List of Welsh saints explained

This list of Welsh saints includes Christian saints with Welsh connections, either because they were of Welsh origin and ethnicity or because they travelled to Wales from their own homeland and became noted in their hagiography for their work there.

The pagan Celts of Britain had already been extensively Christianized during the Roman period: although only four victims of Diocletian's persecution are now known (Saints Alban, "Amphibalus", and Julius and Aaron), Britons met the pagan Saxon invaders largely as Christians prior to being driven back to Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany. The family of Vortigern, which continued to hold Powys in the early medieval period, produced numerous saints. Although they largely refrained from missionizing among the Germans, Welsh refugees and missionaries were responsible for the Christianization of Ireland^[1] and Brittany.^[2]

The title of "saint" was used quite broadly in the Celtic churches. Extreme cases are Irish accounts of Gerald of Mayo's presiding over 3300 "saints" and Welsh claims that Bardsey held the remains of . More often, the title was given to the founder of any ecclesiastical settlement, which would thenceforth be known as their llan. Such communities were organized on tribal models: founding saints were almost invariably lesser members of local dynasties and their successors chosen from among their kin. The golden age of such establishments was the 6th century, when the "Three Saintly Families of Wales" - those of the invading Irish Brychan and Northerners Cunedda and Caw - displaced many of the local Silurian rulers in favor of their families and clans.^[3] By some estimates,^[4] these traditions produced over 800 pre-congregational saints venerated locally in Wales, but invasions by Saxons, Irishmen, Vikings, Normans, and others destroyed many ecclesiastical records. Similarly, the distance from Rome, suspicion of Celtic Christianity, and the relative disconnect of the local sees from Rome has left only two Welsh saints in the General Roman Calendar: Saints David (Dewi) and Winifred (Gwenffrewi).

List of saints

Name<	--Kindly restrict to names common in Welsh, English, or Latin-->	<	--Kindly restrict to the relevant century for pre-Modern saints.-->	Shrine or Associated Church<	--Kindly restrict to significant churches or cultic centers.-->	Saint's Day (Gŵyl Mabsant)	Royal origins	Notes
Aaron of Aleth		Cézembre (Brittany)	(^[5])	-
		Caerleon	(^[6]) 20 June (^[7] ^[8])	-
Adwen or Adwenna		Advent (Cornwall)		Daughter of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
Aeddan Foeddog or Aidan or Maedoc		Ferns (Ireland) Enniscorthy (Ireland)	(^[9])	Son of Saint Aneurin, son of Caw
Aelhaiarn or Aelhaearn		Guilsfield Llanaelhaearn		Descendant of Vortigern, king of Britain
Aerdeyrn		Llanelldeyrn		Descendant of Vortigern, king of Britain
Aelrhiw
Afan of Builth or Afan Buellt		Llanafan Fawr Llanfechan Llanafan	17 or	Great-grandson of Cunedda Wledig, king of Gwynedd
Amphibalus		St Albans^[10]	^[11]		Priest; converted Saint Alban Born in Isca (Caerleon)
Ane				Child of Caw, king of Strathclyde
Saint Armel or Arthfael or Armagilus		Plouharnel (Morbihan, Brittany) Saint-Armel (Morbihan, Brittany), Plouarzel, (Finistère, Brittany).		Son of Hoel, king of Brittany
Asaph		St Asaph	(^[12]) 5 May^[13]		Bishop
Bach		Eglwys Fach			Hermit Probably spurious^[14]
Baglan		Baglan		Son of Ithel Hael, prince of Armorica
Baglan		Llanfaglan			Son of Dingad
Baruc or Barruc			or 29 November
Beuno or Bono		Clynnog Fawr	21 or	Descendant of Vortigern, king of Britain
Bidofydd
Bieuzi
Bleddyn or Bleiddian or Lupus					Bishop
Bodfan
Brannoc or Brannock		Braunton	or 26 June
Brioc
Brothen		Llanfrothen	15 or
				King of Brycheiniog	Venerated in his generation but of disputed status now. Husband of Prawst In Wales, considered the father of Dwynwen; in Cornwall, considered the father of Adwen.
