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.

Hard 'C' sound, but I know this primarily because a friend's little boy has the same name.

I know one (as well as the dreamy Cillian Murphy) is I would know. Hard C like a ‘k’. I have a Son with an Irish name and people generally pronounce it right but spell it in several different ways. Doesn’t bother me, it’s the traditional spelling but I don’t mind people writing a more Phonetic version.

It’s not that hard though. Your family and friends should only need to be told once, I’d be pretty pissed off if they continued to get it wrong.

I must admit when I first saw the name written down years ago, I assumed it was Silly-ann. But upon being corrected once, I was forever more able to say it correctly. I really like it actually - great name.

That should say so not is.

I always assumed it was Silly-an.
But if I was corrected I wouldn't make the mistake twice.

I'd say Kill-ee-an as in Cillian Murphy. It's not that unusual a name, surely! I've met a couple here in the NW.

As for family being arse holes over it, ignore, ignore, ignore. My mother told me DS1's name is 'absolutely horrible' and asked if I was joking when I told her what it was after his birth. She still only calls him by the shortened version, but quite a few people do that anyway so he doesn't notice. She's got a few sly digs in about his 'Sunday name' over the years, we just avoid spending too much time with her (due to many other digs over the years too).

How would people here have pronounced Niamh whem they first saw it?

I am wondering how Irish names translate

Yep, because I'm Irish.

However, even in Ireland, I know Killians as well as Cillians now. Similar to Kierans as well as Ciarans.

Kill-ee-an, like Cillian Murphy pronounces his name. I'm a first language Welsh speaker however so pronouncing with the hard C is what comes naturally.

Its obviously Kill ee an.
Just ignore the silliness.

Obviously to you, maybe. But clearly not to many of us here. I assumed it was Sill-ee-an too.

As for other people's snarky comments re: and actor with that name...seriously? Just because they've heard of him doesn't mean everyone has. I've seen the name but never heard it spoken.

Kill-I-an. Said quickly. Gorgeous name op.

I have a Ciara and you wouldn't believe the trouble that's caused, even with the recent storm... si-air-uh was an eye opener when they called it out at the pharmacy before lockdown started...

How would people here have pronounced Niamh whem they first saw it?

Nee-um.

Like Liam but with an N 😆

Yes Irish names are difficult.

Kill ee un for me.

We love the name and have it on our list. I’d have actually thought it’s one of the easiest Irish baby names.

I have an Irish name living in England and people normally ask how to pronounce it once and can use it properly since then. I love my name & wouldn’t change it for the world.

There is no K in the Irish language, originally.

I’d never heard of it until Cillian Murphy so a lot of people won’t know it.

I have never heard of it pronounced silly-an, that would never have crossed my mind! I thought it was obvious it is Killy-an?

No, there is no K, hence the issues when people try to pronounce C names... but really it's not that difficult!!!

Yes Irish names are difficult

I mean, names in foreign languages are very often difficult to pronounce if you only see them written down and don't know the rules of the language.

Very few are impossible to have a proper go at once you've been told though, which is where OP's family is obviously being rude.

Killian. Love the name and first learned of it from a novel I read years ago.

It's a great name!
And because of the popularity of Peaky Blinders a lot of people will know how to pronounce it correctly.

After a while those who matter, most people you know and the people you mix with will say it properly.

It's a cool name- I love it!

I thought it was pronounced Silly-Anne until literally this thread! I don’t know why Irish people assume English will be able to pronounce names that don’t read phonetically at all. Obviously, as soon as I’ve been corrected I never do it again, because I’m not rude

Never heard of it as a name and would have pronounced it wrong. But you only would have had to correct me once!

I know how to pronounce it. But I'm Welsh and so I expect "ci" to be pronounce with a hard "c".

My whole family pronounce it silly-an even when I've corrected them numerous times

All unusual names are difficult to pronounce until you are TOLD how to pronounce them but your family are just being downright rude when they have been told told how to pronounce it. You need to start getting cross and correcting them.

That said, for any English person given the welsh name Sian, it is absolutely NOT pronounced cyan!