I didn't think this name would be so unpopular

Killian! Like from Once Upon A Time!

I don’t know Irish and only know a couple of Irish names. My first attempt would have been Sillyann but not after this thread. (I would also have spelt it as Killian if I only heard the name and had to write it.)

The problem is with your relatives continuing to mispronounce the name which is just rude, it’s not like we don’t have those sounds in English.

Killiun

@Baconisgoodformeee

But c is pronounced as a soft C, and as a hard C in English.

Names:

Carrie
Caroline

I am just saying that phonetically it makes sense in English too

It looks like it should start with a hard c as in cat not soft as in circle. In my accent at least it would roughly rhyme with million.

I am Welsh and would pronounce it with a hard C.

I've been calling him "silly-anne" Murphy for years. I feel a right twat.
Fortunately he can't hear me through the wardrobe doors so it's alright.

Kill e an

@Baconisgoodformeee but Cilla Black is short for Pricilla - You do know C can be said in different ways?

I would pronounce it kill-E-an, I will be honest, I only know how to pronounce it because of Cillian Murphy though.

I’m not arguing that it’s right or correct!

I’m saying it’s not exactly shocking or insane that English people pronounce a foreign name incorrectly when they’ve heard Cilla Black be pronounced with an S, the famous singer Ciara be pronounced with an S, they then see Cillian... it would be strange if, without any other knowledge, they immediately knew it was pronounced with a K

I would have pronounced it wrong. But I don’t think that should be an issue, once you have corrected people then they know your name you shouldn’t have to keep doing it multiple times and I suggest if you are having to do that with your own family then they are intentionally mispronouncing it which is cruel and ridiculous so you should take it up with them.
It’s a lovely name btw

How would you pronounce Michael (as in the English version). It has a ch in in like church - so if everything is 'the way I'd say it', surely people would say it like Mitchell?
If someone tells you what their name is, or their baby's name, you'd pronounce it as they say it, surely. If you need to spell it, you can ask. I have to spell my surname, it takes about two seconds each time.

Cilla Black - pronounced Silla not Killa
Yes because Cilla is an English name Cillian is not

The singer Ciara - pronounced Si-air-a

Thats pronounced wrong they obviously say it like that because it looks like it said the way its spelled..Americans have this awful habit of mispelling Irish names
Siobhan spelled Shavonne.
Shavon,is Siobhan.

It’s how a lot of English people will have heard Ciara though. Off the top of my head I can’t think of a more famous one.

Also Cilla Black was pretty well known and it looks similar to Cillian... I’m just saying it’s hardly shocking that people from another country in another language don’t know How to pronounce it properly

@Baconisgoodformeee one bad American example of pronouncing Ciara wrong isn’t exactly conclusive!

Ciara is not pronounced Si-air-a.

I've only ever heard Ciara pronounced Keeara or Keera.

Cilla Black - pronounced Silla not Killa

The singer Ciara - pronounced Si-air-a

I have not come across the name before but it looks so much like 'Gillian' that I would have pronounced it 'Sillian' too.

I'm English living in NI and the only names I've ever had to make an effort to remember how to pronounce are Grainne (because the vowel sound isn't used much in England) and Caoimhín. And even then all I did was clarify the pronunciation once with a friend! Your family are being dicks. Cillian is a lovely name.

I'd have said it wrong too, but don't worry - one of my school friends had a name that everyone pronounced incorrectly till she told them how to say it. She was really happy with her name though. There's something nice about having a more unusual name, or one from another language that the family has connections to.

I'm familiar with the name so I know how to pronounce it. I suppose it helps that I have an Irish DH and live in Ireland.

To those who are saying Irish names aren't pronounced phonetically, they absolutely are phonetic - in the Irish language, not in English.

Irish is actually much more of a phonetic language than English. Once you know the sounds each letter or letter combination makes you can pretty much work out how to pronounce any word, or indeed name, in the Irish language. I've picked up most of the Irish I know from supervising my DCs' homework

Yes I know how to pronounce it. I'd never have thought of silly un?! I'm Scottish and know a few Cillians. Lovely name. Love it. People being ignorant I'd say, especially if they've already been corrected.

Definitely CK-ill-eean (strong K as in cliCK or loCK). But I’m Irish. I know the name.

Don’t you use Zoom or Skype or even the phone to communicate? A simple “it’s pronounced xxx” would sort it?