Using a name "improperly"?

NativeFloridian

We really like Cillian for our son, but neither of us cares for the real pronunciation - "Killian."  We prefer a soft "C" sound, as in "Sillian," but there's no indication whatsoever that this name has ever been pronounced any way except as "Killian."  Honestly, I still want to go forward using it and pronouncing it with the soft "C" sound, but I'm not 100% positive I want to be the trailblazer on this one.  WDYT?

anvloveskme

Before seeing your pronunciation I read t as "Sillian" - I wouldn't assume Cillian = Killian, but I've never seen Cillian before.

ariaforte8

FWIW, I read it with the soft c sound.

That said, I don't really like it.

I think you should only use it if you're 100 percent prepared to "lead the way" with it.

nanabanana06

If your going to use a really Irish name you should pronounce is correctly or use the Anglicized version. Either way isn't pronounced the way you want. I happen to really dig Killian. Even if it reminds me of beer.

gimmietimmies

Nana_Osaki06:

If your going to use a really Irish name you should pronounce is correctly or use the Anglicized version. Either way isn't pronounced the way you want. I happen to really dig Killian. Even if it reminds me of beer.

This. I'd keep looking. Saying it wrong sounds silly. Pun intended.

ZoeMay06

Nana_Osaki06:

If your going to use a really Irish name you should pronounce is correctly or use the Anglicized version. Either way isn't pronounced the way you want. I happen to really dig Killian. Even if it reminds me of beer.

I agree. Using the wrong pronunciation would just make you look like you didn't know any better.

blu-eyedwife

ZoeMay06:

I agree. Using the wrong pronunciation would just make you look like you didn't know any better.

I would definitely assume you didn't know how to pronounce the name, and then judge you for not figuring our the pronunciation before giving it to your child. It's like all the urban legends about how women saw the word "female" and gave the name to their child, pronouncing it "feh molly"

Elinetrouwt

I think giving your kid a name that starts with 'silly' will not help him make friends at school.

Renee1105

Elinetrouwt:

I think giving your kid a name that starts with 'silly' will not help him make friends at school.

This! Cillian is just plain silly!

mamainseptember

anvloveskme:

Before seeing your pronunciation I read t as "Sillian" - I wouldn't assume Cillian = Killian, but I've never seen Cillian before.

This. I don't like it though, it sounds like "ssslitherin" which reminds me of snakes. 

IrishEyes0530

mj.reilly:

I associate the name with the actor Cillian Murphy (pronounced the correct way). I love it. Seeing as I know the correct pronunciation, I would side eye the hell out of you.

It reminds me of an episode of ER where a mom named her baby Chair, but wanted it pronounced like Cher. I just think it is odd. Sure you can do whatever you want, but I find it really odd. It is equivalent to calling my kids /MEE-lo/, /FEYE-oh-nay/, and /eye-ANNE/.

...it's just kind of disrespectful to the name, its history, and its origin. I think this is just as bad as changing the spelling of a name, such as Mason to Maesyn, just not as visually disturbing.

But it's your kid.../SILL-ee-ehn/ makes me think of the organelle "cilia." Yuck.

All of this.

alohamora

This reminds me of the people who named their daughters Aislinn and pronounce it "ace-lynn" when it should actually be "ash-ling."

Krisands

Nana_Osaki06:

If your going to use a really Irish name you should pronounce is correctly or use the Anglicized version.

This. But that being said I have never heard the name before and pronounced it with a soft c when I read it.

BubbaJug

If you go with this, know that you are setting your kid up for a lifetime of frustration where his name is concerned. People are going to be asking him about it, literally, for the rest of his life. If you want to be a trailblazer, awesome, but should you really be doing it with your child's name? You aren't the one living with it... 

jallascalla

Yikes, what a terrible idea. I agree with the previous posters, it is "silly" and disrespectful to the name's culture and long history. Have you thought about Silas? 

Zimger

I like it pronounced the proper way. I agree with the previous posters that feel like pronouncing it wrong is just as disturbing as spelling it wrong. When using a name from another culture I think the parents should at the very least be interested in pronouncing the words and names correctly.

If you like the soft c sound then I would suggest looking up names that have the soft C sound. Cecil is an example or the S sound, Sam, as an example.

kimmycup

anvloveskme:

Before seeing your pronunciation I read t as "Sillian" - I wouldn't assume Cillian = Killian, but I've never seen Cillian before.

