Name Koa for a boy?

@Soph903 that 'lovely' post was almost certainly ChatGPT...

@TheOriginalEmu , it doesn't matter how many times you post that you are a speech and language therapist or that certain words sound different in your accent.

The link does not need a tv licence and neither does S4C Clic.
Clic | Rownd a Rownd - Cyfres 2024 | 6 Mawrth 2024 (s4c.cymru) (9.04 minutes in). Cai gets lot of mentions in that episode.

It's said exactly the same as in the other programmes I mentioned. I think that all the different actors saying it the same despite being from various parts of Wales is a strong indication that the name has a standard pronunciation.

it makes no sense to you because you simply don’t have that distinction in your accent. You don't know what my accent is and it's a bit rich to say I can't distinguish between sounds. I was well aware, for example, that l in listen does not sound the same like the l in pull, without needing you to tell me.

You can doubt it all you like, it’s a fact that in my accent there is a vowel difference between Cai and High. It isn’t the same. Not for me or for any of the people where I live. I’m a speech therapist, I work with sounds all the time and there will be difference in how words are pronounced in different accents. When you don’t have that distinction in your accent or language, you lose the ability to hear the difference easily. That’s a perfectly normal thing in linguistics. An example would be the difference between the L sound in listen and the L sound in pull. In English they mean the same thing so we don’t hear that distinction very well. In other languages those two sounds are as different as b and d are to us.
The same is true of vowels. it makes no sense to you because you simply don’t have that distinction in your accent. I can’t listen to the link, it’s BBC and I don’t do BBC. But I don’t need to. I know how the word is said in Welsh/my accent and it isn’t the same. There is a distinction for me.

Completely biased as I have a one year old Koa but we absolutely love the name. Both of my partner are I are teachers too 😁 so super fussy about names and wary of teasing. BTW if kids want to tease each other they will find something,literally anything about each other in order to do so, so I wouldn't let that sway your name choice.
It has a few gorgeous meanings and a softness to it which some of the other typical 'K' names don't have. It just always felt like the right name if we had a boy and nothing else came close really.

@VenusClapTrap , me too, but the teasing doesn't usually happen in the classroom itself. I got teased as did another girl and the teasing usually happened in the school grounds or on the school bus.

Bullies won't pick on a common name because they'd risk provoking several with the name or with a sibling of that name.

Surprised to hear teachers saying kids don’t get teased about their names. Times must have changed - back in my day it was very common (poor Marcus springs to mind, nicknamed Mucus all the way through secondary school).

That said, I don’t think Koa is particularly teaseworthy and it would blend in with a lot of other similar sounding names these days. I don’t think the lack of a Hawaiian heritage is a huge problem either. There are hordes of non French Ottilies, non Scandinavian Astrids, and non Irish Niamhs running around. Nobody cares.

How about Cole?

@SoundTheSirens , This is such a weird viewpoint! It's a viewpoint. I don't particularly agree with it but people tend to have opinions on names.
Some companies recruit blindly, but not all do, and once you are in the company people will know your name.

Names don't have to "age well"; surely you just treat the person with respect regardless of their name?
In theory, yes, but people will have thoughts on a name and will have preconceived ideas about what someone will be like based on their name.
You wouldn't, for example, expect to find that Gary and Sheila were part of the 2023 graduate intake.

I'm a teacher and in 15 years I have NEVER heard of a child being teased for their name.

@LizardOfOz you do know that children give teachers nicknames based on their names too?

@SoOutingWhoCares , I know you weren't.

@TheOriginalEmu , I doubt it's a Welsh language thing or an accent thing. I say high [hʌɪ] as Hi. I don't know anyone who says it as h[uh][ee].
I'd say [haɪ] and [hʌɪ] the same. I'd say Hit [hɪt], Hut [hʌt] and Hat [hat] differently

Why post on here that Cai doesn't sound like Kigh (or Kite without the t) when you can easily check on the link I gave?

Why direct this at me also cai isn’t pronounce ‘kigh’ it’s an ‘Ah’ U.K. the first part of the diphthong.
As I said, it makes no sense.

