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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Does anyone have a name you keep needing to correct people on?

42 replies

amy0787 · 18/02/2015 11:51

We are pregnant with our second child and bit stuck on boys names especially. Obviously no great rush but fun to start thinking anyway. Dh and I are both from wales but now live in England. Our son has a welsh name beginning with O but used in England and the rest of the world too so no issues with pronunciation.
I was talking to my brother about the name Osian which I really like, he said no one will be able to say it and will get really irritating for the child having to explain all the time? Does anyone have any experience of this and is it annoying? I also quite like Idris and Evan so opinions on any of these names too. Thanks you

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Original poster

amy0787 · 18/02/2015 11:57

Dodgy wording in that title, sorry, can't find edit! Good job I'm on maternity leave as baby brain kicked in!

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BlueChampagne · 18/02/2015 12:44

Yeah - you get used to it. Worse things happen at sea! Friends will learn. However, Idris is a lovely name too.

SirVixofVixHall · 18/02/2015 12:47

My friend has an Osian but lives in London. It hasn't been a problem actually, people seem to get it quite quickly, and also he is often called "Osh" or "Oshie" as nn.
My dds names on the other hand....

BlueStarsAtNight · 18/02/2015 13:42

I knew an Osian at college, it was never a problem for him, he would have to tell people once or twice but they quickly got it.

Evan is the easiest to say but my least favourite (especially if your DS' name is what I'm guessing as I think they're too similar.

I quite like Idris but prefer Osian!

Sophronia · 18/02/2015 15:21

I like all three names, especially Idris. Osian might be a bit too similar to your other son's name?

I've got a name that people always mishear, but I wouldn't say it's particularly irritating.

OsMalleytheCat · 18/02/2015 15:24

How do you pronounce Osian?
I would pronounce it O-shane.. Am I right??
I've not got a hard to pronounce name but it's spelt uneekly so people have a hard time reading it but as pps have said you get used to it and often pre-empt it in difficult situations.
Could you give home a really boring middle name like bob to fall back on?

SirChenjin · 18/02/2015 15:25

I have a surname that doesn't look the way it's spelt. 20 years of correcting people has been a complete PITA, and if I were doing it all over again I would keep my maiden name.

Otoh, Osian is hardly that difficult, is it? I like Idris, but that probably has more to do with the delicious Mr Elba.

Dogsmom · 18/02/2015 15:27

I wouldn't have a clue how to pronounce Osian, I read it as 'Ocean', it doesn't matter though because you only have to tell people once and they remember.

My name has a silent 'H' which the majority of people miss out, it's not an issue.

Hakluyt · 18/02/2015 15:32

Remember that he will have to correct practically everyone he meets at least once for the rest of his life. Then think again.

Original poster

amy0787 · 18/02/2015 16:15

Thank you everyone. Osian is said osh-an. Not too difficult to say at all once you know how but as a few have said, might get boring having to tell everyone?
A few have also said too similar to sons name which I'm sure you all got is Owen. Would you say both Osian and evan are too similar to Owen?

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Hakluyt · 18/02/2015 16:19

Osian is definitely too close to Owen. To throw another spanner in the works, there is also a similar sounding but differently spelled Irish name.....

NadiaWadia · 18/02/2015 16:24

Really? I know an Osian and everyone says it 'oss-ee-an'. As his mother was Welsh, I presumed that was the correct pronunciation? Strange.

SirVixofVixHall · 18/02/2015 16:32

You do slightly sound the "i" in Welsh, but to english ears it just sounds like Oshan. The "s" in welsh makes a sh sound, so Nadia maybe your friends parents had only seen it written down and didn't know how to pronounce it?

Original poster

amy0787 · 18/02/2015 16:36

A few welsh names are said differently south, west and north, it could be something to do with that? I've always known the name as osh-an. I can see all being axed at this rate, haha. Helpful to hear peoples honest opinions before it's too late though so thanks.

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StrawberryCheese · 18/02/2015 16:37

I have a Welsh name and have had to correct people on the spelling and pronunciation all my life. As bluechampagne says though, you get used to it.

I like Idris out of your choices.

SianHere · 18/02/2015 16:43

I'm a Sian, Welsh parents born and raised in England. I have spent much of my life spelling out my name to people and then saying things like "Yes, it's Welsh" "Yes, my parents are Welsh" "No, not Siobhan" blah blah blah.

I also get called Sharon, Shane, Sean, Shana, Siobhan, Shanie etc etc.

I love my name though, love that it is Welsh and I've got used to spelling it out and correcting people.

SianHere · 18/02/2015 16:44

Oh and my cousin is Ioan which is lovely - but they live in Wales so it's a bit more common!

Cataline · 18/02/2015 16:47

Our DS constantly gets called by the wrong name. He's really not bothered by it as he soon puts people right if they meet more than once!
On a welsh-related note- how do I pronounce Elian please?

SirVixofVixHall · 18/02/2015 16:54

Well in South Wales sometimes you might lose a vowel sound slightly, as they are less Welsh speaking. But Welsh is a phonetic language, so there aren't silent letters. It is a very short "i" so not emphasised. It is similar to Sian, which is more shyarn than sharn iyswim, but without the long "a" so Osh-yan for the English. I haven't ever noticed any difference in name pronounciation in different regions of Wales, for the reason above. I am in the Welsh speaking West, my father from the South, and my mother from the North, and although the accents are different, the pronouciation is not particularly. Anyway, i love Osian, there are a couple in dds school, and to Welsh ears it isn't very similar to Owen, i think they are good together.

Notso · 18/02/2015 16:57

All the Osians I know (and there are many) pronounce it more like Osssyan.

I have heard English speakers pronounce it Ozzi-an and O-sea-un.

Evan and Owen and Osian and Owen are very samey.

NadiaWadia · 18/02/2015 17:26

Don't know then! Re: family friend Osian pronounced 'oss-ee-an') I don't know what region of Wales his late mother came from, but his father is English and he was brought up in England. I would guess either it is something to do with regional differences in pronunciation within Wales, or that maybe she was too polite to correct all the English people around her, and just accepted the mispronunciation of her son's name! (Unlikely though, as she was quite a strong willed woman and also quite educated so surprised she would have got it wrong).

Original poster

amy0787 · 18/02/2015 17:40

Yes I maybe said that a bit wrong. I know I say things slightly differently to my friend from the west but she's first language welsh and it's more a difference in accents to a totally different pronunciation.
I would agree with sirvixofvixhall in her explanation but am by no means an authority. I personally have never heard it said o sea an but if causing this much confusion on here, maybe answers my question!

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MrsBrightside80 · 18/02/2015 17:45

Me, I have a both a first and surname hard to pronounce. I love being different and don't hesitate to correct people. I have welsh heritage and my son has one of the names you've mentioned.

NadiaWadia · 18/02/2015 17:45

Thanks amy07. Just checked, apparently she was from North West Wales, where her father was a teacher of Welsh!

Original poster

amy0787 · 18/02/2015 17:56

I do like Ioan too, it's lovely but doesn't solve the issue of too close to Owen. It seems I like all varients of my sons name!

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