Brynach or Byrnach					Abbot The translation of his relics was sometimes celebrated separately on 26 June.
Buan
Bugi or Beugi or Bywgi or Hywgi					Father of Beuno and brother of Cadoc^[15]
Cadfan		Llangadfan		Grandson of Budic II of Brittany	Founding abbot of Tywyn and Bardsey abbeys
Cadfarch
Cadoc or Catwg		Caerleon
Cadwaladr Fendigaid or Cadwalader		Llangadwaladr Llangadwaladr		Son of Cadwallon, king of Gwynedd
Caffo		Llangaffo		Child of King Caw of Strathclyde
Caian
Saint Cain or Keyne or Ceinwen		Cerrigceinwen Llangeinwen		Child of King Caw of Strathclyde
Callwen
Cammarch
Caradog or Caradoc		Lawrenny		Noble of Brecknockshire	Hermit
Carannog or Carantoc		Llangrannog Crantock (Cornwall)	15, 16,, or 15 Jan	Great-grandson of Ceredig, king of Ceredigion
Caron		Tregaron		Possibly the same as Carausius (Roman name). However, Baring-Gould associates him with Ciaran^[16]	Bishop or King
Cathan or Cathen		St Cathan's Chapel Colonsay & Luing Gigha
Cedol
Ceidio				Child of King Caw of Strathclyde
Ceitho
Celynin		Llangelynnin		Son of Prince Helig
Ceneu		Clydau		Son of Corun
Cenydd or Cennydd or Kenneth		Llangennith Languidic (Brittany)		Son of "King Dihoc" (presumably Deroch II of Domnonée)
Cennych		Llangennych
Cewydd		Aberedw Lancaut Laleston	1, 2 or	Child of King Caw of Strathclyde
		Llangian
Cieran or Ciarán of Saigir or Kieran		Saighir (Ireland)		Son of Lugna, a noble of the Osraige
Ciwa or Cigwa or Kywa or Kew		St Kew (Cornwall)^[17]	6 or ^[18]		Virgin sister of St Docco
Clydai
Clydog or Clintacus			or 3 Nov (^[19])		King
Clydwyn or Cledwyn				Son of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog	King
Clydyn or Clydau
Collen		Llangollen Langolen (France)	21 or
Colman
Corentin
Cowdra or Cawrdaf			or 21 Feb		King
Creirwy				Great-granddaughter of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog, granddaughter of Budic II
Cristiolus
Cubert see Gwbert
Curig			16 or
Cwyfen			3 or 2 or
Cwyllog		Llangwyllog		Child of Caw, king of Strathclyde
Cybi			5, 6 or, or 13 Aug	Abbot Descended from both Seithenyn, king of Gwyddno, & Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
Cyllin				Son of Caratacus
Cynbryd			19 or
Cynddilig
Cyndeyrn or Kentigern or Mungo		Glasgow	or 25 Jul	Son of Owain, king of Rheged, and Saint Teneu
Cynfab
Cynfarch		Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd
Cynfarwy		Llechgynfarwy	8, 10 or
Cyngar or Congar		Holyhead Llangefni		Child of Gerren Llyngesog of Dumnonia	Abbot
Cynhafal
Cynidr		Glasbury		Grandson of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
		Llangoedmor	17 or or 8 Aug	Grandson of King Coel	King
Cynog			14 or or 9 Oct
Cywair
Cynwyl		Cynwyl Elfed Cynwyl Gaeo		Descended from Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
David or Dewi Sant		St David's		Great-grandson of Seithenyn, king of Gwyddno, & of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog	Patron Saint of Wales
Decuman or Degyman		Watchet (England) Williton (England)	27 or 27 February^[20]
Deifer or Dier
Deiniol or Daniel		Bangor	or 10 Dec		Bishop
Deiniolen			22 or
Derfel Gadarn		Llandderfel
Deruvian or Duvian or Damian		Merthyr Dyfan (mistakenly) Llandyfan (mistakenly)
Digain
Dilwar
Dingad		Llandovery		Son of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
Diryng				Child of Caw, king of Strathclyde
Dochelin
Dochau or Dochow or Dochwy or Dogwyn or Docco		Llandough, Cowbridge Llandough, Penarth St Kew (Cornwall)^[21]
Dogfael			or 14 Jun
Dogfan or Doewan			13 or	Son of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
Dominica
Dona or Dwna		Llandona
Dubhán			St Dubhán's Church, Hook Head (Ireland)
Dunod or Dunawd					Abbot
Dwynwen or Dweynween			or 13 Jul	Daughter of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
Dyfan		Merthyr Dyfan Llandyfan
Dyfnan		Llanddyfnan	22 or	Alleged son of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
Dyfnog		Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch
Dyfodwg		Llantrisant
Dyfrig or Dubricius					Abbot The translation of his relics was sometimes separately celebrated on 29 May.
