Angharad - what's in a name?

I get asked this quite often, is it Welsh, what does it mean and so on? I don't mind because people generally ask questions when they want to know something.

It is a Welsh name and is known from the ninth century as that of the wife of Rhodri Mawr, king of Gwynedd. It probably originates before that. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angharad

It was also the name of Giraldus Cambrensis's mother.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giraldis_Cambrensis.

The name is also mentioned in the Mabinogion.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabinogion

So it's been around a little bit longer than I have, but not much. I hope the attached links are of interest, the Mabinogion is perhaps the first mention of King Arthur in an historic context.

Hugs,

Angharad.