I didn't think this name would be so unpopular

[spookybitches]

So all throughout my pregnancy, my husband and I kept our baby name choices to ourselves. My baby is now 2 months old, and nearly everyone we have met or spoken to, have mispronounced it. Granted, we haven't seen many people over the last few weeks, so now I'm starting to wonder if it's just my family or if it's really so unheard of?
My baby boy is called Cillian (DH Irish). My whole family pronounce it silly-an even when I've corrected them numerous times.
Can I ask if you would know how to pronounce Cillian? I'm worried I've set him up for a lifetime correcting people.

I would say 'sorry is it sillian or killian?

@sunshine11 - Still time to change it rather than saddle child with a silly name for life.

A perfect example of the xenophobic attitude of a certain subset of English people.

@sabbii - if you want to pronounce it as sil-i-an then by all means.

Have you not read the op? She knows how to pronounce it. It's her family who are refusing to pronounce it correctly.

I knew it was pronounced Kill-e-an. Good name. Don't worry about people not knowing how to say it. There are loads of names like that. When he grows up he can tell people he meets how it's pronounced and then they'll know.

Sorry id also pronounce it silly-Ann

Orla' is properly spelled, 'Órlaith' in Irish

Or, going slightly further back, Órfhlaith.

People will learn over time. If you like it keep it. My LG is called Ciara (I’m Irish in UK) and people struggle to pronounce correctly but once they are told they get it.

I've not heard that name before and would not know how to pronounce it. I have a name that most people in England cannot pronounce and it is tedious spending your life trying to explain how to say your name and listening to it being said wrongly. I chose common English names for my children for this reason.

I go straight for Killy-en but I am Irish, so unfair advantage, though even I struggle with some Irish names 😂

I would have said silly-an, but said it right after I had been corrected. I’m sorry to say, but choosing Cillian instead of Killian means you have set him up for a lifetime of correcting people (but there are plenty of first & last names that can be said for).

Killian but I live in Germany and not uncommon here

It's a lovely name. I know two, one adult and one teenager and I've always thought how nice it is. .

There's one in my son's class and Cillian Murphy so I'd know. Ignore them they'll get used to it!

Silly-un? Killy-un?

And I'm afraid it doesn't convey either gender to me. (But perhaps that's good these days?)

But so what? A lot of his friends will have unpronouncable foreigh names. much worse than that. They'll cope.

(Both my first and last name have a choice of acceptable spellings. I've got inured to seeing the wrong one in programmes and reviews.)

I know how to pronounce it. I like it. I don’t want to cause a row but are your family being a bit mean? If you and your DH like it just keep correcting them or ignore them.

Killy-an from me as I’ve adored and worshipped Cillian Murphy since Intermission. Great name, congratulations 🥳 x

Kill-ee-un is how i would pronounce it.....questioningly.....after pausing to deliberate on it before I actually spoke.

Kill ian - i thought everyone would have heard of it by now because if peaky blinders - I've never seen it and i know who he is. Some people are just tools. Tell them once how to pronounce it and if they say anything else just reply with... WHO?

I’m sorry to say, but choosing Cillian instead of Killian means you have set him up for a lifetime of correcting people

Sigh. There is no K in the Irish language, and the OP is not obliged to anglicise a name in case monoglot English people find it Too Hard.

Not sure a name that's pronounced kill is great.

@Aglet - Not sure a name that's pronounced kill is great.

It's not pronounced kill. It's pronounced kill-y-un.

Monoglot good word, not heard it before!

My teenaged nephew Cillian is born & bred in The UK (admittedly in a city with a lot of Irish heritage) and has no difficulties with people pronouncing his name. He will he grand.

Cillian is one of the bog standard Irish name though. Why can’t your family pronounce it?

I would've thought most people would be familiar with the name Cillian because of Cillian Murphy - or perhaps it's just me with a massive crush on him

I also worked with a lovely Irish man called Cillian in my 20's a long time ago so have long known how it was spelled/pronounced.