welsh people help me! !

[followed]

I am Welsh but not Welsh speaking, and I live in London.

I've named my 10 month old Osian and pronunce it OSHun, but recently met some Welsh speakers who pronunce it oshAN. Am I saying it incorrectly (which would be massively embarrassing!) or is my way an acceptable variation? Can't ask anyone irl due to embarrassment.

I'm in a real panic now and thinking of changing his name quickly before the 12 month deadline! I actually don't like the oshAN pronunciation at all but don't want him growing up saying his own name wrong!

Help.

Apple do you think it is wrong when you hear a non-Welsh speaker say Bethan or Megan? and/or does it annoy you?

I say Lowri as Loe-ree

OshAn, same as it is Duhlan and Lohree. However, there are plenty of Oshun, Dillon and Lowrees in none Welsh speaking areas. I doubt it'll make a big difference in England

I just wondered on that as my aunt was x-Lowri and said it Lohree. However I work with a Welsh speaker (first language) who says Low-ree.

My aunt was a welsh first langue speaker from N.Wales.

that is loe as in roe. although saying that is depends on the person and I would say it however they say it.

I have been trying to think how I say other names ending in an (including non-Welsh ones) e.g.
Rowan, Cian, Ethan, Ian, Declan, Aidan, Brian......

Do Welsh speakers pronunce the end of these names in a hard AN way too? I would say them all in a softer an/un type way. If the Welsh speakers DO pronounce the AN then this lends weight to Overthefields argument, that it is a quirk of pronunciation.

Can any Welsh speakers help me out with their pronucitations of the above list? Apple?

MabliD have you ever met an Osian in a non-Welsh area? if yes and they say -un, I am happy and will stop bombarding everyone with my pedantics!

When I say roe it sounds like row (as in row the boat).

My dp is called Ian and he says ee-un.

Grew up in West Wales, welsh speaking families (2) had Oshan

Now in South Wales, have heard both, Oshun being from a family with a broad Essex accent.

Ok, I say Rowan like the tree, teachers call him RowAn. Makes no difference. My 3 DSs all have names ending in -an, even the non welsh names are pronounced with a hard -AN by Welsh speakers.

Followed, I would say all those names are pronounced with an -un at the end, even by Welsh speakers. Apart from Cian which is quite popular where I am in South Wales and does get pronounced Ci-AN.

Does that help or not?!

I have never heard Osian pronounced any other way. Not far from Cardiff here and always pronounced osh-AN in this area.

I suppose it depends on if you're happy with the way it sounds, I would be a bit worried that people would think his name was Ocean but that's coming from a fluent welsh speaker who pronounces all names above with an -AN.

Thanks for all your help so far everyone

At the moment I am experimenting with trying to be a bit more AN, but without tipping over the edge into sounding like I am taking the piss with a fake accent.

It is tricky!!

Still very interested in any other opinions though, as much from a purely intellectual/sociological viewpoint as a selfish help-me-out one.

I'm sorry, but no matter where you are in Wales, it's OsiAn. My OH is from Cardiff, and I'm from Gwynnedd and so we have both ends covered there!!

It does end An, but the stress is always on the last but one syllable in Welsh names. So I would say it OSH-an. In an English accent a lot of vowels get changed to an uh sound.

I am seriously considering it for DS2 but have also been out of Wales a long time. How does it go down in London? Can people remember it/get their heads round it? And Hatecoffee has it become a bit overused/over fashionable in Wales then? Quite like timeless names.

People love it here. I'd say about 5% of people know it (more commonly the irish version).

Most people say just Osh actually.

I heard it had become v popular in Wales and I thought that work to my advantage as it would become slightly better known in England.

mythumbshavegoneweird well there is 7 Osians in DC school and we also know several Osians in sports clubs throughout Wales. It has become overused in the last 5-8 years and very popular all over Wales, not just the north!