Opinions on baby name Quillan

[Chasingthewind11]

Hi everyone, what do you think of the name Quillan? It's Irish, it means cub. Our baby boy is due in June, we don't have any Irish links we just like the name. Have you heard it before? Do you like it?

Thanks!

@Grinling

How on earth do people mispronounce Quentin, *@Fcuk38*?

@Grinling Well, rather easily, if English isn't your first language you might reasonably assume that it starts with the same sound as the word queue rather than the word queen. So CUE versus KWEE

[quote LizzieAnt]My name around the world, means, Hound/Warrior in Gaelic

If by 'Gaelic' you mean Irish, it means 'Monday' (Dé Luan)

I think the name Luan may be derived from Lughán? Lugh is a warrior god in Celtic mythology, adding 'án' to a name signifies a diminutive. Not sure about the hound bit though...
forvo.com/word/lughán/[/quote]
I though Monday was De Luain not De Luan

How on earth do people mispronounce Quentin

@Grinling Well, rather easily, if English isn't your first language you might reasonably assume that it starts with the same sound as the word queue rather than the word queen. So CUE versus KWEE

You'd think that with such prominent namesakes as Quentin Tarantino or Quentin Blake most people would know how to pronounce it..?

@Loopyloulou007, it's the same word, but Irish inflects according to case, and the genitive form of Luan (needed here after 'Dé') is 'Luain'.

'Luan' is also used by itself -- 'Feicfidh mé thú ar an Luan' and Feicfidh mé thú Dé Luain' both mean 'I'll see you on Monday'.

Exactly @SageRosemary and familiar seeing it on books say and hearing someone else pronounce it are totally different.

You might hear people talk about the quinoa salad and you might see quinoa salad on sale but might not link the two because of the pronunciation.

I can do names likes Saoirse because I've linked Graham Norton introducing her with reading the name on the program info for example.

@SleepingStandingUp

Exactly *@SageRosemary* and familiar seeing it on books say and hearing someone else pronounce it are totally different.

You might hear people talk about the quinoa salad and you might see quinoa salad on sale but might not link the two because of the pronunciation.

I can do names likes Saoirse because I've linked Graham Norton introducing her with reading the name on the program info for example.

It doesn't actually help that Saoirse Ronan mispronounces her own name, which she says in interviews rhymes with 'inertia', but which, for the rest of the world is 'SEER-shuh' or SARE-shuh', depending on dialect.

There is a singer, well known in Ireland and beyond, named Luan Parle.

Any time I heard her mentioned on the radio, I assumed the spelling was along the lines of LouAnn, speculating a combination possibly to honour grandmothers named Louise and Anne. Because no-one here really calls their child after a day of the week as Gaeilge
, it's complicated as others have suggested.

Took me a few days to find the reference but Coileán was used in mediaeval Ireland, there's a saint... Listed in "Irish Names" by Donncha Ó Corráin and Fidelma Maguire. That's a very respectable academic source. There's a Kindle version available.

@SageRosemary

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Goodness gracious, what on earth did I say to merit being deleted?

All I can remember is saying something along the lines that my DM wouldn't be familiar with film culture and children's literature so would't be familiar with either of the Quentins mentioned and my DC would be familiar with seeing QB's name on books but would not necessarily know how to pronounce it.

And, how I was glad that no-one had ever asked me to pronounce "gymkhana" as a child.

And that's all I remember, so sorry for any offence caused, but I'm at a complete loss to know what it could have been.

It’s a bit complicated

@AuntDympna

Took me a few days to find the reference but Coileán was used in mediaeval Ireland, there's a saint... Listed in "Irish Names" by Donncha Ó Corráin and Fidelma Maguire. That's a very respectable academic source. There's a Kindle version available.

I do have the Kindle version AuntDympna, but I can't find Coileán at all. Is it listed under a different spelling?

@RedWingBoots

Calling an adult man "cub" isn't cute.

When you name a child the name needs to be able to match them at all stages of their life not just when they are a child.

Also as a PP said you and then he will be forever correcting people that you aren't saying "William".

This.

Personally, I’d say don’t use it.

I much prefer Quentin or Quinn.

Good luck.

@lizzieant ottomh I think under cuileán but there's a see also ? coilín.
Although the word means "whelp" Ó Corráin says it signified "young warrior". In the other entry he says was from French Nichol gives Col gives diminutive Coilín.
However I think Ó Corráin and Maguire overlooked the possibility of Coilleán = "woodsman" and Coileán being a play on the different names. Coill in place names usually means wood.
I should point out here that I have a degree in Celtic languages including the old versions of Irish.

Thanks very much AuntDympna, that's great Should have thought of that myself, but was too tired to look though lists of names last night! I'll have another look later on.

You could be right about coill. I think that's one of the origins usually given for the surname Quill mentioned upthread (another is from coll, meaning hazel). Quill is a reasonably common surname where I am in Munster.

A few years ago I taught a little boy with Irish parents called Cuilean which was pronounced 'Quillan'. It can also mean holly tree if you have double n at the end apparently. It's very easy to say. I like it - go for it OP.

Thanks again AuntDympna. Found it now as Cuilén (modern Coileán) - once common among Munster peoples, especially the Dál Cais.
I didn't realise it had been used as a name, good to know.

The surname McQuillan does seem to have a number of other possible origins as well as Coileán, as some pp have mentioned.

I've never yet met a Coileán (which I'd pronounce quill-awn) or Quillan I have to say. I'll know a lot more about their name now if ever I do meet one

I have the name I can confirm it's not made up. It comes from my Irish ancestors. It is a Irish pronunciation of the name Collin. Cs are pronounced like a Q.

I know a Quillan. Nn Q. I believe its a Breton name. He's a smashing lad. And I've never thought it sounds like William. It's pronounced as it's written.

I quite like Quillan although Cillian or Quentin are better known and perhaps easier to pronounce.

I'm not understanding why it's difficult pronounce. Kwillan.

Coileán is the irish word for cub, it's a noun, not a name and is pronounced "quill awn". Personally, I wouldn't.
StrychnineInTheSandwiches has got it right.

I’m not keen, sounds like a quill, just makes me think of Harry Potter and the evil Professor Quirrel. (I love HP but wouldn’t chose baby names from it 😬)

Are there really no better names OP?