Aidan or Milan for a boy?

[user1467251298]

Hi,

We have finally narrowed it down to 2 boys names: Aidan or Milan. Which one do you prefer? We like these names as they are English but also have an Indian meaning (my partner has an Indian background and we live in an English country). We already have a 2 years old son called Kiran.

Aidan means "born of fire" in hindi and Milan "union".

We are also considering the following spelling for Aidan: Aedan - just to have something different.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks a lot for your help! It is really appreciated!

If you spell Aidan Aedan he will have to explain it for his whole life. Please don't do it

I like Aidan best, it's lovely.

I've always thought of Aidan as an Irish name, I didn't realise it had an Indian meaning too. I'd go for Aidan, rather than Aedan as that spelling will be more familiar to English speakers.

Milan is a nice name, but I think it will get pronounced like the Italian city with the stress on the second syllable. I'm guessing that when used as a first name it would be pronounced with the stress on the first part, like MEE-lan.

I know a Czech guy called Milan. It's a bit forrin, unless you're forrin

Aiden is nice, don't do fancy spelling it ruins it

Milan I find a bit silly as a name, would always wonder if they were conceived there etc

Aidan is Irish too. Not particularly uncommon here. I like it a lot.

I have an Aidan, people ALWAYS spell it wrong!

How do you pronounce Milan?

Milan is the word in India for Union/convergence/unity. It's a Hindi word. Pronounced mill-un

Just shows how differently things are read across cultures, because the western eye would read it as "milaaan- city in italy".

So if an Indian family in India name their baby Milan in a perfectly okay traditional name selection, and 25 years on, that baby is a young man who emigrated over here, his totally okay name would become a "curious/funny" thing - oh that Indian dude has a name after an Italian City!

Milan

How do you mean Milan is English? Aidan is an anglicisation of a Scottish and Irish name but is common in English counties, but I've never heard Milan as a name. If you want something exotic which reflects your partner's culture then go for it - but if you want something English go for Aidan. And I wouldn't spell it randomly, even though originally the Aidan spelling is kind of random, as it is a way to try to represent Gaelic phonemes in English. But an unusual spelling of a common name is a pain.

Milan is Eastern European, rather than British ( eg Kundera is Czech).

So if you want a British and Indian name, then go for Aidan, which I think is a lovely name.

I do not think changing the spelling improves it.

I'd assume a child called Milan was Czech.

We are using Aidan for our boy due next month so I am a bit biased. I wouldn't mess with the spelling though for the sake of having something different. He will be explaining how to spell his name all his life. There is of course the alternative Aiden spelling (which I have read is the more popular spelling) but I think Aidan is nicer.

Maybe Aidan Milan (surname) or Milan Aidan (surname) so you can have them both?

I'm not sure about Milan as a name. I have never heard of it used as a name either...I just think of the Italian city and I would pronounce it like that too (until I heard otherwise).

I love the name Aidan. It was on our shortlist. My only hesitation is that, being Irish, it will compound any confusion over Kiran being derived from Ciarán rather than the Indian name.

I like Milan! It's a lovely name :) And where I'm from Milan is the name for the red kite bird, which makes me like it as well. I also like the name Milo.

Aidan is ok, but I personally don't really like it. But if you were to go with Aidan I think going with the traditional spelling would be better.

The only Milan I've met was from what was then Yugoslavia - I'm beginning to think it's popular all over Eastern Europe!

I think I like Aidan slightly better in absolute terms, but I like Milan and Kiran as a set.

I prefer Aidan but please don't spell it wrong just to be different.

Aidan or Aiden.

Milan sounds a bit celeb-wannabe.

milan is the English spelling of a real actual Hindi word from India meaning unity or union

I have taught a Milan, he was Polish or Latvian I think (can't quite remember). It's not really an English name.

Aidan is Irish but would be more of a commonly recognised name in England iyswim. Please, no wannabe unique spelling.

Aiden, dont like milan sorry

I know many Milans (lived in Czech Republic!) so it's familiar to me as a name. I like Aidan better, lovely name!