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Baby names

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

Original poster

Kieran or Keelan

88 replies

Babybatman · 05/02/2020 12:45

Which do you prefer? Please don't say you hate both as I'm 39 weeks and finding this naming business very hard. These aren't my favourite names but they are the only ones we both like as we have polar opposite taste.

Baby will be half Irish and although we both like the Irish spellings Caolan and Ciaran we both want to for the spelling most likely to get pronounced correctly in England where he will grow up.
Also do you think either will get nicknames/shortened? I don't think so but would be interested to hear thoughts. Thanks!

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Original poster
Babybatman · 05/02/2020 14:05

Not interested in snobby comments.

OP posts:
user1493494961 · 05/02/2020 14:03

Kieran at a push, both a bit down market.

Original poster
Babybatman · 05/02/2020 14:01

The 18 year old one is from Southern Ireland.

OP posts:
Original poster
Babybatman · 05/02/2020 14:00

@Shayisgreat yeah that's how we both feel about an Irish name. Our first son has an easy to pronounce/spell Irish name and he is a really self conscious little thing so I'm glad we went for the easier spelling over here. If we lived in Ireland I would go for the Irish spellings.

OP posts:
MinecraftMother · 05/02/2020 13:59

Was the 18 yr old you met in NI?

'Caolann' is the correct spelling of that name.

Both are lovely.

Shayisgreat · 05/02/2020 13:57

Sorry for spamming - didn't read the OP properly. My cousin is called Ciaran and it's shortened to Ciari (Keery) but that's fairly unusual. Have never heard Keelan being shortened.

Original poster
Babybatman · 05/02/2020 13:57

Thanks for the opinions. I really like Keir but I thought it was Scottish whereas I thought Kieran/Ciaran is both Scottish and Irish? I could be completely wrong on that though, if so that could be a contender!

DH not keen on Caelan as he thinks the spelling looks made up. I actually really like it!
I hadn't personally heard of Keelan either until I met one of DH's distant relations who is an 18 year old one. He really made me warm to the name.

OP posts:
MrsPatrickDempsey · 05/02/2020 13:56

Sorry Keelan reminds me of the name of a pair of obstetric forceps
Kieran is lovely

Shayisgreat · 05/02/2020 13:55

Oh and my baby is half Irish in England and my husband agreed to an Irish name as long as he could pronounce it first time he read it. Same as you he didn't want DS to have difficulty here because of it.

Shayisgreat · 05/02/2020 13:52

I like both names. Prefer the Irish spelling of both (but I'm Irish so a bit biased) Ciaran was on my list of names for DS so Kieran would be my vote!

alifeintheday · 05/02/2020 13:43

I like Keelan. It would be fairly popular in Ireland for a boy as far as I'm aware. They sometimes use Keelin/Caoilin for a girl!

Stressheadme123 · 05/02/2020 13:34

Never heard of keelan *

Stressheadme123 · 05/02/2020 13:34

I’ve never heard of Keenan and I’m not keen so I would pick Kieran.

Other similar ideas could be Keir, Kerr, Cian Caelan?

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