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20,000 Welsh .cymru and .wales domain names registered

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A Welsh dragon logo with the Welsh .wales and .cymru domainsImage source, Getty/´óÏó´«Ã½

More than 20,000 .wales and .cymru domain names have been registered since their full launch two years ago.

The 20,670 total represents a modest increase since March 2016, when more than 19,000 domains had been logged.

More than 10,000 were registered within the first month of them being made available to the wider public on St David's Day 2015.

Web body Nominet said the domains had enjoyed a "fantastic" welcome since their release.

Nominet, which administrates the domains, said the combined total for .cymru and .wales is in the top ten European geographical domains, in terms of searches online.

Top 10 in Europe

It said research suggested one in 30 of the domain names included a Welsh surname, with Jones being by far the most popular used in a web address, followed by Evans and Williams, with many registrants choosing a .cymru or .wales for their personal email addresses.

The domains rank alongside other geographic locations such as London, Berlin and Paris, coming in at ninth in the top 10 table.

High-profile business and organisations which have taken up Welsh domains include the Football Association of Wales, the Welsh Government and the Federation of Small Businesses.