Ap
/ap/noun
A Welsh patronymic element meaning “son of,” used before a personal name.
Did you know?Welsh names such as ap Hywel, ap Rhys, and ap Owen eventually fused into the English surnames Powell, Price, and Bowen.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic
Proto-Celtic
*mapos
“Son or young male descendant”
Ancient Celtic
Celtic
mapos
“A son; a male child”
Early Welsh
Welsh
map
“Son”
Middle Welsh
Welsh
mab
“Son; the form from which the shortened patronymic developed”
Middle Welsh
Welsh
ap
“Son of; a shortened form used before a father’s name”
Modern English
English
ap
“A Welsh patronymic prefix preserved in personal names and surnames”
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