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Original poster

Spanish speakers - would you?

33 replies

ScotinSpain · 26/04/2019 17:07

Name changed for this as potentially outing. I'm Scottish and expecting a baby boy in July. I'd love a name with Celtic connections and the only name DH and I agree on at the moment is Finn.

However, we live in Spain and will be staying here for the foreseeable. Given that 'fin' in Spanish means 'end', I have my doubts about using the name. Would you do it?

All thoughts gratefully accepted!

OP posts:
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rosevioletlily · 26/04/2019 17:09

I probably wouldn’t personally. I don’t really like the name Finn though even without the Spanish pronunciation issue

Hoppinggreen · 26/04/2019 17:11

I don’t live in Spain but speak it pretty well
I probably wouldn’t use that name if I lived there though

TheGrey1houndSpeaks · 26/04/2019 17:14

I wouldn’t use it anywhere...

whatausername · 26/04/2019 21:07

@TheGrey1houndSpeaks - no need to be an arsehole about it.

OP i probably wouldn't seeing as the kid has to grow up there

Taswama · 26/04/2019 21:11

I think you definitely need to consider the culture you currently live in and that makes it a no-no. Any names that have a recognisable Spanish equivalent?

lovinglifexo · 26/04/2019 21:13

yea don’t do it.
It won’t be know in Spain and yea end

Riverviews · 26/04/2019 21:24

Spaniard here. Don't do it. He'll never hear the end of it at school

Original poster
ScotinSpain · 26/04/2019 23:39

Thanks all. Sounds like it's a resounding no! Back to the drawing board...

OP posts:
Bumblebeesmum · 27/04/2019 09:53

I never understand why people get called names for giving their opinion of a name on a the name section of an opinion site Grin

Bumblebeesmum · 27/04/2019 09:55

I don’t like the name Finn particularly but actually I can’t see why it would need to be avoided - end is not the worst word. If you find something you both love instead then that’s great but I really think this wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me - just a downside

Hoppinggreen · 27/04/2019 11:30

It would probably be pronounced “Feen” as well, which isn’t great

Hoppinggreen · 27/04/2019 11:33

You might not like it but our son is called Oscar
DH is German and we spend several months a year in Spain too.
We partly chose it because it works in English, Spanish and German
As I’m sure you know avoid English names with a J or TH sound, our friend is called “Yack” and we know a “Teeo” .

Hoppinggreen · 27/04/2019 11:33

Daniel seems to work ok if you like that?

RuggarWoah · 27/04/2019 12:09

Glad you decided no.

We live in Spain. My friend liked Noah when she was preganant and her Spanish DH said no. Noa is a crazy popular girls name here pn the same way. So it would be like calling your boy in England Amelia or something.
They decided on Daniel, Dani in the end as it a really international name.

She's pregnant with their second now, also a boy so we've been talking about international names a lot.

The ones we came up with were:
Max
Marc
Lucas
Christian
Thomas/Tomas
Sol
Carl
Luca
Diego (Spanish but everyone knows it)
Oscar
Pablo
Mario
Nicolas
Sebastian
Patrick

RuggarWoah · 27/04/2019 12:26

Oh and Alex. They couldn't have that because nephew was already called it, but they loved it.

sparklytwinklyfairylights · 27/04/2019 13:34

I understand the reasoning for not using Finn, it would sound a bit strange in Spain but how about Finlay?
Still get the Scottish connection

YeOldeTrout · 27/04/2019 13:38

I dunno. I met a Spanish woman called her DD Nina. Which just sounded WEIRD in Spanish (imho). But none of the Spaniards seemed to think it was odd, just me! So I don't think Finn (Feen!) would be so bad.

Finlay could work, too.

RuggarWoah · 27/04/2019 13:48

We do have some what would be considered different names here. In the last couple of years I've met 2 baby Veras (pn Vair-Ra)

A popular boys name is Joan (pn Jo-Anne)

Also Adrián is another popular name (pn Add-Re-Ann), whereas in the UK it would be thought of as a very 70's name.

I totally understand saying no to Finn. If the OP is living here and the little boy will be going to school here then it's not fair to give him a name that other kids could mock at school.

You do have to consider the country you are living in, where the child will be going to school. It's mean not to.

FogCutter · 27/04/2019 13:49

How about Flynn?

Would that work in Spanish (I can't speak Spanish!)

RuggarWoah · 27/04/2019 14:35

Flynn would be Flynn and means nothing as far as I know.

lolaflores · 27/04/2019 14:43

Spanish in my experience (4 years. Dad of dd1 spanish), laughed at the very normal English name I gave her. Translated unto Spanish not very different but was seen as common. I got on with it.
Basque gallego Catalan regional names very popular. In canaries Iriome was the height of chic back in the day.
Spanish are not shy about open mockery and that's from personal experience

DonkeyHohtay · 27/04/2019 14:50

It will be pronounced Feeeeen and not Finn.

Flynn would still be Fleen and not Flinn. the "i" sound in Spanish words is almost always said as "ee".

PetraRabbit · 27/04/2019 19:58

Definitely no to Finn. Unfortunately a lot of the celtic nsmes can sound really downmarket in a Spanish accent (in one South American country I know "Brayan" is considered pretty much the ultimate chav name- maybe unfair but true). What about Kian or Rohan /Ronan? They are easy to pronounce for Spanish speakers and kind of in the same vein as Finlay?

PetraRabbit · 27/04/2019 20:00

I don't think Flynn is that great either:"Fleen". Just doesn't work nicely in Spanish.

EspressoPatronum · 27/04/2019 20:02

How about Efren?