Edeyrn or Edern		Llanedeyrn	or 6 Jan	Descendant of Vortigern, king of Britain
Edwen
Egwad		Llangwad Llanfynydd
Eigen		Llanigon
Eigion					Bishop
Eigon		Llanigon		Grandson of Brychan Brycheiniog
Eigrad		Llaneugrad		Child of Caw, king of Strathclyde
Eigron		Llanigon (Cornwall)		Child of Caw, king of Strathclyde
Eilian		Llaneilian	(Orth.)		A Roman who emigrated to Anglesey to live as a hermit
Eirw		Eglwyswrw	^[22]		Female saint
Einion Frenin		Llanengan	9 or	Descendant of Cunedda, king of Gwynedd
Elaeth or Eleth		Amlwch	10 or		King of a realm in northern Britain who fled to Wales
Elen				Daughter of Eudaf Hen
Elfan
Elfin		Warrington (England)
Elian or Elien		Llanelian
Elledeyrn				Descendant of Vortigern, king of Britain
Elli		Llanelli			Abbot
Saint Eluned or Eiliwedd or Almedha		Slwch Tump		Daughter of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
Elvis of Eilfyw or Ailbe		St Elvis
Elwad
Elyw or Eliw			14 or
Enddwyn		Ffynnon Enddwyn, Llanenddwyn
Endelienta or Endellion		Church of St Endelienta, St Endellion (Cornwall)		Daughter of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
Enoder		St Enoder (Cornwall)
Enodoch
Erbin			or 13 Jan
Erfyl or Urfyl		Llanerfyl
				Child of Caw, king of Strathclyde
Eurgain
Ewryd
Fagan or Ffagan or Fugatius		St Fagans	or 8 Aug 26 May
Ffinian or Finian
Ffraid or Bridget or Bride or Bhrid		Llansantffraed Llansantffraid Llansantffraid-ym-MechainLlansantffraid Glan Conwy			Irish patron saint. Nun and abbess.
Fidalis
Finan of Ffinan			17 or 18 March		Bishop
Flewyn or Fflewin or Fflewyn		Llanfflewin		Son of Ithel Hael
Foeddog or Maeddog or Maedoc				Child of Caw, king of Strathclyde
Gafran			^[23]
Gallgo
Gallo				Child of Caw, king of Strathclyde
Garmon or Germanus of Auxerre		Llanarmon-yn-Iâl	31, 13, 14 or, or or (^[24])		Bishop Credited with leading an army of Britons against invading Picts
		Llangeler Beddgelert
Gildas or Aneurin				Child of Caw, king of Strathclyde.	Possibly the poet Aneirin. Credited in Wales as the father of Saint Aeddan
Gistilian or Gistlian			2 or		Bishop
Gofor
Gollen or Colin
		St. Govan's Head
- style="vertical-align:top;"	Gredifael		Penmynydd	13 or	Son of Ithel Hael
Grwst
		Perros-Guirec
Gurthiern		Quimperlé		Cousin of Vortigern, king of Britain
Gwbert		Gwbert-on-Sea		Venerated also at Cubert, Cornwall; Cubert is said to have been a monk who came from Wales and assisted Carantoc in evangelizing that district; later returned to his monastery and became abbot and died in 775 AD; feast at Cubert is on Sunday following 4 Oct.^[25] ^[26] ^[27]
Gwen or Wenna
Gwenafwy				Daughter of Caw, king of Strathclyde
Gwenfaen			3, 4 or
Gwenfyl
Gwynhoedl			(^[28])
Gwenllian				Daughter of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
Gwenlleu					Bishop
Gwenllwyfo		Llanwenllwyfo
Gwenog
Gwenrhiw
Gwladys				Daughter of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
Gwrda
Gwrddelw		Llanddewi Brefi		Child of Caw, king of Strathclyde
Gwrfyw		Bangor (formerly)		Son of Pasgen
Gwrhai				Child of Caw, king of Strathclyde
