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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Help please! English sounding muslim boy name!

33 replies

technlogy99 · 14/05/2014 16:29

Hi everyone! We are very confused about our boy name. He wants to change his name Osama because he suffered alot with that name and now he is confused about these names :

Zayn
Zayan
Rayan

Can anyone suggest any more?

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DogCalledRudis · 18/05/2014 14:53

Adam or Mohammed

MrsMicawber · 17/05/2014 23:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dukketeater · 17/05/2014 23:01

Zak

Loverofpeas · 17/05/2014 22:51

Zayn would be easiest to pronounce. I like Omar too

Helpys · 17/05/2014 18:20

Omar would be perfect. Similar but without the connotations.

Melons79 · 17/05/2014 16:59

You don't need an 'English sounding' name, your poor boy isn't getting picked because the name sounds foreign but because of the association! Very sad that people can do this. How old is he? Has he got a middle name?

If you change it, go for something with similarity like usman.

ILoveCoreyHaim · 16/05/2014 13:26

Here's a similar old thread with some other names on, from there I like Daniyal

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/baby_names/804247-Oh-help-English-sounding-muslim-boys-names/AllOnOnePage

threedaystogo · 15/05/2014 12:14

Sorry to hear of your son's problems.

As a non-muslim living in the UK, I would say that of the three names you have listed Zayn is the most recognisable. I think everyone would know how to pronounce it, although there are obviously different spellings. I have seen it written as Zayn, Zain and Zane.

The other two names are unfamiliar to me. Personally I like Zayan more than Rayan. Rayan looks a bit like the material "rayon" and I agree with the previous poster who said it could be confused with Ryan.

I assume Zayan is pronounced "Zay - an", not "Zy - an" is it?

Otherwise, how about sticking with his current name but shortening it to Ossie / Ozzie? The nickname Ozzie is often used for people called Oscar, so is very recognisable and shouldn't cause any problems.

TitusFlavius · 15/05/2014 11:39

They are both lovely - but a heads-up, if he's called Rayan, he will be called "Ryan" by many people, as that's a much more common name to many English-speakers. That may be a feature or a bug to you, I don't know.

Original poster
technlogy99 · 15/05/2014 11:39

For living in the UK which would be easy to pronounce and at the same time a nice name ?

I'm scared that people make a joke on him by saying "Ryanair" or something else...

Zayan is better?

OP posts:
Original poster
technlogy99 · 15/05/2014 11:35

Guys i appreciate your answers and i liked your names.. but we have talked in our family and now we are confused about these ones:

RAYAN

ZAYAN

Any suggestion ?

OP posts:
florascotia · 15/05/2014 09:56

OP - ah! Now I see; sorry for confusion.

The following are easy to say:

Amal, Faris, Salman, Rabi (Rabbie or Rab are popular short forms of Robert in Scotland), Zaki, Malik, Samir, Hadi, Karim. Imran is also simple - and well-known because of the cricketer.

dollius · 15/05/2014 06:22

Well not in the Muslim country I live in and where the royals have plenty of Queen Zeins and Princess Zeins and only a Prince Zeid

TitusFlavius · 14/05/2014 20:17

Oooh, NeedADiscoNap, I love the name "Danyaal".

SolomanDaisy · 14/05/2014 20:14

The rest of the internet seems to think it's a boys name (based on a quick Google at least [Grin] ).

dollius · 14/05/2014 19:36

Zein/Zayn is a girl's name!

Zeid is the boy's version.

My favourite Arabic boy's name is Hani

BikeRunSki · 14/05/2014 19:06

Bassam, nn Sam/Sammi

NeedaDiscoNap · 14/05/2014 19:04

Danyaal? I teach a boy with this name and it's shortened to Danny.

CrispyHedgeHog · 14/05/2014 19:02

how about Aden?

MrsAtticus · 14/05/2014 19:01

that's a shame about your sons name as it is such a lovely name. I think all the ones I know have been mentioned, Adam and Haaris, or Sami could easily be either.

dannydyerismydad · 14/05/2014 18:58

What about Omar? Close enough to his original name, but a new name.

PiratePanda · 14/05/2014 18:58

Zain's good, as are Zak/Zaki, Rafi, Daniyal, Sikander (Xander/Alexander), Ali (Al). I think Tariq works really well too.

EasyWhiteChocolate · 14/05/2014 18:55

I would spell it Zain, because of Zayn Malik!

SolomanDaisy · 14/05/2014 18:53

I'd go for the Zayn spelling, it is well known because of Zayn Malik.

threedeer · 14/05/2014 18:25

Zacharia is a great Arabic name and Zac/Zacky is a popular UK name.

Ali? Short for Alistair in UK but also a classic Muslim name.