Boy baby name poll

[NoLA2356]

Please help me decide!! Due in 3 days
Saif - pronounced like the word safe
Laith - pronounced like layth
Basil - pronounced like bazel but with a soft “s” not like the herb

Middle and last initials will be A.M.

[Irishfarmer]

I like Basil, I know a Basil he's about 30ish never really associated him with the herb!

[TheLovleyChebbyMcGee]

You said you are American, do you pronounce basil the herb as Bay-zil?

In the UK it's pronounced Basil with a soft S, to rhyme with dazzle? almost like castle too.

If so, its quite an outdated name in the UK, but Laith is nicer imo

[17caterpillars1mouse]

I love Laith. I found it in a name book whilst pregnant with my eldest and just loved it. I felt I couldn't use it though as I have very blonde haired, blue eyed children.

I'm not a huge fan of Saif but also think Basil is a brilliant name

[CiderJolly]

Saif sounds lovely, what does it mean?

[raintropics]

I like Basil. Not sure how to pronounce the other two but Saif looks nice.

I knew a Malik and always loved that name. I also like Sayed.

[KirstenBlest]

@CiderJolly, Sword

[Edenember]

I’m not keen on any of them, but Laith is the best. I think my main problem is they’re all also words, phonetically (don’t know if there is a difference in soft to hard th between Laith and lathe but I’d still automatically think of the word lathe). I think Basil is quite cute and quirky pronounced Bazzle but not keen on your intended pronunciation, and if you’re in the US people will need constant correction from Bay-zil the herb to the Bay-sil you want.

[NoLA2356]

Basil would be pronounced bazzel but with an s instead of the strong z

[30whatacrock]

Oh dear. None I’m afraid.

[Edenember]

@Bobsyer if I’ve understood correctly re the soft s, she means an s sound rather than a hard z sound. Think of the difference between Days, a homophone with Daze, and the word Base, which is pronounced like that and not Baze. She want Base-il I think, rather than Bay-zil which is how it’s usually pronounced.

[NoLA2356]

Lol good thing im not too sensitive because some of these comments are just rude.

[Edenember]

@NoLA2356 ah ok. So short a rather than long. In that case, if you’re in the US getting the pronunciation you want might be easier as it’s completely different to how the herb is pronounced. I still think there’d be a lot of correction though.

[NoLA2356]

Basil pronunciation in english

[SirChenjins]

Basil pronounced your way will mean he'll spend the rest of his life correcting pronunciation, which, from personal experience, is an utter PITA. It's also quite an old fashioned name like Cyril and Dennis, and has the Fawlty connection.

Laith is easy to pronounce, but obviously sounds like the machine tool

Saif - looks nice written down, although I'd wonder if it was pronounced Sah-eef.

Not much help there I'm afraid.

[NoLA2356]

Thanks all. The only others on my short list right now are Faris (another old name, i have several family members with the name too so not super keen on it), Eyad, Waseem, Yaseen, Raif or Rafe…i’m stuck!

[raintropics]

Oh Yaseen, Raif and Rafe are nice!

[BoneIdleBitch]

Laith is lovely

[Bobsyer]

I like Eyad and Yaseen. I like Rafe/Raif (I assume they’re pronounced the same) but they don’t make me think they have a Middle Eastern touch to them.

Having done a quick google search, I really like Omar and Adeem. Khalil is also nice - I know a little boy called that. I like Rami and Zayd a lot but I think you said no to Zayd.

Basil makes me think of Basil Brush and a weird kid at my primary school

[LittleMysSister]

Reis?

[Bortles]

Im obsessed with the name Faisal. Something very princely about it.

[ColdShouldersWarmTummy]

Going by that link, the pronunciation of Basil that you want is almost exactly the same as the way the herb is pronounced in the UK.. do you maybe have a British friend who you could get to say the herb and see what you think?

(I'm assuming you live in the UK? Otherwise it obviously doesn't matter how it's pronounced here!)

I like Saif, personally

[ColdShouldersWarmTummy]

Faris is also really nice!

[Skeumorph]

Raif would be a good choice, because it's easy phonetically and similar to Rafe, which is quite international really - short for Ralph, Raphael, Rafiel, Rafferty, or just a name on its own. And it is a lovely name!

Idris is both a Muslim and Welsh name - probably not exactly 'multicultural' from the point of view of Americans though! - but also easy to say.

I like Firoz too.

[Skeumorph]

If it helps - the ones I wouldn't go for at all are Basil, which in the UK could be seen even as a kind of old fashioned comedy name as well aas the herb, and Saif, because 'safe' is a such a highly used English word.

All the others are all lovely names really and any would be fine!

[Skeumorph]

Yes I like Faisal a lot! Like F names.