Opinions on Ivan (pronounced Ee-vahn)

[ttcAlex]

The title says it really. What do you think of the boy's name Ivan (pronounced Ee-van)? Be honest pls.

I think you should presume that most people will pronounce it I-Van and then decide how much that will bother you or not!

It’s a strong name. He’ll constantly have to tell people to pronounce it which will be very annoying for him (eye-van)!and if he’s a naughty toddler you know what he’ll be called

That's not how it's pronounced.

I think (as PP) that you need to decide if the different pronunciation bothers you greatly. Because everyone will call him Eye-van except you...

It's very Russian. I'd expect lots of mispronunciations and jokes.

It probably depends where you will be living. It’s not the natural UK pronunciation. So it would be lumbering him with a life time of correcting people if he lives here. A bit like calling a British girl Helena (HEL-un-er) but insisting on the German pronunciation (Hel-AY-ner).

You can pronounce it Eevahn, but he will be I-van to the rest of the world, so Ireland's how you can tolerate that.

He wil

If you want people to call him Eevan call him Eevan. Ivan is not the same.

He will get called "EyeV'n."

The entire world will pronounce it I-van whether you like it or not. It depends how much that bothers you?

You've put two different pronunciations yourself, which demonstrates how confusing this is.

In your title you say Ee - vahn
And in the post you say Ee - van

Do you mean Ee as in cheese or Ee as ink?
Ahn as in ark, or An as in ban?

Ivan is pronounced Eye - van.

That's not how it's pronounced. You can't just decide to change the pronunciation.

Either have Evan (Eh-Van) or Ivan (Eye-Van) but neither will be pronounced Ee-van.

It seems unfair to lumber he with a commonly known name with a set pronunciation and the decide on a different way of pronouncing it, poor kid will spend forever correcting people.

Nobody other than you will pronounce it that way.

'The title says it all'
It doesn't though!

His nickname will be “Even-Steven“

If you have to spell out the pronunciation in your post. You know the answer. He will be called Ivan and not Evan

Both you and he will have to have the patience to explain over and over again that is the Eastern European pronunciation (helps if the surname will obviously hail from there) and of course it will be easier for as long as people have heard of Ivan Lendl (though of course even he gets anglicised by many commentators)

If you don't mind doing that, then yes it's a lovely name

You can't just decide to change the pronunciation

They're not, they're proposing the use of the utterly normal Eastern Europe and Russian version.

I think if you want people to pronounce it E-van, you're going to have to spell it Evan. Because spelt Ivan, people will pronounce it I-van.

It is crazy to call him a known name and then ask people to pronounce it wrongly. And in any event it has terrible connotations.

Please do not saddle your child with all this.

Why not just call him Ethan and have done with it.

In Welsh Ifan is pronounced Ee-van, is that an option? I would say I-van if I say your spelling.

Or name him Even if you want it pronounced that way!?

Yes, this is the Eastern European way of pronouncing it. He will have a Eastern European surname as well, as all our family originate from there.
(It is his grandad's first name, too)

Are you Eastern European? In the UK it will be pronounced Eye-van and he’ll have to correct people all the time, but if you’re choosing that pronunciation because it’s correct for you culturally then fine, people will learn! Or accept that it’ll be pronounced the British way here. If you’re British and just trying to be creative with it, probably best not.