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 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."

East Asian too. So much so that most Asians have an "English name" which they use when abroad, which I just find sad.

Have they only seen it written down - in that case it’s an understandable error.

I had the opposite - we told my MIL THAT DD2 was Kirsty and she spelled it Kirstie on the card.

Surely once they have heard it said as Kill-I-an they will automatically change they way they say it.

They have been verbally corrected many times, Bathsheba

Tbh i would have pronounced it c(s)illa-ann, probably my english genes! I dont know anyone with the name and havent heard it pronounced, however its easy to grasp the pronunciation once youve been told and the people who matter will soon master it.
I really like the name, but unless you live in Ireland you may have correct its pronunciation more than once. A close colleague often spoke about her daughter , on-yah. I asked how it was spelt and never in a million years would have guessed aine!

My Dd insisted she had met a child in Belfast called Wee Urn. She was actually called Erin.

My Dd insisted she had met a child in Belfast called Wee Urn. She was actually called Erin.

that's priceless.

Hard C.

@YesThatIsMyRealName people change their surnames to make them more English too.

My grandad came from another european country to England in World War 2. He was escaping the Nazis. He completely changed his surname from his orginal surname to an English surname. I have that made up English surname .

I feel a bit sad that our original surname was thrown away, but I know my Grandad felt that he had to change it to fit in, because English people were so un accepting of foriegners. It makes me sad

If it's one of those wonderful Irish names like Grainne and Siobhan it's probably pronounced 'Ralph'!

I would say Killian but only because I've heard of Cillian Murphy.

It's lovely but that's the problem with Irish and Welsh names, no one this side of the border can pronounce them.

Have you set him up for a lifetime of mispronunciation? Yes, probably.

The Cillian Murphy thing is weird because I've known who he is since 28 Days Later (which was 2002!!) and I've never heard anyone say his name!! In my head I've always read it as Silly-un, until a thread like this one enlightened me a few months ago.

How are you all hearing his name said so much??

His cousin worked in my local supermarket, and as someone said Cillian is the Irish equivalent of a name like Ben!
But now you know, would you keep pronouncing it wrongly? Especially if it was the name of a baby in your family? Or would you call the baby by his name, which i think most people would!

we aren't used to saying Irish names in England

Kind of amazing considering the nearly 1,000 year old intimate ... connection (for want of a better word) between England and Ireland but there you go.

It's lovely but that's the problem with Irish and Welsh names, no one this side of the border can pronounce them.

The problem is not with Irish names that people can't pronounce.

The problem is people who won't pronounce Irish names.

What is so odd about a name that rhymes with Gillian?

Seriously, if English people can manage Persephone and Penelope they can do Aoife, Cillian, Deirdre, Domhnall, and all the rest of them.

Silly An

...and if the entire world can pronounce the Eilish /Eilis in Billie Eilish I cant see why Cillian is such a puzzler ...

Cillian -Silly-an
Cilla - Silla

and if the entire world can pronounce the Eilish /Eilis in Billie Eilish I cant see why Cillian is such a puzzler ...

Teenagers really don't!
They say
I- Lish

They can't or won't pronounce Deirdre correctly either. I once had a university tutor who insisted that he could not hear the difference in pronunciation between "Deedrie' and 'Deirdre' despite being corrected by the rest if of the tutor group.

Teenagers really don't! They say I- Lish

So do DJs don't they?

I would pronounce it Kill ee an... it's a lovely name!

Seriously, if English people can manage Persephone and Penelope they can do Aoife, Cillian, Deirdre, Domhnall, and all the rest of them.

Those two more closely follow English phonics though. With Irish names like Saoirse, I know how it's pronounced but I can feel my brain simply inserting the whole thing in one go rather than knowing how to sound it out if that makes sense. It feels different to how I read English words.

I do agree that the problem is "won't" rather than "can't" though. Obviously accent is always going to make a difference but everyone can pronounce them

I would pronounce it Killian. My youngest is named Brené and unless people hear us say her name, they mispronounce it. I thought with the accent that would happen x

Percy phone like telephone? Penny Lope? like antelope? It is yeah, as they say in Cork.

Percy phone like telephone? Penny Lope? like antelope? It is yeah, as they say in Cork.

🙄