Stiliyan for a boy?

[ttcAlex]

Hi all. What do you think of the name Stiliyan for a boy? Does it sound/look too weird? His surname would also be foreign.

(If any football fans out there - yes, his father IS a huge fan of Stiliyan Petrov from Aston Villa, and yes, we are both Bulgarian living in the UK )

Just a thought, is it vital that the last syllable is pronounced as 'an', rather than 'un'?

There is a tendency in England at least for names ending in an or on to morph into 'un' eg Bethan, Jonathan, Rhiannon. So if that would bother you it might be worth rethinking.

WokThisWay yes, it is quite clearly pronounced with a "-an" ending. Tbf the absolute correct way to pronounce it is "Sti-lyan" with stress on the last syllable, that's how a Bulgarian would say it. I know there will be slight variations in how different people pronounce it, and I accept that, but I'm hoping it won't be such a big difference to the original sound of it.

That’s a really cool name. Love it.

Unusual but easy to pronounce and spell - great choice!

And for the record - the baby IS (very recently) born already, it is just that we are still deciding on a name for him

Wokthisway has a point. I'd find it natural to say 'Still-Yan' but 'STILL-y-un'. STILL-y-AN sounds like I'm saying a hyphenated name, Stilly-Ann.

Brits tend to emphasise the first syllable (e.g. Anthony, Josephine) or sometimes the second (e.g. Antonia, Jamelia). Later sylls trail off a bit. Americans seem to do it differently sometimes, so whereas we'd say DEN-zel, they say Den-ZEL', which sounds oddly emphatic to my British ear.

It somehow seems an effort to say 'Still-y-Yan' because instead of trailing off, you're going down, then back up again, emphasis-wise.

But, people get used to all sorts of names, once they've heard and are used to them.

Page 1 of this thread thoroughly depressed me, I'm so glad it turned around! I think it sounds like a great name, go for it. Who the hell wants to 'fit in' when you could stand out?

As long as it makes sense culturally then it’s great!

I would pause before saying it because I would be unsure that I was pronouncing it right but I think it seems nice. The only thing is that it sounds really grown up and I can’t imagine a little boy with that name! Although to be fair I feel the same way about Stanley.

Even as someone who leans hugely towards common names and would avoid many "out there" names for school reasons, I find the early replies to this thread baffling. Stilliyan is a perfectly nice name, and it strikes me as very very unlikely to cause problems at school, particularly in light of Petrov. I've been to schools of every conceivable sort all over the country and there were children with foreign names in every single one - I don't recall it ever being an issue.

It sounds like a medical term and I don't like it. Think of the child having a handle like that and having to cope with playground taunts

@Esspee

I have always thought that it is kinder to give a child a name which allows them to fit in with their friends. If they will be growing up in Bulgaria it's a great name. If this country then something more British is better. You could use Stiliyan as a middle name.

Do you think every baby born in Britain should be given a British name to fit in?

I like it!

This is not the best place to ask. There is a huge cohort of, usually English, posters on mn who get in a major tizzy at the suggestion a child born in the UK should be called anything other than a traditional English name. They claim it makes for a life of misery if someone is asked how to pronounce or spell their name. What they usually mean is that they are xenophobic and insular.

The reality is, there are loads of people living in the UK with "foreign" names. Some hate it, some love it, most are somewhere in between. However, you get the same range of attitudes from people with common English names too. Go with a name you like. I think it's lovely when children have a name that reflects their heritage but it's your decision.

I think name calling and snobbery of names on job applications is and will continue to be less and less. It's unacceptable and each next generation will be fairer.
He can use whatever shortened version or nickname he wants.
If you like it go for it.

@Esspee

Also remember that a completely foreign sounding name puts a person at a disadvantage when job hunting etc. as employers subconsciously think there might be language difficulties.

So a completely foreign sounding name on a CV that shows the person was educated in the UK would result in subconscious bias? I think you're stretching a bit there.

It’s a lovely name. Congratulations, OP ! 💐 xx

If in 2040 an employer is still so backward thinking, I think it might do young Stiliyan a favour by not working there

Congratulations on your new arrival OP.
I think your chosen name is absolutely fine. It reflects your little boy's culture and isn't difficult to spell or pronounce.
The typical school classroom contains children with all kinds of different names these days - I can't imagine a perfectly normal name from a different country being an issue. I don't even live in a particularly culturally diverse area but I don't think the kids around here would bat an eyelid and the football fans amongst them would probably think it was a very cool name.
As for it putting people off giving him a job in the future, well, aside from the fact that, in my experience at least, most employers remove identifying data from applications until after shortlisting anyway, if employers in 20 years time are discriminating against people with "unusual" names, they are going to be struggling to fill their posts!
If you love the name and it suits your son, use it. Don't let a few old fashioned and xenophobic comments put you off.

It's a lovely name! You should use it. The notion that you shouldn't use a name that reflects the child's heritage because some people might not recognise the name is ludicrous.

I really hate it when British people say you should give your child a British sounding name. Why? This attitude only reflects their own narrow mindedness in my opinion.

I really hope that the generation that your son grows up with will be more accepting.

Congratulations on your baby boy. I'm a Celtic fan so think the name is a great choice. Stan is lovely for a nn.

I don’t follow football and ha e never come across the name before but ha I gotta read this thread feel it is a very attractive name and a great choice for a boy/man with your heritage,
Congratulation, btw!

• grr But after I read this thread.

Thank you all