Welch

See also: welch and welch'

English

Alternative forms

• Welsh, Walsh, Walshe, Walch

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English Welich, variant of Walsch, from Old English welisc, wīelisċ, from Proto-West Germanic *walhisk, from Proto-Germanic *walhiskaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wɛlt͡ʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɛltʃ
• Homophone: welch

Proper noun

Welch

1. A British and Irish surname transferred from the nickname, a variant of Walsh.
   • 2025 August 12, Shuvrajit Das Biswas, “Haliey Welch, Hawk Tuah girl, joining Trump's White House press team? Truth behind viral post”, in Hindustan Times‎^[1]:

     Haliey Welch is no stranger to popularity, having gone viral with the 2024 TikTok interview where she uttered the iconic ‘Hawk tuah…and spit on that thang’ line. Since then, the internet dubbed her Hawk Tuah girl, and Welch went on to start her own podcast – Talk Tuah.

2. Archaic spelling of Welsh.
3. A locale in the United States:
   1. A township in Goodhue County, Minnesota.
   2. A township in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.
   3. A town in Craig County, Oklahoma; named for railroad official K. A. Welch.
   4. A city, the county seat of McDowell County, West Virginia; named for Confederate Army captain Isaiah A. Welch.
   5. A census-designated place in Dawson County, Texas.

Usage notes

The spelling "Welch" for "Welsh" is still used in the name of the British regiment the Royal Welch Fusiliers; that spelling was confirmed by Army order.