Philadelphia’s connection to Wales is widely recognized today thanks to actor Rob McElhenney, who joined Ryan Reynolds in 2020 to purchase Wrexham AFC. But the bond between the City of Brotherly Love and Wales began long before the modern soccer era—more than three centuries ago.
On Aug. 13, 1682, the first Welsh settlers to Pennsylvania arrived at the port of what is now Chester, just south of Philadelphia. The year before, William Penn, an English Quaker, had been granted the colony and envisioned it as a place of religious tolerance. Quakerism had spread rapidly in Wales, and Penn encouraged many of his Welsh friends to join him in America to escape persecution at home.
Penn reportedly told one Welsh companion that his own family had Welsh roots and that he had considered naming the colony “New Wales,” inspired by the region’s “pretty, hilly country.” King Charles II rejected that idea and named Pennsylvania after Penn’s father. Penn, embarrassed by the honor, joked that “Pen” means “head” in Welsh and that the name could be interpreted as “Head of the woods”—a nod to his heritage.
The Welsh settlers negotiated the purchase of 40,000 acres outside Philadelphia with hopes of creating a self-governing “Welsh Barony,” similar to the Welsh-speaking settlements later founded in Patagonia. The first arrivals established a town named Merion, after their home county. As more Welsh immigrants came, additional communities took on familiar names: Gwynedd, Bala, Cynwyd, Uwchlan, Bryn Mawr and others.
By 1700, about one-third of Pennsylvania’s population was Welsh, most living in and around Philadelphia. Welsh leaders played key roles in the colony’s early government, including Thomas Lloyd, who served as acting governor, and David Lloyd, who served as speaker of the Pennsylvania General Assembly for decades.
Despite their numbers, the Welsh Barony never materialized. While land ownership was secure, the self-governance agreement had never been formalized. The settlements were eventually divided among several counties, and the growing influx of English and German immigrants eroded the use of the Welsh language.
A second wave of Welsh immigration arrived during the Industrial Revolution. Skilled Welsh coal miners came to Pennsylvania, where the anthracite coal found in the region resembled that of the South Wales coalfield. Tens of thousands settled in towns like Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Nanty Glo, whose name means “stream of coal” in Welsh.
Today, Welsh heritage remains visible throughout the Philadelphia region. Residents can visit towns such as North Wales, stroll through Treweryn Park or pass emblems featuring the Welsh dragon in communities like Uwchlan and Lower Gwynedd. The Welsh Society of Philadelphia, founded on St. David’s Day in 1729, continues to celebrate Welsh contributions to the city’s history.
That legacy extends into modern soccer. Wrexham AFC played the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park on July 28, 2023, just a mile from the spot where the first Welsh settlers landed. The club returned Aug. 2, 2026, and is partnering with the Union, love.fútbol and the School District of Philadelphia to transform Penrose Elementary School’s schoolyard into a new turf field and basketball court. It is the 11th space created through Philly Plays and the first completed site under Power to Play, an international initiative between Wrexham AFC and love.fútbol.
Their work continues a partnership between Philadelphia and Wales that began 344 years ago—and is still growing today.
