Growing up in Gwynedd, it was fairly common to encounter children called Aneurin. The name, meaning possibly “man of honour” or “all golden”, is a misspelling of Aneirin, or Neirin, the early medieval Brythonic poet who wrote Y Gododdin. The most famous Aneurin, however, is Aneurin Bevan, called Nye for short, best known for conceiving and spearheading the NHS.
In 1948, almost everyone in Britain knew his name. His death, in 1960, led to an outpouring of national mourning. In 2004, he topped a list of 100 Welsh heroes. But in recent years, I’ve been surprised how few younger people outside Wales – those working in the NHS included – are familiar with the Labour politician and the monumental role he played in our history.
