Meredydd is a Welsh masculine given name, a variant of Meredith descending from the Old Welsh form Margetud. It shares ultimately with Maredudd (the medieval Welsh equivalent) the meaning interpretation of composite elements: first mawredd, meaning "magnificence, greatness", or a similar early root denoting a quality of greatness, followed by iudd, meaning "lord". Thus, the name conveys the sense of "great lord" or "magnificent lord." Etymology Meredydd first appears in historical sources as a medieval given name that regularly took Latinised forms in documents. During the Anglo-Norman period the name was borrowed into English and eventually moderated to Meredith. In Wales, however, the original Maredudd remained common through the later medieval centuries and later developed the variant Meredydd. The vowel around shifts in Welsh phonetics through time produced alternative spellings such as Maredudd and Meredydd, both retaining the distinct Cymric pronunciation while influencing modern English spelling conventions after the Reformation. Historical bearers Maredudd ab Owain (died 999 CE) of Deheubarth, Wales—one of the earliest kings so-named recorded. His military alliance with Vikings shaped Welsh dynastic politics. Maredudd ap Bleddyn (1047–1132), a powerful king of Powys mentioned in the chronicles for his skill at ruling during the war-racked age. Maredudd ab Owain Glyndŵr (fl. late–1300s to early–1500s), elder son of the famous Owain Glyndŵr, participated actively in the Welsh revolt against English crown forces. Meredydd ab Ieuan ap Robert (died 1525), a landed gentleman whose genealogical history reinforces the permanence of Meredydd/Ysh surname in Welsh lineages. Cultural significance In Wales, Meredydd remains predominantly masculine whereas its English form Meredith became more common for girls after the 1920s in America and England. The name has a distinguished yet politically acute legacy in pre-modern Welsh society, linked powerfully to the home‑rule ardour of figures like Glyndŵr and ecclesiastical judges of Brythonic custom. Meaning: Greatness + lord = “great lord” Origin: Old Welsh → Middle Welsh Maredudd/Meredydd Usage type: First name (primarily male in Welsh) Usage regions: Wales, historically