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Original poster

Need an unbiased opinion on Rhian

56 replies

squeak2392 · 17/09/2014 03:19

I really like Rhiannon and Rhiannedd, but I've been ignoring Rhian because every one I've known has been a -insert foul word-

But thinking about it, it's kinda nice :/

Pn the simple English way since although I currently live in Wales, I am English and baby will probably grow up in England.

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Valsoldknickers · 18/09/2014 20:57

Rhian is lovely. In Ireland the boy's name Rian (translating to Ryan in English) means little king. Just wondering is it the same meaning for Rhian?

dreamingofsun · 18/09/2014 21:04

was on our list, but we had boys. i still like it. in england its sort of known, but not overly popular - which is one of the many things that appealed

Highlandbird · 18/09/2014 21:09

I like it but am welsh and can't get my head round pronouncing it any way except the welsh way (Rhee-Anne) it might piss you off if you're in Wales and others pronounce the name in a way you don't like.
Rhiannon is also lovely. I also like Ffion, Branwen, Mari and Carys if that helps at all! Grin

Alisvolatpropiis · 18/09/2014 21:14

Vals

It means Great Godess/Queen, depending on where you look.

I must admit that being Welsh I am more inclined to say Rhee-an than I am Ree-un but my accent isn't very Welsh and I'm not sure whether the two sound very different aloud. Outside of South Wales Rhee-an and Ree-un would souls quite different though.

BreakingBadWind · 18/09/2014 23:06

I am English. And love it. To my ears it is prettier than Rhiannon.

ItsNotEasyBeingGreen · 18/09/2014 23:10

Everyone is going to pronounce it Ree-Ann though, because that's the way it IS pronounced. It may annoy your daughter when she grows up.

I don't like it if I'm honest. Rhiannon is nicer but I'm not a fan of that either.

ElephantsNeverForgive · 18/09/2014 23:17

My DSIS who moved to Wales when she was 6 weeks old, doesn't speak Welsh, but she could give it the full trolled Rh...

I moved when I was 2.5 and can't. I can't do LL properly either, much to my BFFs amusement (and she was English too), but she lived in Llan..., and liked to try to get me to say it, knowing I sodding well couldn't.

DDs know a Rhian (we are in England, but borders) and it doesn't cause a problem.

Rox19 · 18/09/2014 23:19

Ha ha I know 2 horrible rhians two-
One a school bully and the other a work based cow.
Lol didn't realise it was a theme!!

DuchessofKirkcaldy · 19/09/2014 00:53

I know 2. One in 20s the other is 4.
No negative connotations and lovely name

BOFster · 19/09/2014 01:35

Rhian is a lovely name. I can't believe that Baby Names is reduced to 'Tell me nasty people with this name'. Pathetic. And no, I don't have kids called Rhian.

Pebbles0934 · 19/09/2014 04:54

I'm in england and only ever heard it as Rhi-Anne. Rhi-un sounds ugly to me.... Sorry.

Rhiannon is a lovely name. I also knew a Rhea once?

zoemaguire · 19/09/2014 05:15

Lovely, but pronounce it properly! Ri-un is just ugly, rhi-ann lovely!

MissYamabuki · 19/09/2014 05:45

Yes Rhee-ann is correct but Ree-un to be expected in England as a best effort (better than Ryan!).

If inaccurate pronunciation is going to make you cringe then maybe it's better to go for Ffion, Anwen... as suggested by pp.

CuntWagon · 19/09/2014 14:46

I really don't think the English will pronounce it Rhee-un Confused I think we are pretty practiced at pronouncing an AN sound. My sister is Rhiannon and never gets Rhee-un-on!

MehsMum · 19/09/2014 14:50

I only know one, and she is really lovely.

peppinagiro · 19/09/2014 19:57

My cousin is Rhian, in England. Everyone pronounces it Ree-un, including all our Welsh (south wales) family. All Rhians in school with me in South Wales pronounced it that way too - i've honestly never heard it with an 'an' ending, except in v welshy S4C programmes (from the north?).

I don't mind it. My aunt and uncle did get some 'congrats on your baby boy' cards from english people thinking it was a misspelling of Ryan though!

peppinagiro · 19/09/2014 19:59

Rhiannon is different - the 'an' is always 'an' because that's the stressed syllable. But I think in Rhian, the stress is on the 'Ree', so us lazy south walians lazily turn the unstressed 'an' to a schwa of 'un'

Castlemilk · 19/09/2014 21:52

It's pretty horrid with the 'un' sound at the end. That's not the way it should be pronounced - it loses all the loveliness it has. So if that's the plan, and you can't pronounce the 'Rh' either - then I really wouldn't.

As for the name itself, it's super 70s-80s. A bit like calling your DD Kelly. Or Lisa.

Nicer more classic options if you live in England:

Seren
Nia
Carys
Ffion

or go a bit more out there:

Medi
Lowri
Mali
Haf (Harv)

sleepdodger · 19/09/2014 22:10

Think about phrasing- esp diue to singer rhianna it will get pronounced rhi-an a lot
I have a friend with an easy to say spell but welsh origin name and out of wales and boarders it's still always spelt or pronounced incorrectly
Nb in same way v commingle welsh names virtually unused elsewhere in country eg Rhys, Bethan, gethin, Gareth, anghared, Megan, etc

SweetsForMySweet · 19/09/2014 22:15

Rhian is the irish name for Ryan and is a boys name. You could try Reanne (like Leanne with an R)

lisaloulou84 · 19/09/2014 22:34

My best friend is a Rhianne, nobody ever spells it right. Long running joke when he goes for Starbucks!

Original poster
squeak2392 · 19/09/2014 22:51

Thanks everyone, I think I'm okay with using the name now, if I chose to :)

RE the pn: I live in South Wales and went to school with a Rhian. Everyone pn it Ree-un except a native Welsh speaking teacher who basically just said it Ree-an as a joke. Maybe the way I spelt the sound is a bit deceiving - you would definitely write an 'a' if you heard it, but it's not a strong Anne sound.

I don't like the Ree-anne sound and I think it sounds AWFUL pn like Leanne, so it will definitely be the sound I'm used to and have grown up with :)

...Although thinking about it, can I get some opinions from any Leannes or Michelles about whether it annoys them when the stress is on the other syllable? I have a cousin Liane who pn it Lee-ANN, but I know she has friends/family who pn it LEE-ann and it doesn't seem to bother her. It would bother me as her mother though :P

OP posts:
Alisvolatpropiis · 22/09/2014 22:11

Sweets

No, Rhian is a Welsh girls name.

Google it.

JemimaMuddledUp · 22/09/2014 22:21

I like the name Rhian and know lots of them in their 30s and 40s, don't know any children called it though. A bit like calling a child Debbie.

I've never heard it pronounced any other way than Rhee-anne though.

Chunderella · 24/09/2014 13:44

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.