How would you pronounce Aryan?

[Icloud54]

Thank you

[usernameavailable]

Oh, ive just realised!

[usernameavailable]

I know a child called Aryan. It is an Arabic name.
Not sure why it is classed as racist. Can someone please tell me as I am confused.

[Ktown]

If you like it, I’d change the spelling. It just jars in English regardless of origin.

[thepatchworkcat]

I taught a Persian boy called Ariean, pronounced Air-ee-an.

[icantgetnosleep5]

LOL

[crazynutterwoman]

Similarly Isis is the name of an Egyptian goddess, so would surely be a popular name. So unfortunate for all those already named Isis

[crazynutterwoman]

Arya (for a girl) and Aryan (for a boy) are very common names in India. It comes from the Indo-Persian word Arya meaning Noble. Aryan being somebody that follows Arya Dharma ie the noble way of life. Nazis took up some dodgy research and misconstrued the word to indicate white, blue eyed, blonde race. And introduced the racial construction. Just as they took over the Hindu swastika, turned it around and appropriated it.
Hindus would not give up something that has cultural significance just because a monster chose to use it. Kids in India are still named Aryan (shahrukh khan's son for eg) and we will use the Hindu swastika.

However, it's in the child's interest to consider how the name is perceived and whether it can be mispronounced easily or used to tease the kid with. Dixit is a very common surname in India, but it was only here that I sensed how a child with that surname could get teased by other kids.

[Fekko]

I'd guess it's more common in India/Pakistan/Iran than in the west. Parents would realise the connection within a society and make the call.

A relative has a name that sounds very much like a racial slur of pronounced on one 'proper' way to an American ear. She only realised when someone yelled her name over the street and he was met with a lot of scowls and bristling.

[RidingWindhorses]

Im surprised I hadn't heard of it as I've got a number of Indian friends, read a lot of Indian literature and philosophy.

I'm familiar with Arun and Arjun/a.

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

Surprised so many people don't know of this name! I know it's an Asian name but it still does make me think of Nazis I'm afraid. But then so does Aria/Arya which is very popular too.

[Fekko]

The swastika was flipped over so its arms point the other way (if that makes sense).

[ChardonnaysPrettySister]

Have you read the thread Carrie?

It's of Persian origin, used in India, but has been appropriated by the Nazis.

[BrawneLamia]

I don't think I would use this name due to the negative associations - as this thread shows, not everyone is aware of its Asian origins, whereas the majority of British people are aware of the nazi association

[TheHeraldOfAndraste]

What about Naryan or Arjun instead OP?

[Bonez]

arr-yan

[CoolCarrie]

It's an Indian name, nothing to do with the Nazis at all!
Air Re Ann (DS friends name)

[DumbledoresApprentice]

The swastika is rotated 45 degrees, LITL.

[Loveisthelaw]

Jewish here and I would assume Asian rather than Nazi. Still probably would advise against using the name I'm western Europe as although it's clearly a proper name with history the associations are bad.

Curious about the post stating that the Nazis turned the swastika on its side. How does that work? Doesn't it have radial symmetry so would look the same?

[RidingWindhorses]

To be fair it wasn't clear intially that OP was from an Asian background. So British imperial history wasn't relevant, although I do agree that many British are surprsingly ignorant of it.

Asian heritage puts the name in a different context.

Despite not being Jewish I still wouldn't use the name in a Caucasian family. Not really to do with current neo-Nazism and white supremacism, so much as it's indelibly linked with Nazi Germany and the holocaust. I wouldn't feel comfortable using that name around Jewish friends, and why would I want to?

[Fekko]

You get pale, blue eyed, fair Iranians - so yes, you might think little aryan's mum and dad were white supremacists. Although I did have a social media post pop up by a young woman in Asia with the middle name 'swastika,

[takingsmallsteps]

Anyway when properly pronounced it's AAH-ree-an so nothing like the Aryan race. Even when people mispronounce it they say A as in cat so still not Air-ree-an.

[takingsmallsteps]

I'm not sure anyone would look at an Asian family and think "wtf Nazis".

[StepAwayFromCake]

I'm Jewish and the daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. Calling your child Aryan/Arian/Aaryan or any other variant would not make me think that you were a white supremacist/neo-Nazi/ignorant/whatever.

[HaHaHmm]

It’s a perfectly valid thing to wonder within the context of the thread. Of course everyone’s general historical knowledge should include a good understanding of the Holocaust and I’m also a bit nonplussed at someone having no idea whatsoever about the Nazi connotations of ‘Aryan.’

But it is not a zero sum game and I do think that the level of general ignorance about the realities of the Empire in recent history amongst the British population is pretty desultory. How many know that more than 10 million people were uprooted because of partition? How many know that an estimated 1 million were killed in the sectarian violence which followed? How many Britons know about the 2.1 million people who died in the Bengal Famine, also in the 1940s? If we’re going to wring our hands about general ignorance, that is.

You only have to read this thread to see that many people don’t know that both the term Aryan and the swastika symbol had significance before they were appropriated by the Nazis.