To tell parents about pronunciation?

[HelpaSILout]

My SIL shared their favourite name with family for their soon due DS.
It’s a beautiful name, Fionn. We live in England (no strong Irish heritage on our side of the family, not sure about hers) but being an obviously Celtic name I wondered about its meaning and put it into google.
Now the problem arises, they are pronouncing it Fi-on and I’ve found it’s pronounced Finn. Do I say something or just keep my beak out!?

The first rule of baby naming is not to comment, so I wouldn’t say anything, unless they bring the subject up.

However, if I saw the name written down, I’d assume a girl of Welsh heritage, but misspelt as it would have two ‘F’s. So Ffion, and two syllables.

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It's said as Fyun. Not Finn and fi-on.
Think you've already been told a few times, but listen to an Irish person pronounce it!

I'd assume it was a misspelling of the Welsh girls name Ffion.
Poor little chap. It's not going to end well.

I would tell them tbh and drop in Theon as an alternative

My cousin's husband is Irish and they live in Ireland, their little boy is Fionn pronounced F-yun (it's hard to record the sound in writing for me but that's the closest I can manage) , Fee-on I would expect to be a Welsh girl Ffion

As others have said, the name Fionn is an Irish name and is pronounced F-yun. Finn is a completely different name.

Thank you to everyone regarding the proper Irish pronunciations. The google video I listened to sounded like Finn & I’d read an old MN thread before posting which suggested NI prounounce it Finn and SI fy-unn, ‘like the word fun with a yuh sound after the f.’
The only Irish heritage my family have is one great grandparent from NI.
Anyway I will certainly not be saying anything as I’d have been gutted if anyone had passed comment on my baby names. I just needed to feel sure that I wasn’t setting up my DN to find out his name had been mispronounced his whole life.
I feel reassured that a few have said any 3 pronunciations would be acceptable so my nose will stay out!

It is spelt phonetically

Southern Ireland?

Agree with the other Irish posters that it's f-yun. I have come across the odd one who pronounces it Finn.

I did once know a little boy who'd now be in his 30s who pronounced it fee-on - he was born in England to English parents who then moved to Ireland. Poor kid, it's like rocking up at an English school and saying your name is Ben pronounced Been.

I'd say something OP.

It is not a good name for non Irish. I know a UK child with the name and they try to pronounce it correctly but it comes out Fi on. It is mainly pronounced Ffff (just the f sound) yun. Finn and Fionn are different names where I am.

Like other irish posters here, I agree it's f-yun. I have never in my life heard an irish person pronounce it Finn 😂😂

Wait until you're all together in the same place and ask them to clarify how it's pronounced

So rnaso

I saw the name and read it as ‘Finn’ - I think it’s pretty common knowledge that it’s pronounced like that?! Almost like everyone knows Isla isn’t ‘Is-La’. I suppose you could mention that you coincidentally met a ‘Fionn’ who pronounces it Finn and see how they react. Maybe if they don’t say anything now, they’ll Google it too and change the spelling to suit their pronunciation or just go with it and hopefully pronounce it correctly.

I know a Fionn. Both parents are Irish (South). He has always been 'Fyon' but most English people say 'Fee-on'. Maybe be the extra n makes all the difference but he never been anything like Finn.

@ALonelyRoad you might want to read the thread. 🤣🤣

@Marmiteidea, I stand corrected! 😅 Although every Fionn I’ve I’ve met pronounced it Finn 🤷🏻‍♀️

It's very confusing even if you are Irish heritage. I have to chek in with mil as names seem to be prodistant or Catholic too which is another mindfield when your family actually are Irish.

I'd pronounce it f-yun but have met so many Fionns that pronounce it as Finn so wouldn't be surprised to hear that.

Fee-on is bad.

No don't tell them, in england they will get called Fee- On anyway so may as well stick to that. Speaking from someone born and raised in England with a very traditional Irish name.

I would ask them is there a story eg person they are naming after.

In Munster we pronounce it fyun, with the i sounding like y as in yonder. It most definitely isn't Finn, that's a different name. Feonn is jarring to my ears.

The PP who proclaimed that "Celtic names are so confusing" is rude, ignorant and obnoxious. Irish names are treated with contempt in the UK, it reeks of Ireland shouldn't have an indigenous language 🙄

It's important to approach discussions about cultural differences and languages with sensitivity. Fostering understanding and respect between languages is essential for positive interactions. That's not my experience of the Irish language in the UK unfortunately.

I wouldn't have known it was pronounced Finn. Find a subtle way to point it out so they don't feel daft.

I’m in Ireland and I’ve never seen it pronounced Finn? More like f-yun?

It's not pronounced Finn. The pronunciation is closer to Fee-on than Finn.

It's more like F-yun with the f having a short fu sound.