Desparate for your honest opinions pls

[Nazly]

So We are having a baby boy in a couple of months and we are struggling with the names; we need a Persian name which sounds and reads well in English

So I know most of these names will be unfamiliar to you, but just tell me how they sound to you and if they can be bullied in schools (!?)- a couple of them have equivalent irish/english and I am keen to know your opinions please

Also, when I am using capital A in the middle of name or two Aa, I mean they are pronounced like both A in Dara or like O in John - if they are not going to be sound as they should can you tell me pls and suggest alternative spelling perhaps
I wouldn't mind if some of you hate them all, we'll start from scratch; just say your opinions pls - thanks a lot for helping x

Arash (pronounced Aarash)
Pendar (pronounced PendAr)
Dario
Dara
Radin (pronounced RAdin)
Sepehr
Ryan

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

But won't Pendar be called Bender at school? Or have kids moved on from using the word 'bender' as an insult?

I like Sepher the best - but maybe I am pronouncing it wrong.

[AWombWithoutARoof]

Ooh, I love Zubin!

[Nazly]

Hi , Awomb his name is going to be "Burman"
Welsh Arash is just Arash ( first A is pronounced like "O" in John, second is pronounced like "a" in Janet - does that make sense?) is it how it sounds when you pronounce it?

Sepehr is pronounced exactly as written, we pronounce the "h" too, but I feel so many people have difficulty reading it now...

New suggestions are also nice , and some of them we haven't thought about before... thanks xx

[Nazly]

Sorry i meant to say his Surname is going to be "Burman" obviously not his name !! :)

[ViviPru]

first A is pronounced like "O" in John Eh?! Come again?!
Yep first though was 'a rash' here too. Unless you absolutely loved it and had no alternatives (which you say is not the case) I'd give it a swerve. Even without the itchy skin connotation it's not the most attractive name IMO.

Ryan is OK but I think it would be nice for you to use a name that is distinctly exotic like your other choices and Ryan most certainly is not that!

Still not following how you are pronouncing Sepehr? If we're being really pedantic in English it could be "Seh-père" but guessing you mean "Seffer" like "Zephr"? I potentially really like that once pronunciation is clarified (and I don't think you ought to worry about having to clarify pronunciation his whole life, that wouldn't be reason enough for me to discount a nice name)

[AWombWithoutARoof]

So, it's pronounced O-rash, with the first syllable sounding like the o in John?

I think it's goes with your surname. Dario Burnam sounds to me like Darry O'Burnam, don't know why.

Love Dara Burnam and Zubin Burnam, and also the Isakander/Eskander suggestion from a pp.

[ViviPru]

Ah like "Aurash"?

[NeverEndingLaundry]

I know a baby boy called Cyrus which is (I think) Persian. I like Arash and Sepehr a lot. They might be difficult for English people to pronounce/spell, but I'd go for what you love even if it is difficult - people get used to names very quickly.

[thegreylady]

Dara and Dario and Ryan all work if you want an 'ordinary ' name but in our multi cultural society very few dc would be teased for their names so go with one you love and which teachers as well as other children will be able to pronounce.
Even my dgs' friend Ptolemy [known as Tolly] has never been teased as far as I know.

[Itsfab]

It is written A but pronounced O?

People will struggle with that a lot.

[looki]

Dara can be either a male or female name in the Irish language. The more usual spelling for it when using as a girls name is Daire - both are pronounced the same.

[PixieofCatan]

I like Arash, I have a cousin named Arash. Dara is good too, though may get confused as I believe it has Irish history too?

I'll be doing the same when I have kids, boys names I like are Darius, Cyrus, Caspian and Caspar. Might have to add Sepehr to that list now though! But it isn't one of the more English sounding names.

Kian is another Persian name that may work?

RE bullying, they'll find something to pick on if not name. My surname got ripped to pieces, my oh-so-typical Iranian nose got a lot of bad attention too!

vivi That's pretty much it :)

[Nazly]

Hello :) I don't know how I managed to write it so confusingly;
Just check oxford symbols for vowels: the first A in Arash is pronounced like "a" in father; the second is pronounced like "a" in cat; does that make more sense? I dislike it if people are going to pronounce both "a" s as "a" in cat; but this is not the case is it??

[PixieofCatan]

People will probably mispronounce it if they're reading the name from paper, but they're just as likely to mispronounce other Persian names on your list.

[Nazly]

Vivi I am with u with your argument about Ryan ; and your second pronunciation is closer to our Sepehr

Pixi nice names - about bulling I know what you mean but if I can help it I rather give people one less reason :)

From Persian point of view we like Dara a lot, not sure if we should be concerned that it is also a girl name? Or even sound more girlish?? The only Irish person I know called Dara is Dara O Brian too

We like Dario a lot too, but it is true it is more Italian than persian

Arash is a nice historic persian name but used too many times among Iranians - I still like it a lot and it had quite good reviews here overall; (a Rash point being only bad point )

And Pendar was one of my favourites but after reading your comments I am not sure about it ....

[ViviPru]

So it's a bit like "R-Rash"/"Ahh-Rash"? I think people might initially pronounce it "A-rash" as in "I have a rash" as that's what immediately sprung to mind for me. Sorry I'm being so persistent with this - I'm starting to irritate myself!

[squoosh]

I know the most gorgeous little Arash so that's my favourite! He's a chubby little ball of mischief. It sounds like ore-ash to my ears.

[indie123]

I like Dario

[ViviPru]

I like Sepehr best then!

[Nazly]

Pixie I dropped so many names from our list because of wrong pronunciation- about Arash, I asked a few people to read it and all of them said it very well, but maybe that was just by chance??

The thing is, many persian names we liked have "a" in them which sounds like a long "a", as in "a" in father; but normally Brits pronounce "a" as in cat or "a" as in about ; I don't know if I could spell it differently; but can't think of anything...

Vivi Aahrash :) that sounds about right ; surely I shouldn't spell it like that or it will be more confusing? Would be concerned if people say A Rash; word processor change it to a rash too...

Dara is pronounced nicely here because it has an equivalent Irish version :)

[looki]

As you like Dara I should have added that it's far far more popular as a boy's name. I know two female Daires and a ton of male Dara's (it can also be spelled Darragh) but the spelling Dara is more popular and much nicer in my opinion.

[SelectAUserName]

Following on from CorusKate, if Pendar is pronounced Pen-DAH rather than PEN-da, it would be even less like "bender" so less bully-worthy?

[Pebbles0934]

I still have no idea how to pronounce Sepehr? Sorry!

Is Avan persian? Does it mean waters? I think that's really nice.

Pendar/bender can't get that out of my head now.

Dario Burnham sounds a lot like Dara O Briain !!!!!!