Edan - too much explaining for two atheists?!

[Hybrid]

DH and I, like many of you judging by posts, are really struggling to come up with a boys name. We already have a Lukas and have a few girls names on a short list but really, I can see us sweating in panic at the registry office come the six week deadline if it's a boy.

I'm actually really liking the sound of Edan which is apparently Celtic in origin and means fire. But
A) does it sound ridiculous?
B) will I be sick of trying to explain its not Eden which I really DON'T like.

Any help / advice would be very appreciated!

if you don't like Eden doesn't Edan sound the same or is it pronounced differently?

people will probably think you said Ethan

Hmm. Looks a bit too similar to Edam. Is it pronounced edann or edenn?

Sounds like Edam to me, and I suspect it will to most people.

Nah - too much potential explaining involved. Erik? Oscar? Not sure what the atheist angle has to do with this, but I wouldn't overthink it. My parents were atheists and after about six weeks they decided to call me something which means "the Christian". And I really don't mind (I'm atheist too).

Oh no!
I'd pronounce it like Eden. Stupid really as its obviously different when written but you don't go round with a placard of your son's name!

Can't really shake the feeling that I might actually like it though, however DH likely to veto it anyway!

Edam - hadn't even considered that!!

I got an image of edam in my head before I even thought of Eden.

I'd just think Eden, if you don't like Eden it's very similar.

What does being atheist have to do with it? I'm an atheist and I love biblical names. My friend is names after Alice in Wonderland and I'm pretty sure her parents don't believe the story actually happened.

I don't think Edan is a name though, is it?

Eben? That's a real name.

I am named after Alice in Wonderland too - unless I am Kiss's friend IRL>

I think people will be confused about pronunciation. Could be Eden, E-dan, Ed-Ann. It makes me think E-Dan, or a composite of Ed and Dan. Why not go for Edward Daniel - E. Dan?

For me it just feels odd going for heavily biblical names when you're atheist and Eden can only really be associated with religion I guess. It's not like Mary and Joseph who can be found as characters in lots of situations. But that's just my opinion and perhaps I've answered my own question!!

PVL - I looked if up and apparently if is a real name.

Guess I'll just have to mull it over.

Thank you all!

Lottie - nice ideas...

Am actually thinking I quite like Ethan too which might make for less explaining!

Evan is good?

I did think "Edam" too I'm afraid!

Ethan is a lovely name (it's also Biblical as it happens!)

I really like Eden and hadn't actually made the biblical connection (am atheist/agnostic too) - I thought of Anthony Eden.

Edan looks like Eden misspelled to me...

You are thinking of an old version of the modern name Aidan if you are considering the name with the meaning 'fire'.

From Thinkbabynames.com

'It is of Gaelic origin, and the meaning of Aidan is "fire". Anglicized form of the ancient Gaelic name Aedan, a pet form of Aed. Name of a bishop of Ferns (seventh century) who was noted for his kindness and generosity. Saint Aidan (Ireland, seventh century) established the monastery of Lindisfarne, one of the great centers of learning of its time. Aiden is a popular modern form of the name.'

So actually you are not getting away from Christianity by using Aedan/Edan.

I like Evan. Or you could have Euan?

or, just shuffled the letters and come up with Dane - I knew a great guy called this.

How can you like the sound of Edan and not like Eden. They sound exactly the same. It is like saying you like Isabel but not Isobel. It is only when they are written down that the are different. Unless you proposing to pronounce it Ee-Dan.

I like Celtic for fire far more than the Christian garden of.

I think people would get it very quickly.

Judgy people might think its a mis-spelling. A conventional (dare I say MC) middle name might be wise.

My DF has a Scandinavia spelling of a common name. People don't have any great problem.

I saw the title of this thread and assumed you'd misspelt Eden

I don't think it sounds ridiculous, but given how uncommon the name is, you could quite easily get people spelling it wrongly at first (even if they're spelling it Edam rather than Eden!)

But they'll probably get it right quickly

You like Edan but hate Eden, even though you'd pronounce both the exact same.

I am officially befuddled.

I know I've already said this, but I really don't think of Eden as a religious name. IME Christian/Jewish parents tend to use people's names from the Bible (David, Samuel, Miriam, Elijah, etc) rather than other words from the Bible.

Personally I would go with Eden (which I think is a great name BTW) and think of it as the Celtic name. The Celts didn't use the Latin alphabet anyway so there are lots of different spellings of Celtic names - ie they may just as easily have spelled it Eden as Edan. In fact this site says Eden is a variant of Edan.

Eden is also generic name used for paradise, eg, this scepter'd isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise,, so while it has a biblical derivation, I think it more than acceptable for an atheist to use it.