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Baby names

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Original poster

Caolan for a boy

35 replies

Nov2023 · 25/10/2023 22:29

Any thoughts on Caolan or Caelan for a boy please ? Pronounced Kay-lyn

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Original poster
Nov2023 · 11/11/2023 11:00

Thanks folks. Caelan is off the list now. I speak Irish so while I understand that the names will be pronounced differently in the UK and even regionally in Ireland, I can't bring myself to break spelling rules and leave out fadas etc. So I am back to the original plan of names with simple spellings! Something that both sets of grandparents will pronounce in a similar way!

OP posts:
LizzieAnt · 11/11/2023 10:39

@KirstenBlest@franceskasofiaa
The vowel sound in Caol varies with dialect. In Munster it's ay, in Connacht and Ulster it's ee.

Also á is not generally pronounced as aw in Ulster Irish.

So there are a number of correct Irish language pronunciations of the name. On top of that there is an older Irish spelling as pp outlined, and also anglicised pronunciations and spellings.
One of the latter, Keelan, is also an anglicisation of the girls' name Caoilfhionn as @franceskasofiaa said.

I'm in Munster where Caolán is said Qway-lawn in the local dialect, but I know both boys and girls - mostly girls - called Keelan (that spelling).

franceskasofiaa · 11/11/2023 01:39

Nov2023 · 25/10/2023 22:50

I think Caelan is more instinctive to say but am not fully convinced that it is spelled correctly. That said neither is Caolan as I don't want to use the fada accent!

Irish name nerd here, sorry if I’m too late to help op!

Caolán (pronounced Qway-Lawn or Kay-Lawn depending on which province of Ireland you’re from) is the modern Irish spelling of the name, it means slender lad (Caol meaning slender + án is a diminutive ending for male names) and is strictly male.

Cáelán (pronounced the same as Caolán) was the Middle Irish spelling of the name (we had a spelling reform/standardisation of the language in the early 1900s)

Caelan is the most common Anglicised spelling I’ve seen and is generally pronounced Kay-Lun or Kay-Lin (again regional accent dependent)

As an Irish speaker if I saw Caelan written without accents I would 100% think it’s the Anglicised version of the name and read it as Kay-Lun.

Caolan on the other hand I’d have to ask if it was Kay-Lun (English) or Qway-Lawn (Irish), even if written without the accents, just because sometimes accents get dropped when typing etc.

Caoilfhionn/Caoilinn is pronounced as Qwee-Lyn or Kee-Lyn, it means slender and fair maiden (from Caol again meaning slender + Fionn meaning fair or blonde, when joining the two words they change to the genitive case hence the added i in Caol and the h in Fionn) and is strictly a female name

Because both names look similar and essentially mean the same thing, there are many variations and sometimes they get mixed up with each other. I have met both boys and girls called Caoilfhionn and its variations but only ever boys called Caelan and its variations so far ☺️

Hope this helps!

TheLonelyGoatTurd · 27/10/2023 14:40

I love Lorcan and Cathal if Caolan is off the table. Also partial to Cormac and Dara.

ismu · 27/10/2023 14:25

Caolan would be pronounced differently in Scottish Gaelic so more like Coolan or Kyle-an depending on where you're from. Caelan has potential for being pronounced as ceiling...

PeacockingAbout · 27/10/2023 14:20

Caolan was on my list, but fairly low on it - there are nicer names. I'm also Irish heritage born in London with an English DH

We also had Cahal, Cillian, Cian, Lorcan, Faolán, Oisín, Tadhg, Cillín, Ronan, Orin.

My name has a fada and i grew up in England, and it's not been much drama tbh. I've not discounted any names due to fadas

Original poster
Nov2023 · 27/10/2023 13:43

keelin is very much a girls name where I come from maybe it works for caolan up north though?I have definitely heard caolan as Kay-lyn around my home region. It should really be cway- lawn with a fada on the second a but I am 100 percent sure I want to avoid any names with fadas. I think Caolan is off the list now. This poor child will be called baby forever if we can't agree on something 😬

OP posts:
Gcsunnyside23 · 27/10/2023 00:04

Nov2023 · 26/10/2023 10:05

@user1492757084 Cormac is on my list but my husband is less convinced. Likewise with Cathal he pounced it incorrectly. It seems caolan is the only name he likes! He is not Irish and pronounced it correctly though. Also have Cillian, Lorcan, Rory and Tiernan as options. Picking a name has been the hardest part of this pregnancy. It is such a responsibility!

Love all the last 4 names on your list, cillian is my fave

Gcsunnyside23 · 27/10/2023 00:02

Nov2023 · 25/10/2023 22:29

Any thoughts on Caolan or Caelan for a boy please ? Pronounced Kay-lyn

It's pronounced kee-lin

DramaAlpaca · 26/10/2023 23:41

My friend (in Ireland) has a Caolan pronounced KEE-lun. He goes by Cal, which I really like.

SunnyFog · 26/10/2023 22:21

Love Caolán and Faolán and Whelan. Did read it as Carolan though (wrong glasses).

DuploTrain · 26/10/2023 10:14

I like Cillian and Rory best from your list.

I like Tiernan as well but I think it would sound quite different in England if the r isn’t pronounced the same.

Dipsomaniax · 26/10/2023 10:13

I know a few Caolan (variously pronounced Qway lan and keylan)

I always think Wailing Qwaylan but you know every name can be criticised.
If you like it go for it.

Dotcheck · 26/10/2023 10:07

EspressoMacchiato · 25/10/2023 22:35

Yes if you’re Irish in Ireland, otherwise no.

I could never quite understand this.

Original poster
Nov2023 · 26/10/2023 10:05

@user1492757084 Cormac is on my list but my husband is less convinced. Likewise with Cathal he pounced it incorrectly. It seems caolan is the only name he likes! He is not Irish and pronounced it correctly though. Also have Cillian, Lorcan, Rory and Tiernan as options. Picking a name has been the hardest part of this pregnancy. It is such a responsibility!

OP posts:
Redlarge · 26/10/2023 09:11

I read this as colon

user1492757084 · 26/10/2023 09:11

How about Cahal or Cormac?
They are handsome and have less confusion in sound.

MaloneMeadow · 26/10/2023 00:46

It’s a lovely name but unless you’re living in Ireland then I wouldn’t use it - he’ll spend half his life having to spell/pronounce it for people

KirstenBlest · 25/10/2023 23:11

"Vowel sounds in Irish include more combined letters to make one simple sound.
“Ai” = “ah” (as in mat)
“Ao” = “e” (as in tree)
“Io” = “ih” (as in mist)
“Ua” = “u” (as in truant)"

ColleenDonaghy · 25/10/2023 22:56

It would need an i for Keelan surely. Caoileann (which I think is a girl's name).

I'm Irish and familiar with the name OP, and would pronounce it as you have written but I have to say I don't love it.

KirstenBlest · 25/10/2023 22:52

I'd say it as Keelan

ColadhSamh · 25/10/2023 22:51

It should be spelt with a fada Caolán which is then pronounced as Kay- lawn or kwaylawn depending on region.

WanderingAroundintheLark · 25/10/2023 22:50

mauvish · 25/10/2023 22:34

Plus, kaolin and morphine -

This. Oh and colon

Original poster
Nov2023 · 25/10/2023 22:50

I think Caelan is more instinctive to say but am not fully convinced that it is spelled correctly. That said neither is Caolan as I don't want to use the fada accent!

OP posts: