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!?

It's not...

Why would just not ask? Hey SIL I heard that Fionn can be pronounced in different ways, how do you want us to pronounce it? Easy peasy.

Op, I think you may have assumed that they it for a particular pronunciation. They may have intended to be "Fionn" reading "Fee-yon" not specifically Irish

How is Fionn a different name to Finn? Finn Mac Cumhail was spelled Finn in the oldest manuscripts, then later interchangeably Finn and Fionn until... well right up to present day so far as I can tell. He doesn't have two different names.

I'm in Ireland and it's pronounced f yon here. I think. But my children always tell me I can't say it right.

It's really popular here (Dublin). I think I should have said f yun like others have. The f is not fee. But as I said my children tell me I don't pronounce it right.

I had no idea!

Irish names use different pronunciation when they are being called vocative case from the nomnitive case

so Michael, Micheál (nomnitive) becomes A Mhicíl when someone is calling him (vocative)

Fionn becomes A Fhinn in the same way. There are more complexities than this and it is largely about pronouncing rather than writing.

In Ireland we have the name Seamus whereas in Scotland it is called Hamish which is the Irish vocative pronunciation for Seamus.

I can’t spell the names well but that is the principle as much as I know.

Marmite - could you write out those pronunciations please?

I would have guessed it's a girl's name pronounced like first part of Fiona, or maybe Fye (to rhyme with bye)-own.

Am a foreigner.

As far as I can see it was always Fionn McCumhail is the ancient stories. Finn McCool being the more recent Anglicised version. Though, according to wiki Finn can be pronounced Fin or fyun. I've never heard the latter pronunciation in my corner of Ireland.

It's pretty ignorant to give your child a name you can't actually pronounce correctly.

I quite agree but not sure it's relevant to my comment.

Given the op isn't pronouncing the name properly either, there is ignorance all round.

No, the name Fionn is pronounced like fee-on and not Finn. It's a Celtic name and that's how it's pronounced. I'm sure your family who named the child will already know this.

I'm Irish and I have never heard it pronounced like that. It is fy-yun, with the fy very short.

Our resident Irish pedant says in the Book of the Dun Cow it is spelt Find with a d.

In some ways, does it really matter. This is how language and names evolve and change over time and between different countries and cultures eg James, Seamus, Hamish etc

My Dubliner DiL says ‘Fyun’. It is a lovely name whatever way it’s pronounced.

I have a very French name and it's pronounced the French way. What my parents didn't do is correct all those who thought it should be pronounced such and such a way. To this day, various family members pronounce my name in 3 different ways - and it's futile to protest, given I'm 47.
OP, my advice to you is to confirm and stick to the parents' pronunciation and uphold it!

I have Irish relatives with a fionn and it's pronounced fee-on/un, not Finn

I assumed Fee-on and I'm sure I've had heard it pronounced fee-.on for a girl but not heard it for a boy pronounced that way
if that's how they want to pronounce I don't see the issue.
OP if you want to mention it just say something about different pronunciations for a girl and boy but don't makes big thing about it

Now I'm wondering if some people's fee-on actually sounds more or less like fyun? If you say the fee and the on very quickly it kind of sounds...fyun-ish.

In England, if you wanted it pronounced finn, you should have spelt it Finn.

Obviously if it's a common name in Ireland, then they'll know Fion in pronounced finn.

But to be honest, I would've pronounced it finn myself. I've got no idea with Irish names. Well, apart from Siobhan.

Is your name Geneviève?

Pronounced Jen-uh-veev in English and zhon-vie-ev in French.😁