Welsh genealogy help?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/welsh_surna...

welsh used ancient patronymic naming system whereby children of marriage took father's forename surname. result surnames not fixed, , changed generation generation: evan son of thomas william known evan thomas; evan's son, john john evan; john's son rees rees john; , david's son, james, james david.
names such edward , william added 's', becoming edwards , williams. names ending in 's' thomas remained unchanged. traditionally women kept maiden names when married there no surname them adopt. terms verch or ferch, meaning "daughter of", , abbreviated vch or vz, used, though found in parish register entries.
patronymics genealogical history of family, 1 generation connected ap, map (mab in modern welsh), meaning "son of".
names such **llewelyn ap dafydd ab ieuan ap griffith ap meredith not uncommon. @ end of 19th century, practice ceased , ap combined 1 name yield surnames such upjohn (from apjohn) , powell (from aphowell).

(**so "llewelyn son of dafydd (david, assume??) son lf ieuan (ian?? or john, since ian more irish, think.) son of griffith son of meredith". can imagine signing long name on driver's license?? lol)


http://www.amlwchhistory.co.uk/data/wels...
if james decided abandon patronymics, might retain name david fixed surname or might change davies/davis both of imply 'son of' david.
word 'ap' (originally 'mab') meaning 'son of' incorporated new surname. owen bowen; richard prichard: evan bevan; huw pugh. john became jones.
practice continued until 1800s in areas, rural areas clinging patronymic system longer urban areas. igi takes 1 january 1813 cut-off date - before date igi entries listed using patronymic naming system, regardless of actual entry contained. in practice people had adopted surnames 1812 , 1851 census examples few , far between.

man may have decided use fixed surname - village priest may have insisted on using patronymics in parish register when married him or baptised children. people changed patronymics surnames half way through families children may use patronymics whilst younger brothers , sisters use surname. man change patronymic surname @ time of marriage - brothers may chose continue patronymics.
welsh surname stock limited because modern surname forename of man last used patronymic system in particular family. welsh communities full of families bearing same few surnames unrelated , cannot claimed named jones or evans must related else named jones or evans! have in common ancestor forename john or evan! biggest mistake can make in welsh family history research fail realise how limited welsh naming stock is.
among common patronymic surnames found in wales today are:
daniel - welsh form of daniel deiniol, 6th century saint
david/davies/davis - david or daffydd
edwards - old english name, popular after norman invasion
evan/bevan/jeavons - ieuan, welsh word john
griffiths - gruffydd, old welsh name borne princes
harries/harry/parry - harri, welsh version of germanic harry/harold. popular since 1066
hopkins/popkins - english pet name, hob diminutive form of robert
howell/powell - hywel, old welsh name
hughes/pugh - germanic name adopted welsh huw , interchangeable hywel
james - english name became popular in wales 15th century
jenkins - jankin, pet form of john
john/ jones - english name, john adopted in wales after norman invasion
lewis - english version of llewellyn
llewellyn - name of ancient prince of wales
maddocks - madog, ancient welsh name borne princes
meredith - maredudd, ancient welsh name
meyrick/morris/maurice - meurig welsh version of latin name mauricius
morgan - morcant, old welsh name
owen/bowen - owain/owen
rees/reece/preece/price - rhys, ancient welsh name. rice anglicised form of name
richards/pritchard - richard, germanic name popular in wales before 15th century
roberts/probert - robert, germanic name popular in wales 13th century
roderick/broderick/prothero - rhodri or rhydderch, ancient welsh name
thomas - greek biblical name, popular in england 1066. popular in wales 15th century
williams - william or gwilym

because naming stock limited, people distinguished through nicknames based on physical characteristics:
gethin/gething = ugly/swarthy
gough/gooch - red haired or ruddy complexioned;
vaughan = smaller/younger
lloyd/flood = grey or brown hair
gwyn/wynne - fair-haired


(kind of long-winded, if copied/pasted, might give reasons why "john mathew daffydd ap matthew ".

while helping friend research family history tree, came across names 1400's go, example, john mathew daffydd ap matthew (why t>tt?) , father matthew ap isuan, , father isuan ap gruffydd. make sense surname change?

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