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 got the Irish language version of my Covid booklet yesterday, it is quarantined with my visa bill.

@hayfevered haha imagine arranging that vote! Doubt there would be very many people interested enough.

I quite like that the placenames start with Kil. There's a certain charm to it!

I wonder if the OP has got what she wanted out of this thread? It seems to have digressed somewhat....

well, unless you live in ireland, i am surprised that you are surprised that people do not know how to pronounce it.
why would they. most have never ever seen or heard of it.
you have indeed set him up for a lifetime of correcting people, awkward job interviews, business phone calls etc.
it causes anxiety in people when they don't know something that they feel they should. did you not think to canvass random uk people not relatives, ie disinterested, to check how they would say it before you plumped for it. has he got a straightforward second name he could use. or is this a ploy to re-locate to ireland, no visa required !

Dont mention Saoirse then.

Or Eoghan,remember him on X Factor and his name came up on screen,everyones face.

They didnt know what too make of it.

Ah here - people can't choose a name just so that it won't cause anxiety for anyone. It's completely fine to ask someone how they pronounce their name. It's not fine to mispronounce the name repeatedly just because it's different and you can't be arsed to remember.

@alexdgr8 are you serious? She should choose a simple British name to ensure it doesn't cause 'anxiety' in others?
Britain is a multi cultural society with names from all over the world! If I was interviewing someone and I didn't recognise their name I would just google it or just ask them when they arrived. Jesus wept it's hardly a difficult name.

i think it sets up an awkwardness if the first meeting is marred by the uncomfortable feeling of anxiety, esp in business settings. it can make people feel stupid, then resentful, which may impact on work opportunities.
i'm not saying that's how things should be, but maybe being a little older than some on here, i have observed that's often how things are.
i have never heard of the actor referred to.
and even if i watched his programme, his name going by in the credits would not tell me how to say it.
i also have many older irish relatives and i know many of them would be stumped by the sight of that name. it is not familiar at all.
do many of you ever socialise with a broad slice of society, eg different ages, interests, backgrounds. you seem to expect everyone to have the same interests and reference points, eg tv programmes.
anyway, good luck to the lad. but you asked for our opinion / experience, then some want to say it's wrong. it's my opinion and experience. how can it be wrong, or do you mean i am lying ?

i also have many older irish relatives and i know many of them would be stumped by the sight of that name. it is not familiar at all

Waves 👋 from Ireland. Despite what your older Irish relatives may think it’s a popular name. Seen as solid and safe. High court judge material to invoke MN.

Silly-un?

Killy Ann is how I'd pronounce it

I love this name, but then I am Irish descent and like gaelic names. go with it, if others do not like it, too bad.

Learn the name.

i think it sets up an awkwardness if the first meeting is marred by the uncomfortable feeling of anxiety, esp in business settings. it can make people feel stupid, then resentful, which may impact on work opportunities.

I'm in my mid-50's and have never encountered that type of attitude in a business setting, including when I worked in England many years ago. Mind you, I have generally worked for larger companies with a multicultural workforce. Perhaps things are different in more insular English workplaces.

Although I do recall one English woman who initially mispronounced my name. I corrected her and she informed me she preferred her version! I didn't really have much to do with her but did correct her every time whereas if other people got it vaguely right, I was fine.

i also have many older irish relatives and i know many of them would be stumped by the sight of that name. it is not familiar at all.

Trust me, Cillian in Ireland is about as radical as Ben in England. Perfectly normal, solid name.

do many of you ever socialise with a broad slice of society, eg different ages, interests, backgrounds. you seem to expect everyone to have the same interests and reference points, eg tv programmes.

If you mix with so many different people, why is the concept of names from different cultures so hard to grasp? OP's husband is Irish, it's not strange for him to use an Irish name.

Domhnall Gleeson seems to be doing Ok despite his complicated name.I was on a thread a while ago where posters swooned at Eoghan Murphy, unsuccessful minister for housing. Irish threads do wander a bit.
I don't think Irish relatives, even elderly ones, would be that confused, as they had the National language bet into them. They coped with Peig, Padraig Pearse, Niall Quinn, Eamon de Valera et al. Cillian is fairly easy.
Do English people get anxious about Polish, Pakistani, Somali, Lituanian, French names? Or just Irish and Welsh and some Scottish?

i think some of this is getting off topic / making sweeping assumptions.
there is a lot of defensiveness which is almost aggressive.
i was answering the OP : yes, in my experience this name is unheard of here in england. no , i and most everyone i know would not know how to pronounce it. i can see why most would attempt something akin to cyril. that also is pronounced differently in eastern europe i believe.
the question was about here, so i answered it.
i made no comment on whether it was acceptable nor am i frightened by names from other countries. i simply tried to answer the OP.
some of you don't seem to believe my answer. cheerio.

Mil,in Belfast, thought I should call my ds Cyril.

I know its pronounced kill e un but only because of cillian Murphy if I hadn't heard of him and found out it was an Irish name I would be saying sill aswell. One of them ones you either know or you don't. Either way it's a name

It's because it's Irish we aren't used to saying Irish names in England I like aoife but over here I know most people will say it wrong so I've decided against it.

"Do English people get anxious about Polish, Pakistani, Somali, Lituanian, French names? Or just Irish and Welsh and some Scottish?"

I think it's seen as more acceptable to sneer at Irish, Welsh and Scottish names. I know people who wouldn't vocally sneer at Wiktoria or Tomasz, but would at Alys or Tomos.

By this point many people in England can pronounce Sadiq Khan and Priti Patel and Rishi Sunak, plusThierry Henri and Cesc Fabregas it's a weird concept that people are aghast at names from Celtic neighbours.
But there you go!

...it causes anxiety in people when they don't know something that they feel they should.
alexdgr8

This is an interesting comment.

The poster is talking about an inferiority complex. Maybe this is the chip on the shoulder that results in refusal to say a name properly? They are presented with something new, and experience it as an insult because it is new and therefore someone is teaching them something.

It's like sullen teens who resent school and take the efforts of a teacher to teach them as a personal insult.
there is a lot of defensiveness which is almost aggressive. (To use alexdgr8's words about responses on this thread.) I think that analysis applies to those who refuse to pronounce the name correctly.

The idea that this personality problem should be pandered to is very odd though.

it can make people feel stupid, then resentful

Same thought, expressed differently.