Welsh and English names in its guidelines for standardising place names in Wales. This holds true for names like Wrexham/Wrecsam that differ by “just one or two letters.”
The Ordnance Survey and various highway authorities have recommended similar approaches. However, the Commissioner said “recognised variations” should continue to be “acknowledged”, including Biwmares (Beaumaris) and Y Fflint (Flint).
The name of Wrexham AFC’s historic Racecourse Ground has been changed to STōK Cae Ras already, following a sponsorship deal with STōK Cold Brew Coffee. Significantly perhaps, the new name refers to the Welsh name for the world’s oldest international football stadium, Y Cae Ras.
A petition titled “Use only Welsh names for places in Wales” was last week presented to the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) by linguist Mihangel ap Rhisiart. It received 1,397 signatures before being closed last month after surpassing the 250-name threshold that merits consideration by the Senedd’s petitions committee.
Mr ap Rhisiart said such a move would be “opportune” following names like Eryri (Snowdonia) and Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) being reclaimed. He said it would show “respect for Wales as its own nation with its own history and culture.
He said it would also acknowledge concerns about “some of the cultural oppression that has historically been inflicted on Wales and her language and culture”. Mr ap Rhisiart added: “English names might initially continue to be used by some out of habit but in all official avenues and in both spoken and written media, the original Welsh names for places in Wales should be used.”
Should Wrexham AFC ever be compelled – or decide – to adopt “Wrecsam”, some fans have taken a relaxed approach. On an online forum, one supporter said: “It sounds the same and should not trouble our English-speaking friends too much.
“People would object to a change in the whole word, for example Swansea City to “Dinas Abertawe”. It’s easy for our non Welsh-speaking friends to say but it falls foul of tradition. Names and shirt colours are staunchly defended by traditionalists.”
Recent decades have seen the gradual disappearance of anglicised Welsh place names such as Caernarvon (Caernarfon), Conway (Conwy), Portmadoc (Porthmadog) and Aberdovey (Aberdyfi). But some communities have been opposed to change: fearing ridicule, villagers in Varteg, Torfaen, raised a petition opposing the adoption of “Y Farteg”. The name was proposed as there is no letter ‘V’ in the Welsh alphabet.
Complicating the issue is the etymology of many place names in Wales. The original name for Biwmares was the Norman name Beaumaris. Other place names have their origins in the Latin, Irish, Norse and Brittonic languages.
Several communities have English names that were only later given Welsh versions. These include Flint (Y Fflint) and Wrexham (Wrecsam). Most efforts to standardise or reclaim Welsh names have focussed on restoring original Welsh spellings.
