[1] Having recovered, he attended Clynnog School in 1901 and in 1902 won a scholarship to University College of North Wales.

[1] Ifor Williams had a lifelong interest in Welsh place-names, and was one of the first to apply rigorous academic methods to this field.

Many of his early publications were written in order to provide teaching material and included versions with detailed notes of a number of old Welsh tales, notably the Mabinogi in 1930.

He also produced scholarly editions of the works of a number of mediaeval poets such as Dafydd ap Gwilym and others in 1914 and Iolo Goch in 1925 with colleagues.

Williams married Myfanwy Jones of Cae-glas, Pontllyfni, Arfon, in 1913, and there were two children, a daughter and a son.