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Baby names

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

Original poster

I didn't think this name would be so unpopular

716 replies

spookybitches · 21/04/2020 19:06

So all throughout my pregnancy, my husband and I kept our baby name choices to ourselves. My baby is now 2 months old, and nearly everyone we have met or spoken to, have mispronounced it. Granted, we haven't seen many people over the last few weeks, so now I'm starting to wonder if it's just my family or if it's really so unheard of?
My baby boy is called Cillian (DH Irish). My whole family pronounce it silly-an even when I've corrected them numerous times.
Can I ask if you would know how to pronounce Cillian? I'm worried I've set him up for a lifetime correcting people.

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LittleMissMe99 · 22/04/2020 18:09

I'd pronounce it kil ee an. It's a lovely name. I love it!

mousey37 · 22/04/2020 18:07

My friends got a little boy that’s called Cillian too. It’s a gorgeous name. Don’t be put off by others lack of effort to say his name right. It’s lovely.

Actressy · 22/04/2020 18:06

I would only give me a child an Irish name if I were Irish otherwise you’re bound to have this sort of thing happen. A trifle shortsighted of you OP.

The OP's DH is Irish. Their baby is half Irish.

Still time to change it rather than saddle child with a silly name for life.

Still time for you to grow up, open your mind and embrace the fact that not all babies are called Jack and Sophie for your convenience. Hmm

GrammarTeacher · 22/04/2020 18:06

Argh! These obviously

GrammarTeacher · 22/04/2020 18:06

Do all this people assuming soft c assume Cathy is sathy?

HelenaJustina · 22/04/2020 18:05

Would pronounce it with a hard C, same as Ciara, Ciaran, Cian, Cain etc. Love it as a name!

Snaketime · 22/04/2020 18:04

I would pronounce it Kill-ee-an. Not Irish but a big Once upon a time fan and would just assume it was pronounced that way.
This will probably be very outing as I have never met another one, but my DS is called Negan and people always pronounce it wrong, even when I have told them his name they say it wrong and I have to correct them 🤦‍♀️.

Tomasinabombadil · 22/04/2020 18:01

I'd pronounce it Kill-ee-Ann. Am I correct?

alwaysanauntie · 22/04/2020 18:00

This was also our baby name if we had a boy (DH also irish), just keep correcting them & point them in the direction of Cillian Murphy's film & TV back catalogue, they'll soon learn!

MyHeartIsInCornwall · 22/04/2020 18:00

A friend of mine has a little boy with the same name, his dad is Northern Irish so I already knew how it’s pronounced. She also has a little girl called Ciara. Again a hard C (kee-ra) I know of someone that called their daughter Niamh and they pronounced it themselves as - Ny-mer). 🤔 I’ve always known it pronounced as Neve.

LeukaeLucky · 22/04/2020 17:59

Kee lian but I'm biased my daughter's best friend is called Cian.
But that's not the point if you corrected them and they still misponounce it, they're rude

Nurgleturtle · 22/04/2020 17:53

I LOVE THAT NAME massive cillian fan and it starts with a c not s :L otherwise it would be sillian lmao

Riv · 22/04/2020 17:51

I would have gone with Silly Anne or Kill Ian, but now I know I'll do my best to get it right when I next meet someone with that name.

mintyroller · 22/04/2020 17:51

Kill-ian but I'm from Glasgow where half the place thinks they're Irish.

Grin
Shell4429 · 22/04/2020 17:51

I immediately pronounced it in my head as Cillian - with a curly c - so it’s not you, it’s them. It’s a lovely name.

Cnp41 · 22/04/2020 17:50

I have a Cillian and it's a gorgeous name. Live in England and I expect people to get it wrong first time but no excuse for thereafter. Be proud- he stands out - and there wont be too many with the same name at school.

SerBrienneOfHouseTarth · 22/04/2020 17:48

Kill-i-an! And it's top of my list for a boy too, love it 😍

RoisinXena · 22/04/2020 17:45

Cilla, in the case of Cilla Black is a shortened version of her real name, Priscilla White

sabbii · 22/04/2020 17:43

OP don't worry about it, at least it is not a dull name. like many have said Killian is probably the way you are supposed to pronoiunce but if you want to pronounce it as sil-i-an then by all means. Should be about what your preferences are not what others think or think it should sound like. Loads have people have foreign names which are hard to work out.

Leontine · 22/04/2020 17:41

To be honest I used to think it was pronounced silly-an before I’d heard of Cillian Murphy. Blush

sunshine11 · 22/04/2020 17:40

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lowlandLucky · 22/04/2020 17:37

Neednewwellies I am a Scot, can see N.Ireland from my beach and lived there for a few years and i have never met anyone with that name. His name may not be made up but throughout his life he will come across peaple who dont know the name.

Boobsarenotloadbearing · 22/04/2020 17:37

It depends on how much they get it wrong after you have corrected them. My mum kept using the wrong pronunciation of my daughters name for the first few weeks and there was nothing in it, she just got it in her head!

I like Cillian, but I only know how to pronounce it because of Cillian Murphy. It's a lovely name. I think all you can do is keep correcting them.

bytheseaby123 · 22/04/2020 17:37

I would say "sorry I don't know how to pronounce your/the name" and then I would forever use the right name.

peppermintcapsules · 22/04/2020 17:34

ki-lain. I'm Scottish, though.

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