What do you think of Cian?

[Cistus]

What do you think of Cian as a boy's name? It's listed on Mumsnet's Baby Name Finder.

how do you pronounce it ?

I think if you have to ask how to pronounce it, you're going to set your son up for a lifetime of telling people how to pronounce it! Why not Kian instead to save this prob?

I think that spelling means nobody will ever be sure how to pronounce it.

Not keen, sorry.

It's Irish. Catholics will know how to pronounce it (it's Kee-an btw). It's common in Catholic schools in the UK, and in Ireland obv.

But why would you choose it if you're not Irish? Particularly since you don't seem to know how to pronounce it?

It's my ds name but anglicised to Kian so that people can pronounce it. I am second generation Irish and love Irish names (have one myself but it is very unusual and no one pronounces it correctly)- I chose Irish names for both of my children.

im not choosing it, a friend has done and I have only seen it written down - hence the question

Pronounced Kee-an (like Ian but with a K). Like it a lot.

it's beautiful.

i was in love with a boy called Cian when i was at uni. i was a shit and never took it seriously.
he was gorgeous.

i can't use it myself because of this, so please please please use it!

(pronounced Kee-un)
and please spell it correctly, as in your OP...

[swoon]

I really like it

Why do you need to Irish to choose an Irish name?

If your friend likes it then she should go for it.

I'm Irish and am not keen on it myself though as very common.

It's so popular in Ireland. I do still quite like it, but tbh there are other nicer and less exhausted Irish names. But it's not terrible, just overused right now.

What about Diarmuid, Oisin, Tadhg, Lorcan?

eh frogs, I'm church of Ireland and I speak Irish and I know how to spell and pronounce all the most popular Irish names.

"catholics will know".

do these catholics have access to extra information that the rest of us don't have?

ok, I'm backing right up and apologising frogs because I see what you mean. In England, at a catholic school, yes I completely get it now. Sorry, I was speed reading and I was too uppity by far there.

my son's name is caine and when we have to fill forms in for him we get asked how to pronounce his name lol

Goodness that was exciting... nothing like a militant member of the Cof I , but isn't there a Cian in Westlife?

hee stleger, probably know me doncha?!

I know 2, one pronounced Kee-an, the other is Keen.

I don't like either. In fact I dislike all Irish names, many of them sound ugly and harsh to me, but I'm Irish so I'm allowed to say that

Lovely. Cian is a much nicer spelling than Kian imo (sorry Mums of Kians). More authentic and really not that tricky (it's a lot like the difference between Ciaran and Kieran).

Not offended Tanya but disagree when you say Cian is not that tricky to pronounce. English people in particular (imho - and I speak as one, though of Irish descent)struggle with Irish names. I have a fairly unusual one myself and it made me very self-conscious as a child because practically everyone struggled with it. That's why I chose to anglicise Cian to Kian - though I do agree that Cian is a far nicer spelling. Still, it's the sound of the name that's more important imo. As in the case of the OP a lot of people do not know how to pronounce Cian (See-an, Cy-an etc.)

Arf at Maggie, and the idea of catholics having a special hotline for the pronunciation of Irish names.

Yup, I meant in the UK. Catholic schools here are full of names that are guaranteed to trip up an unsuspecting supply teacher of non-irish and/or non-catholic heritage, much to the amuseument of the rest of the class and the irritation of the name's owner.

Ciara gets them every time, reports dd1. And when it comes Aoibhinn they just look at the register and blanch. [snigger]

it's welsh too (prn same)

frogs how do you pronounce those last 2 names you mentioned?

Keir-a and Ae-veen or Ee-veen (emphasis on first syllable in each) would be my pr.

Ciara is pronounced kiera (like kieran/ciaran without the final -n) and Aoibhinn is Av-een (like Ava but with -een instead of -a at the end).

Easy when you know how...

I quite like Cian and would definately spell it this way.