Using a country-specific name when you have no links to that place

[Ca55andraMortmain]

Didn't really know how to describe it in the thread title!

Basically I've always really liked the name Ianto. I think it goes well with the Mylo, sholto, Arlo trend but is nicer and more unusual (here, anyway). Obviously though it's a very clearly Welsh name. We aren't Welsh, don't live in Wales and have in fact never been to Wales. Is it too weird for us to use it? I'm not sure if most people hearing it would even know it was Welsh (we live in Scotland) but I don't want to seem like we're just appropriating names from someone else's culture.

[FellOutOfBed2wice]

I had a boyfriend who had a very clearly Irish name- think Seamus or Eoghan rather than Sean or Patrick- and he had no Irish connection. His surname was also vaguely Irish in character, an Murphy kind of name. He spent his whole life with people assuming he was Irish or had Irish parents, and was forever having to say he wasn’t. It drove him bananas. I remember him once saying “I don’t know what my mum was thinking. It was as culturally inappropriate as if she had named me Mohammed” 😂

[sandgrown]

I gave my daughter a name that is popular in South Asia despite having no connection. We knew someone with the name and liked it. Years later I found out that my biological father was from that area!

[travellinglighter]

Just use it, I know a Malaysian girl called Seren(Welsh for star). There are lots of non Welsh Rhians out there. My kids have very Welsh names but they are Welsh. I have a friend who’s never said DS’s name right ever.

I also know a Sioned (Shon ed) who prefers the English version Janet. If it all goes wrong then he can revert to the English version which is John.

[trueblueari]

I have an Italian name and no Italian roots.

When expecting DD I considered Dionysia but it was just too quintessentially Greek to justify using with no Greek connections. But I think you'd be fine using Ianto as, like you said, it doesn't scream "Wales" the way Dionysia or Nectarios scream "Greece" or Hamish screams "Scotland."

I say go for it

[Racecardriver]

I can see why you mean. We live in England but have zero British heritage so felt really unconfoetable using the usual james/henry/William type names but feel little connection to our own heritage. In the end we used very unpopular celeriac and dagon names because they would be pronounceable and helps our children feel more of connection to their motherland but wouldn't makes us look like we were trying to be british when we inositol aren't.

[NaughtToThreeSadOnions]

But then it’s likely that you would only name your son after Jock Stein if you were a fan of Scottish football surely?

Not nessarily it was the only jock i could think of, because im a football fan, not a scottish football fan, jusy a football fan, indeed im more if i was to name any child after footvallers it would be jackie (charlton) niall (quinn) john (alderidge) mick (mccarty) david even ned (kelly, same person) , (thst will tell you the national team i support an the era im connected too) i i might for instance call my child Alex, im really not man united fan or a scotland fan, i might even be tempted to call my child Arsene, definatly not french, really not french, but two of the greatest managers of my generation.


Yes your giving your oppinion, same as i was, it was you who chose to tag me to disagree with me, i gave thecreasons why i still didagree with you, hope this is ok with you know, some one disagrees with you it is allowed

[loopylass13]

Always loved the name Svetlana - I have no idea how to say it or where it originates (might have to google). Want to say Russian or Poland, I obviously have no links. Only reason I wouldn't use it is because my accent would likely subtract from the beauty of it.

[moofolk]

Just binge watch all of Torchwood now and name your son after Ianto Jones.

[PinkCalluna]

hope this is ok with you know, some one disagrees with you it is allowed

Gosh Naught you sound a bit peeved. Yes of course you can disagree with me as much as you like, it’s pretty much how MN works.

When I said “I’m just giving my opinion” what I meant was “I’m probably not right”.

