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Baby names

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Original poster

Is Sian too old lady?

62 replies

Greendaisydays · 06/06/2021 19:04

I love Sian but hear it’s old lady in Wales?

Still like Siriol but people don’t seem keen. Others being considered

Rhedyn
Cadi
Nia
Heulwen
Manon

Ela will be middle name probably though we considered Medi

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cafedesreves · 07/06/2021 19:47

Manon is lovely!

CaffiSaliMali · 07/06/2021 18:33

OP - I really like Nia from your list. I know a lovely Nia who is about 30 so it doesn't feel middle aged to me. I know Sians of a variety of ages from 20s - late 50s, so again it feels reasonably timeless to me.

CaffiSaliMali · 07/06/2021 18:30

@name7852 - about 10 years ago I had a temp job where I was instructed to go and find 'Sigh-Anne'. I went round the desks 3 times but saw no name plate which looked remotely like a name which would be pronounced Sigh-Anne.

So I went back to my desk and asked my colleague to spell it. I then realised they were butchering the name Sian. When I approached Sian and pronounced her name correctly she was very surprised, especially as I'm English - she said she had just given up correcting people. She was one of the only people in that office who pronounced my Welsh name correctly - I had also given up correcting people.

I have had similar experiences in other offices with Angharad, Geraint and Hefin.

KirstenBlest · 07/06/2021 18:01

Rhedyn seems an odd choice. It doesn't sound attractive. Celyn is another one. Just don't get why someone would use it as a name.

Frankiefarr · 07/06/2021 16:33

@KirstenBlest I know a Rhedyn she's from North Wales. But I did think at first she was trying to say you was from Reading!

Frankiefarr · 07/06/2021 16:30

I think Sharn sounds okay too. I would ;pronounce it more Shaaahn but its not really that different I don't think as I think to non-welsh ears it sounds like you are saying Shaaarn anyway.

DacwMamYnDwad · 07/06/2021 12:21

Heulwen will get mangled.
The eu doesn't have an equivalent sound in English
it's sort of Heh-ill but one syllable, sort of half-way between hell and hill.

DinosaurDiana · 07/06/2021 12:11

@name7852

Who on earth pronounces it Sai-Ann?! That's just wrong! Like deciding to pronounce Jane Jan-Eh!
She was quite put out when I pronounced her name Sharn, like she’d never been called it before. I’ve only ever heard it pronounced that way.
name7852 · 07/06/2021 11:54

Who on earth pronounces it Sai-Ann?! That's just wrong! Like deciding to pronounce Jane Jan-Eh!

name7852 · 07/06/2021 11:52

It's very Karen/Debbie/Sharon for me, being from Wales it's a name more of my friends' mums have rather than many of my generation and I know zero babies with the name.

KirstenBlest · 07/06/2021 11:46

Rhedyn is RHEDD-in

RH is like saying R and H at exactly the same time. It's not R or R-h, and it's one letter not two. Not a name and will sound like Reddin (Reading) in some accents.

Ritasueandbobtoo9 · 07/06/2021 11:01

Sian is lovely. It is pronounced Shaaaaan where I live. I have never heard Sharn.

Nia is very middle aged to my mind. Heulwen is old lady.

DinosaurDiana · 07/06/2021 10:52

I like it, but pronounced Sharn not Sai-Ann.

Frazzled2207 · 07/06/2021 10:47

@KirstenBlest
Agree on the “flat long a” description.
Imagine the /a/ sound in cat (NOT car) and elongate it.

Heartofglass12345 · 07/06/2021 10:38

I'm welsh but not welsh speaking and pronounce it Shaaahn, it depends what area of wales you live in and if you are welsh speaking or not. Nobody in the town I grew up in pronounces the areas with welsh sounding names anywhere near correctly lol.
I like it though and it isn't too common unlike Seren.
I love Nia though and if I were to have another baby and it was a girl, Nia would be a contender (but Phoebe is my favourite)

LewishamMum · 07/06/2021 10:12

I'm Welsh too. I say it a bit like Shaaaaaaaahn, although I always tell English people it's just like Shark with an n ie Sharn as people have said. It's virtually the same, and providing they are not saying Sci-Ann which drives me up the wall then I'm happy :)

KirstenBlest · 07/06/2021 09:43

And a missing h in apostrophe. Sorry

KirstenBlest · 07/06/2021 09:42

rogue apostrope. Siâns

KirstenBlest · 07/06/2021 09:42

@gonnabeok

I love Sian (pronouned Sharn) it's not an old lady's name. Some of the trendy names now I consider to be old ladies names like Pearl, Olive and Mabel.
It's definitely not pronounced Sharn.

The â is not an Ah - sound it's a flat long a, and not nasal.

I know dozens of Siân's and not one of them says Shahn.

Siwan (SHOO-ann) might be an alternative.

DifferentHair · 07/06/2021 09:21

I love it!

Frazzled2207 · 07/06/2021 09:11

[quote MrJollyLivesNextDoor]@Frazzled2207

How would you pronounce it?[/quote]
I’m welsh speaking.

There’s no r sound.

In Welsh the /â/ sound is quite different. Much more nasal sounding and no real equivalent in English.

Agree in England it tends to be pronounced like Sharn which is close but not correct welsh pronunciation.

Dotdotlineline · 07/06/2021 07:59

It's my name! (Mid 30's) and I love it Grin

AngeloMysterioso · 06/06/2021 23:37

It’s really not pronounced Sharn.

That’s how every Siân I’ve ever met had pronounced it (assuming you’re not using a rhotic R).

On paper I wouldn’t know how to pronounce Rhedyn or Heulwen. And it’s Nia pronounced knee-a or nigh-a?

Manon makes me think of the ballet. And what we used to shout at each other during hockey games. Man on!!

MrJollyLivesNextDoor · 06/06/2021 23:33

@Frazzled2207

How would you pronounce it?

CassTheFox · 06/06/2021 22:57

Sian is a great name. I think hearing a baby called Sian would be really refreshing and different.

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