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Baby names

Desparate for your honest opinions pls

65 replies

Nazly · 07/06/2014 00:30

So We are having a baby boy in a couple of months and we are struggling with the names; we need a Persian name which sounds and reads well in English

So I know most of these names will be unfamiliar to you, but just tell me how they sound to you and if they can be bullied in schools (!?)- a couple of them have equivalent irish/english and I am keen to know your opinions please

Also, when I am using capital A in the middle of name or two Aa, I mean they are pronounced like both A in Dara or like O in John - if they are not going to be sound as they should can you tell me pls and suggest alternative spelling perhaps
I wouldn't mind if some of you hate them all, we'll start from scratch; just say your opinions pls - thanks a lot for helping x

Arash (pronounced Aarash)
Pendar (pronounced PendAr)
Dario
Dara
Radin (pronounced RAdin)
Sepehr
Ryan

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RhondaJean · 07/06/2014 00:33

Ryan is a popular English name.

What about darius?

It'd also be known, not too unlike some of your list, I like it.

Dara will be well known, because of Dara obraian Thr Irish comedian, but I must confess to always thinking it's a girls name at first because of it similarity to Dana. That's probably just me though.

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wafflyversatile · 07/06/2014 00:44

Pendar might get nicknamed penis.

I prefer Dara to Dario.

Arash is quite nice.

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MrsBungle · 07/06/2014 00:47

I think Ryan, dara, Dario arash will work well.

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Fideliney · 07/06/2014 01:03

I think Sepehr and Pendar are the only two that (for me) DON'T really work in english.

The others are nice.

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SelectAUserName · 07/06/2014 04:18

Really like Arash and Dario.

Ryan is a popular English name.

Echo RhondaJean re Dara.

Pendar is okay.

Sepehr - not sure how this is pronounced? Seems a bit insipid.

Radin - really don't like this, reminds me of painkillers (aspirin, anadin etc). I appreciate that's a random connection that most people wouldn't make but you did ask for honest opinions!

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KoalaDownUnder · 07/06/2014 04:41

Arash is great.

Pendar/Radin sound like brand names for pest control products. Not keen.

Dario is fine, easy to pronounce and recognizable. The only thing (if it matters) is that I would assume it to be Italian, not Persian.

Dara sounds too feminine - not a fan.

Sepehr - too difficult to pronounce for most English people, I'd expect.

Ryan - fine, but dated.

If you're going for a cool, unusual but easily pronounceable Persian name, I'd go for Arash!

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MuttonCadet · 07/06/2014 05:35

Am I the only one reading Arash as a rash? I wouldn't use it. But I really liked Pendar so I seem the be in the minority.

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Pebbles0934 · 07/06/2014 06:24

I think Arash looks like A Rash aswell..... Sorry!

I like Dara or Dario best!!

Not sure how to pronounce Sepehr and I think Pendar will be nick named Pen..pens at school, pig pen?

Ryan is very popular.

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IkeaFurnitureAssemblyChampions · 07/06/2014 06:44

I know an Arash and only just now realised that it looks like ' a rash'. I think we tend to overthink these things when naming babies but when you meet someone irl you just accept their name for what it is! I think it's a nice name.

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IkeaFurnitureAssemblyChampions · 07/06/2014 06:47

Sepehr looks a bit like a typo in English and I think he would get it written as 'Sepher' quite a lot. It's hard for English-speakers to parse.

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ChasedByBees · 07/06/2014 06:56

I really like Dara!

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TheLastThneed · 07/06/2014 07:04

I read Sepehr as Sepher until Pebbles' post.

My choice would be Dario or Ryan...

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justhayley · 07/06/2014 07:05

Ryan is the only one that "sounds English" like Dara but would see it as a girls name to be honest.
I don't think any of them are names that will bring in bullying in schools - guess it depends where in the country you are. If somewhere like London for example there are so many races and names of different cultures it won't even be noticed / in fact in some places you'd stand out more with a traditional English name lol, I guess if your somewhere "more English" then some people may find your names harder to pronounce or may show a bit of ignorance towards it but I honestly wouldn't worry. Go with what you love and don't worry about other peoples opinions they will learn how to say it Smile

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Nazly · 07/06/2014 07:50

Oh woow guys and girls xx thanks a lot, this thread has been the most useful thing I have done about naming our baby... Far better than thinking in isolation; you may not notice yourselves how helpful you've been, but it is quite difficult to guess the perception of British people about unfamiliar names, even after ten years living here...keep them coming please xx I hope I get more opinions...

P.S. We live in great London, but I am still worried about bullying because of name and want to avoid it when we can if that makes sense

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EverythingCounts · 07/06/2014 07:53

Really like Dario. Ryan is also good. Arash not bad.

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aprovinciallady · 07/06/2014 07:54

I don't think that you should worry too much about bullying because of names. My DC go to school with children called all sorts of things - lots of names I hadn't heard of before - as it is a culturally mixed school, & nobody bats an eyelid.

I wanted to suggest Sepeedeh but I see you are looking for a boy's name.

What about Ashkan?

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Katietate1987 · 07/06/2014 08:02

We also wanted a name that sounded nice in Persian and English, we went with Benjamin, however his Iranian family call him BenYAmin, our friends little boy is called Sacha, which is also nice. Out of your list I think my favourite is Dario.

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weegiemum · 07/06/2014 08:07

Ryan is great - my 7yo nephew is Ryan (Irish).

Like Dara too.

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WelshWereRabbit · 07/06/2014 08:11

I wouldn't worry about Arash being "a rash". When I was looking at names for mine, I went off Oliver because it was "o liver" - doesn't seem to bother anyone else given the popularity of the name! My favourite is Dario, but if you want a regular English name that works in Persian (rather than vice versa) Ryan is good. Dario might be assumed to be a Game of Thrones name, don't know if that bothers you.

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AWombWithoutARoof · 07/06/2014 08:16

Is Arash pronounced ar-rash or a-rash? I like it either way, just curious and struggling to follow your system!

Also like Dario and Dara.

Not keen on Ryan. For me Pendar and Radin would depend on the surname, and I'm not sure how to pronounce Sepehr so can't make a call on that.

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scarletforya · 07/06/2014 08:18

I like Pendar best!

How is Sepehr pronunced?

I'm Irish so Ryan and Dara are just blah, everyday names to me!

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niceupthedance · 07/06/2014 08:22

I like Pendar best from your list.

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WelshWereRabbit · 07/06/2014 08:23

I wouldn't worry about Arash being "a rash" if you like it - I went off Oliver when I was looking at names for mine because it realised it was "o liver" and I don't like liver! Doesn't seem to bother or occur to many other people though, given the popularity of the name! Arash would be ok for English ears.

Dario is my favourite, slightly exotic but easily recognisable as a boys name. Ryan is good if you want an English name that works in Persian, rather than vice versa.

There is a character in Game of Thrones called Daario, so it might be assumed to be a GoT name, but that is not necessarily a bad thing!

Not keen on Pendar, Radin or Sepehr and agree that Dara sounds a bit girly .

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florascotia · 07/06/2014 09:46

Am I right in thinking there is a Persian form of Alexander (Iskander/Eskander??) That might work here.

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florascotia · 07/06/2014 09:55

Sorry - posted to soon. I think your names are nice. Agree that Sepehr might be difficult to pronounce, and don't much like Dara, but that is just my personal taste. I do like Darius, however. I once met someone who called her son Zubin (after the famous conductor) - that's Persian, I think? So far as I know, he got on fine. I think he had nicknames Zoo or Zoob, which he thought were quite cool.

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