This is such a weird viewpoint! Names don't have to "age well"; surely you just treat the person with respect regardless of their name?

Also, more and more companies recruit 'blind' these days - precisely because judgemental people like you can't overcome their outdated biases about names (or places of study, in some cases). I do a lot of recruitment and the last time I saw a candidate's name left on an application form must be at least 15 years ago.

Nope. Not for me.

Koa to me sounds like Noah gone wrong or worse still, Boa- as in a Boa Constrictor snake .

Congratulations on the upcoming arrival of your baby boy! Koa is a beautiful and unique choice, exuding strength and nature vibes. It's wonderful that you're drawn to less common names. Oakley and Arlo are also charming options. Ultimately, the perfect name is the one that resonates with you and holds special meaning. Trust your instincts, and enjoy this precious time in choosing a name that feels just right for your growing family. Wishing you joy and happiness on your parenting journey!

@FayCarew i tagged you too so you can see my reply I hope that’s ok.

I think this may be an accent difference. I’m Welsh speaking from South Wales (very similar accent wise to Cai from Pobl y Cwm) and my sons middle name is Cai.
In our accent there is a distinction between the diphthong in Cai and the dipthong in eye or high. I think it’s a Welsh language thing. I’m a SLT and also a linguistics nerd, so I can see why it’s confusing, but it’s not the same.

Koa-la. Not good. Oakley is also more of a dog name to me.

Kian Egan from Westlife has a son called Koa. He is an excellent surfer. It is very odd that I know this but i think i must have read it in a magazine at some stage and it stuck in my mind because I thought it was a fitting name for a surfer - it makes me think of both Hawaii and Australia (the Koala link) which are both obviously heavily associated with surfing.

Thanks for sharing. To be clear @FayCarew - I was agreeing with you… I’ve never heard Cai/Kai pronounced any other way than this.

@TheOriginalEmu , @SoOutingWhoCares , Cai pronunciation. Drama on 4 - Land of My Father - BBC Sounds (First mentioned 4:45 mins in. Also mentioned at 43:20-ish in the credits)
The actor, Mali Harries, is from South Wales and is a Welsh speaker.

There's a character called Cai in Pobol y Cwm, based in the Welsh Valleys, and in Rownd a Rownd (based in North West Wales). In both TV programmes the character's name is pronounced Kigh, like Kite without the t.

I have worked in schools for 20 years and never hear any children tease anyone for their name. I have also known a koa and a khoa

Phonetically, in IPA, the correct pronunciation of high and sigh is haɪ and saɪ
(a-ee)

not ʌɪ (uh-ee)

So...I'm confused.

Kai is pronounced like Kite. That's how @FayCarew is suggesting Cai is also pronounced.

What is an equivalent English word that you would say Cai rhymes with?

I'm linguistics geek trying to wrap my head round this!

If m&d like it and it isn't cruel, go for it. You'll never find a name that everyone likes and everyone will have an opinion regardless.
It's too new, too old, old fashioned, quirky, out there, there'll be 6 of them in their class, rate, common, chavvy, posh - you name it, someone will think it so if you guys love Koa, go with Koa.

Not in Welsh. the vowel is is ah+ee not uh+ee.

Don't like Koa, sorry.

You aren't just naming a baby...you're naming someone who will grow up. Fair enough if you were Hawaiian but you aren't. Can you imagine a 90 year old Koa one day in a care home, "right Koa, we'll just get you on the hoist and into the bed. Your grandchildren will be coming to see you later, Koa, that will be nice won't it?"

There's a lot of current names that aren't going to age well at the moment ("Bear", "River", "Winter" etc). If you do insist on using it, make sure he's got a decent middle name that he can at least use on his CV/Job Applications and be taken seriously one day.

Also not my cup of tea. When we named our children we tried to give them names that would take them anywhere in life that they wanted to go. Koa may be better in that respect than Oakley but only just.

Love Koa
I follow a family on TikTok and their baby is Koa
Go for it! I really don’t get Koala from it either