Gwrnerth			(^[29])
Gwrthwl or Mwthwl
Gwyrd					Friar
Gwyddelan
Gwyddfarch
Gwynan or Gwynen
Gwynin		Dwygyfylchi
Gwynllyw Filwr or Gundleus (Eng Woolos or Woolo)		Newport Cathedral, St Woolos	29 or		Husband of Gwladys, father of Cadoc and others^[30]
Gwynno		Llantrisant Llanwynno
Gwynog			22, 23 or
Gwynws
Henwg		Llanhennock
Huail				Son of Caw, king of Strathclyde
Hychan
Hywel		Llanhywel Llanllowell		Son of Emyr Llydaw, king of Brittany	King
Idloes		Llanidloes
Iestyn		Llaniestyn Llaniestyn
Ilar or Hilary		Llanilar Trefilan	13, 14 or	-
Ilid		Llanilid
Illog
Illtud or Illtyd		Llantwit Major
Ina		Llanina	(^[31])	Granddaughter of Cunedda Wledig, king of Gwynedd
Isan		Llanishen
Isfael or Ismael		St Ishmaels		Son of Budig
Issel		Saundersfoot
Issui
Ithel Hael					Prince of Armorica Father of numerous saints
Jacut
John Roberts					Monk and priest Born Trawsfynydd, 1577 Martyred at Tyburn 1610^[32]
John Lloyd					Priest and martyr Executed Cardiff, 1679^[33]
Julitta			16 or
Julius		Caerleon	( 20 June
Justinian or Stinan		Llanstinan Saint David's
		Sherborne Abbey
Keina
Kevoca
Llamined Angel
Llawddog or Lleuddad					Abbot
Llechid		Llanllechid		Child of Ithel Hael
Llibio
Llily
Llwchaiarn or Lluwchaiarn			12 or
Llwydian
Llwni
Llyr					Virgin
Llywelyn			or 12 Dec
Lythan		St Lythans
Mabyn or Mabena		St Mabyn (Cornwall)		Daughter of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
Machraith
Madoc
Madron		Madron (Cornwall)
Madrun or Materiana
Maël		Corwen	13 or
Maelog		Llanfaelog	(^[34])	Child of Caw, king of Strathclyde
Maelrhys or Maelrys or Maelerw		Bardsey Island
Maethlu
Maidoc					Bishop Not to be conflated with Aeddan Foeddog of Ferns
Mallonius		Rouen
Saint Malo or Machudd or Machutus
Mannacus
Marnock
Materiana or Madrun or Madryn		Minster (Cornwall)		Daughter of Saint Vortimer, king of Gwent
Mawgan
Mawnan
Mechell or Mechyll		Llanfechell	15 or
Meddwid or Moddwid
Medwy					Bishop
Meilig		Llowes	14 or
Meirion or Meirian
Melaine		St Mellion Mullion
Melangell or Monacella		Pennant Melangell	or 4 or 31 Jan		Virgin Abbess
Mellonius
Melyd or Melydyn
Menefrida		St Minver (Cornwall)		Daughter of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
Merin or Merryn		St Merryn Lanmerin Plomelin		Child of Seithenyn, king of Gwyddno
				Daughter of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
Mordeyrn
Mylling
Mylor or Melor
Meugan			25 or, 14 Feb, 24 or 15 Apr or 18 Nov
Morhaiarn
Mwrog			24 or
Mynver
Nectan		Hartland (England)		Eldest son of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog
Nidan		Llanidan		Grandchild of Pasgen
Noethan or Noethon			22, 23 or
Non or Nonita		Chapel of St Non Altarnun (Cornwall)		Great-granddaughter of Seithenyn, king of Gwyddno
Noyale
Oudoceus		Llandaff Llandogo			Bishop
Pabo Post Prydain
Padarn		Llanbadarn Fawr

Notes and References

1. Baring-Gould (1898), p. 41.
2. Baring-Gould (1898), p. 26.
3. Baring-Gould, Sabine. The Lives of the Saints, Vol. XVI, "The Celtic Church and its Saints", pp. 30 - 40. Longmans, Green, & Co. (New York), 1898.
