Cianan?

[playinghippiefamilies]

Hiya, we expecting our 2nd DC in October and already have Aoife picked out for a girl. For a boy we really like Cianan, our DS is called Tadhg and we think they sound nice together. It’s pronounced Kee-Nan. Just wondering what others opinions of it are?

I like it
Goes well with your other child's name

I like it and Aoife is just lovely too.

Is it an Irish name? It would be pronounced Kee-uh-nun if so.

I prefer Cian (KEE-un) to Cianan tbh OP - though Cian might cause some pronunciation issues depending on where you are, I suppose. I'm in Ireland and am more familiar with the anglicised Keenan as a surname here so, for me, it sounds unusual when used as a first name.

If you're spelling it the Irish way there should properly be a fada on the second a, so Cianán (though people do omit fadas from names quite often I know). It's also pronounced slightly differently from Keenan when spelt/said in Irish as mathanxiety said.

Here is an example, although it varies a bit depending on dialect.

forvo.com/word/cianán

there should properly be a fada on the second a, so Cianán

That's what I thought too.

I would just spell the name Keenan if you want to pronounce it Kee-nan.

I am not Irish but I know a Cian, so I'd have expected it to be pronounced Kee-uh-nun.

There are plenty of nicer Irish boys names to choose from IMHO

Written down it is obviously an Irish name but if I just heard someone yelling 'Keenan' at a child across a park I think it has a similar vibe to Jayden/Mason/Tyler/Kai etc which I'm guessing isn't what you're aiming for?

Cianán is a lovely name.

Thank you for the opinions :)

I understand with the Fada it would have a slightly different pronunciation as that will make it a longer a sound. However, I know a few Irish Cianan’s who pronounce it Kee-nan.

We also like Caolán, but I know the pronunciation varies depending on where you’re from

Are you or your DH Irish? It's grand to use Irish names of you are not Irish but can seem like a (false) declaration of nationality.

Yes I am Irish.

Caolán is our favourite name, but where I’m from I pronounce it Key-Lawn. However I know it can be pronounced Key-lin, Kay-Lawn and Qway-Lawn too.

I think it depends where you live OP - you've said you're Irish but are you living in Ireland? If so, people will have their own way of saying Caolán as you know, and it might be harder to get them to stick to your preferred pronunciation all right. On the other hand, maybe everyone says it like you in your local area and you don't intend moving!
If you're not living in Ireland the variety of pronunciations shouldn't be such an issue, but people will be quite unfamiliar with the name.

We aren’t living in Ireland, but most of our family live there so it won’t be an issue with family pronouncing (they pronounce the names the same as I do). But obviously with friends it may be an issue. Although the area that I live in is known for having more ‘unusual’ names.
What are people opinions on Rían?

Oh, I like Rían very much. It's unusual even in Ireland, I've only met one.

I like Cianán too, but I think it needs the fada.

I really like Rían too, especially because there’s only really one way to pronounce it. I think it would bother me having multiple pronunciations of one name.

@DramaAlpaca

Oh, I like Rían very much. It's unusual even in Ireland, I've only met one.

I like Cianán too, but I think it needs the fada.

How would you pronounce Cianán?

I'm in NI and have never heard of Cianan. It feels a bit made up? Too much like Cian and Kieran.

Keenan would be a nicer spelling IMO.

Personally, if I wasn't living in Ireland I would choose a name that was easier to spell/pronounce, like Cormac, Rory etc.

@playinghippiefamilies I'd pronounce Cianán something like kee-un-AWN, or maybe I should write it kee'nAWN because there's only the smallest of pauses between the /i/ and the/a/.

I think in England you will actually get your preferred KEE-nun pronunciation as people won't generally know how to say it, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

I have come across a Cianán, by the way, whose parents were fluent Irish speakers, so it's certainly an existing name.

@playinghippiefamilies

We aren’t living in Ireland, but most of our family live there so it won’t be an issue with family pronouncing (they pronounce the names the same as I do). But obviously with friends it may be an issue. Although the area that I live in is known for having more ‘unusual’ names. What are people opinions on Rían?

I find Rían at the nouveau-make-uppy end of Irish names, though I was at school with a ringing bitch called Ríonach (or possibly Ríoghnach?)

I like Caolán most of your suggestions. I like Cianan when the ‘Cian’ has the schwa pronounced, but not so much when it’s essentially Keenan, which it may be for many people. Cianán is nice.

Tadhg and Aoife are great.

Thank you everyone! I think I’m leaning more towards Rían now as I’m stressing over pronunciation!