Thoughts on Taliesin?

[NCforbabyname]

DH has proposed this as a middle name for DS. I'm on the fence as our surname gets a lot of 'how do you spell that?' and is often mispronounced.

DS' first name is in the top 100 (as of 2020) although I've never met someone with his name but it is quite easily spelt and pronounced.

My old headmaster in primary was called Taliesin, always knew him as Tal.

A lovely man, and on that basis you should use the name!!

Absolutely love it.

My son's friend known as Tal is Taliesin. Strong with so much history and heritage here in Wales. It's beautiful.

I'm sure it will provoke a bit of a "well no one will be able to pronounce it" from England based MNetters. But hey. You only need telling once.

It's a fabulous name.

Was it not Parys who died by suicide?

Lovely choice for a middle name as long as the first name isn't something like Gary or Brian or Nigel.

Don't try to work around the stupidity of people you assume your DS will encounter. I've heard people garble names like William and John. Where does the pandering stop? Shoukd everyone be called Jim, Tim, Tom, Ann, Jan, Dan, Sam, Pam?

It's a recognisable name and anyone with a tither of wit, as they say in Ireland, will manage it fine.

I thought it was a village in Ceredigion?

This is how I feel too. People are often asked to spell their names out even if they have a very common one, especially one with multiple spellings like Rebecca/Rebekah. People not being able to spell or pronounce it isn’t a good enough reason to not use it. Many people in Wales have a Welsh address. We would never think to not move somewhere because other people would be able to say or spell the address.

People can learn new things.

There are places in Wales that I wouldn't live in because of how unpleasant the names sound anglicised. Rhuddlan, for example, gets said as Rudland, Bagillt as Bagult, Caergwrle as Kagurly, Cefnybedd as Kevney Beth, and Rhuallt as Roo-alt. Ychafi to all of them, but the places are fine, and the Welsh names mainly pleasant.

@KirstenBlest You must be in the same area as me. I've heard Cefn y Bedd as Ten in a bed! All the place names you mentioned are a source of much teeth grinding. What about the Classic Betwys Y Coed as Betsy Co Ed Arrrgh just no!

Ystalyfera as ‘You’re Still Our Vera’ and Ystradgynlais as ‘Why strangle Us’ are two of my favourites. A whole other thread there!

Me too. Clan-dud-no makes me feel nauseous. 🤢😂

Betsy Coyd, Abba-sock, Barla, Roothin, Clan-dud-know, Bly-now, Clanfurfeckin, ...
No matter if you correct them, they will persist or roll their eyes and imitate you mockingly.

I'm Welsh, frm a Welsh-speaking family and a very frequent visitor to Taliesin arts centre, and I hear 3 1/2 syllables, if that helps at all! In my Swansea accent it's somewhere in between ee-ess and yess - the ee is so fast that it's almost not there but it is slightly more distinct than in yess. The pronounciation on 'Child of our Time' was completely wrong. He was lovely though.