4. Rowan Williams, Reviews and comments on 'The Book of Welsh Saints'.
5. Baring-Gould (1908), Vol. I, pp. 103 ff.
6. Baring-Gould, Sabine & al. The Lives of the British Saints: The Saints of Wales and Cornwall and Such Irish Saints as Have Dedications in Britain, Vol. I, pp. 101 ff. Chas. Clark (London), 1908. Hosted at Archive.org. Accessed 18 Nov 2014.
7. The Church in Wales. "The Book of Common Prayer for Use in the Church in Wales: The New Calendar and the Collects". 2003. Accessed 18 Nov 2014.
8. The Catholic Church in England and Wales. "Liturgy Office: February 2015". Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, 2014. Accessed 18 Nov 2014.
9. Baring-Gould (1908), Vol. I, pp. 116 ff.
10. Web site: Ford. David Nash. The Holy Shrines of St. Albans in Hertfordshire. Britannica. 25 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20100131073433/http://www.britannia.com/church/shrines/amphibalus.html. 31 January 2010. dead.
11. Book: Thurston. Herbert. The Catholic Encyclopedia. 1907. Robert Appleton Company. New York. retrieved from Web site: St Alban. New Advent. 25 April 2015.
12. Baring-Gould (1908), Vol. I, p. 72.
13. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 2nd edition, E. A. Livingstone, 2000, Oxford University Press, p. 40.
14. Baring-Gould (1908), Vol. I, p. 212.
15. Book: Baring-Gould. S.. Fisher. John. Sabine Baring-Gould. Lives of the British Saints: Vol 1. 1907. Honorable Society of Cymrrodorion. 340.
16. Book: Baring-Gould. Sabine. The Lives of the British Saints, Vol. II. 135.
17. [Gilbert Hunter Doble|Doble, G.H.]
18. Cornish Church Guide, p. 10. Blackford (Truro).
19. Baring-Gould (1908), Vol. I, p. 73.
20. Challoner, Richard. A Memorial of Ancient British Piety: or, a British Martyrology. W. Needham, 1761. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
21. Doble, G. H. (1965) Saints of Cornwall, Part 4: Newquay, Padstow and Bodmin district. Truro: Dean & Chapter; pp. 105-109
22. Charles. B.G.. The Placenames of Pembrokeshire, Volume I. National Library of Wales. 1992. 978-0-907158-58-5. 42.
23. Baring-Gould (1908), Vol. III, p. 42.
24. Baring-Gould (1908), Vol. I, p. 74.
25. [Welsh chronicles]
26. Doble, G. H. (1965) The Saints of Cornwall; Part 4: saints of the Newquay, Padstow and Bodmin district. Truro: Dean and Chapter; p. 50
27. Cornish Church Guide (1925) Truro: Blackford; p. 14
28. Baring-Gould (1908), Vol. I, p. 70.
29. Baring-Gould (1908), Vol. I, p. 71.
30. Web site: Welcome To Newport Cathedral . Newport Cathederal . 2019-06-03 . 2021-03-21.
31. Baring-Gould (1908), Vol. III, p. 350.
32. Book: Thurston. Herbert. The Catholic Encyclopedia. 1907. Robert Appleton Company. New York. retrieved from Web site: St. John Roberts. New Advent. 25 April 2015.
33. Book: Thurston. Herbert. The Catholic Encyclopedia. 1907. Robert Appleton Company. New York. retrieved from Web site: St. John Lloyd. New Advent. 25 April 2015.
34. Baring-Gould (1908), Vol. I, pp. 76.