Welsh (people)
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 6–16.3 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Wales 3 million(Welsh descent only) |
|
 United States
|
1.75–1.81 million |
 England
|
609,711 |
 Canada
|
458,705 |
 Australia
|
125,597 |
 Argentina
|
50,000 |
 Scotland
|
16,623 |
 New Zealand
|
9,966 |
| Languages | |
| English, Welsh | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Bretons, Cornish, Manx, English, Scottish, Irish, Ulster-Scots | |
The Welsh (Welsh: Cymry) are a nation and ethnic group native to, or otherwise associated with, Wales and the Welsh language. The language, which falls within the Insular Celtic family, has historically been spoken throughout Wales, with its predecessor Common Brittonic once spoken throughout most of the island of Great Britain. Prior to the 20th century, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh, with little or no fluent knowledge of English. While Welsh remains the predominant language in some areas of Wales, particularly in the north and the west, English is now the predominant language in most parts of the country; however, many Welsh people, even in predominately English-speaking areas of Wales, are fluent or semi-fluent in Welsh or, to varying degrees, capable of speaking or understanding Welsh at limited or conversational proficiency levels.
Although the Welsh language and its ancestors have been spoken in what is now Wales since well before the Roman incursions into Britain, historian John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure. The term "Welsh people" applies to people from Wales and people of Welsh ancestry perceiving themselves or being perceived as sharing a cultural heritage and shared ancestral origins. Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, and the majority of people living in Wales are British citizens.
In 2016, an analysis of the geography of Welsh surnames commissioned by the Welsh Government found that 718,000 people (nearly 35% of the Welsh population) have a family name of Welsh origin, compared with 5.3% in the rest of the United Kingdom, 4.7% in New Zealand, 4.1% in Australia, and 3.8% in the United States, with an estimated 16.3 million people in the countries studied having at least partial Welsh ancestry. Over 300,000 Welsh people live in London alone.
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