[NaughtToThreeSadOnions]

Only because you sounded annoyed that i disagreed with you, the whole only giving my oppinion like the op asked, sounded like you were annoyed pink that i disagreed that Jock was a name that was so scottish youd be think it was weird that some one with no scottish connections would name their child Jock, i gave you one example, one that sprung to my head because i'm a football fan, and you didnt like it and had to in my oppinion peevishly go "well im giving my oppinion like op asked" dodnt say you counldnt give your oppinion you jowevet seem rather annoyed with me that i a dont think its that odd giving a child a name that is country specfic, there are plenty of little and indeed not so little Sean, Bronwen, Alistair running arroubd that have absoultely no connection to their country of their names orgins.

Amd celebrity names mean that even names as Irish as Ronan and scottish as Jock mean that are used by people who happen to be fans 9f those people.

I understand and respect your oppinion just a shame you feel that only you are allowed to give your oppinion like the op asked, because appatently i wasnt allowed too

[PinkCalluna]

Ok Naught.

Of course you are allowed to give your opinion.

You misread my tone. Easily done online. No stress.

[Bagadverts]

I'd only avoid if you are bothered by having to tell other non Welsh people about spelling or pronunciation. If I met someone with an unusual name I'd assume there a family connection,

[TheOriginalEmu]

I don’t have any issue with anyone using a welsh (or whatever other culture) name, for me the issue would be that Ianto isn’t really a name, it’s a pet/nick name. A bit like calling a baby Dave. It’s a pet form of Ioan.
(Also, being totally off the point. In my part of the world Myfanwy is pronounced Muh-VAN-oi, a much nicer sound to my ear at least than the way it’s butchered normally).

[Kaznet]

I've been looking through a Welsh name website. Because I love Wales , I love the language, I think it's the most beautiful place on Earth! But I don't know of any relatives from there. Many , many generations on one side lived close to the boarder but that's it.if I do go for it I'm going to pick one that is obvious how to pronounce as I don't want them to have to correct all the time.

[ICantCopeAnymore]

I think it's a bit odd, if I'm honest.

Mainly because when English people use Welsh names, they think they're pronouncing them correctly but most of the time aren't.

[MikeUniformMike]

Myfanwy is pronounced Muh-VAN-wi (wi like in with).
Agree with ICantCopeAnymore. Rhian is popular now and it is not an easy name to say if you aren't familiar with the RH sound. It isn't Ree-un or Re-anne, or even RRee-an.

[Heratnumber7]

Myfanwy is not pronounced Muh-van-wee.

In Welsh it's pronounced Muh-van-ooy or -oi.
The last syllable isn't a sound found in English so it's difficult to explain.

[MikeUniformMike]

the wy is just like the wi in English 'with', 'wit' etc.
forvo.com/word/myfanwy/
I only tried the first one, and it sounded fine.

[ICantCopeAnymore]

The funniest attempts are the "How to pronounce Myfanwy" YouTube clips.

[MikeUniformMike]

I'll have to have a listen.
There aren't many Welsh names that sound exactly the same if you don't speak welsh. Here are some:
Non, Nan, Gwen, Glesni
Wyn, Bryn, Glyn, Cai

Names ending in -an or -en tend to get said as -un by non-welsh speakers.

There are some names that work in both English and Welsh like Owen, Vaughan, Lloyd and biblical names like Ann, Ruth, Hannah, Miriam, Samuel, Daniel etc.

[Branleuse]

I dont think its a massive deal. If you like the name, use it.

I dont think Lanto is particularly "out there"

Or you could book a quick weekend to wales before the birth and then you could tell people it was because you feel in love with wales on a wonderful holiday

Tbh though, you dont need a big excuse for using a name

[ICantCopeAnymore]

Well that last post just goes to show

It's Ianto, with a capital i, not Lanto

[MikeUniformMike]

Panto?

[ClashCityRocker]

Soooo..

How is it pronounced?

On paper I'd say I-an-to or maybe ee-an-to?

Must admit I've never heard of it, and wouldn't think 'oh that's a Welsh name'.... But then I'm not Welsh myself.

[ArcheryAnnie]

Every name is from somewhere originally - I can't see a problem with using Ianto at all.