Ditto. Never heard of it but I think it's cute.  

strawberrytree

Ridiculous and disrespectful IMO. When you choose a name from a different language or culture, you cannot just change the way the name is pronounced because you 'like it better.' No. Does not work that way. You'll look incredibly ignorant to anybody who knows the way the name is meant to be pronounced. I am side eyeing the hell out of you right now. If you like the soft C, choose a name that starts that way, such as Cecil, Cyrus, Cyril, etc. Or invent a spelling to go along with your invented pronunciation. Silliann. There.

Pas1224

anvloveskme:

Before seeing your pronunciation I read t as "Sillian" - I wouldn't assume Cillian = Killian, but I've never seen Cillian before.

This!

MommaG123

ariaforte8:

FWIW, I read it with the soft c sound. That said, I don't really like it. I think you should only use it if you're 100 percent prepared to "lead the way" with it.

This.  I don't care for it and wouldn't use it.

austenreader85

Joy2611:

Renee1105:

Elinetrouwt:

I think giving your kid a name that starts with 'silly' will not help him make friends at school.

This! Cillian is just plain silly!

...because "kill" is better than "silly"?

Honestly, when I first saw Cillian Murphy's name I thought it was "sillian."  I was rather sad when I realized it was "killian."  But, even so, I still don't think it's right to change the pronunciation.

Well, hundreds of years of English speaking Irish don't seem to have a problem with it starting with "kill." Op, I agree with everyone else. It's not ok to just change the pronunciation, that is part of the package of liking a name. What you like is a made up name.

Manateearmz

I agree with PP. If I heard it said this way I would assume that you didn't know how to say it from the beginning.

gimmietimmies

austenreader85:

Joy2611:

Renee1105:

Elinetrouwt:

I think giving your kid a name that starts with 'silly' will not help him make friends at school.

This! Cillian is just plain silly!

...because "kill" is better than "silly"?

Honestly, when I first saw Cillian Murphy's name I thought it was "sillian."  I was rather sad when I realized it was "killian."  But, even so, I still don't think it's right to change the pronunciation.

Well, hundreds of years of English speaking Irish don't seem to have a problem with it starting with "kill." Op, I agree with everyone else. It's not ok to just change the pronunciation, that is part of the package of liking a name. What you like is a made up name.

Because cill=/=kill (as in to murder a person), that's why it's "okay" to Irish: cill a church; locative case of ceall, q.v., used for the most part in place-names. Cillian is a place name.

jennipea382

This reminds me of how I felt about the name Carys. I thought it was pronounced cuh-REES for a while and really liked it. Then I found out it was care-iss (like Paris) and I was disappointed. I considered for a moment putting it on my "list" with the wrong pronunciation but I quickly realized how stupid that would be because it would be a huge headache and make me look uneducated TBH. I wouldn't do it.

austenreader85

gimmietimmies:

austenreader85:

Joy2611:

Renee1105:

Elinetrouwt:

I think giving your kid a name that starts with 'silly' will not help him make friends at school.

This! Cillian is just plain silly!

...because "kill" is better than "silly"?

Honestly, when I first saw Cillian Murphy's name I thought it was "sillian."  I was rather sad when I realized it was "killian."  But, even so, I still don't think it's right to change the pronunciation.

Well, hundreds of years of English speaking Irish don't seem to have a problem with it starting with "kill." Op, I agree with everyone else. It's not ok to just change the pronunciation, that is part of the package of liking a name. What you like is a made up name.

Because cill=/=kill (as in to murder a person), that's why it's "okay" to Irish: cill a church; locative case of ceall, q.v., used for the most part in place-names. Cillian is a place name.

But when they say it outloud they obviously hear the "kill." Do most Irish even know Gaelic? I thought it was such a dying language few would be able to fluently converse in it. Not saying they don't know meanings of names or important terms but I don't think the English part is of miniscule importance.

Moneypenny424

I don't like this idea. I like the name pronounced Killian the proper way. My name is Gillian Jillian and feel like people at some point called me Sillian to make fun of my name. I hate it enough when people pronounce my name with a hard G which, sorry, is just wrong so I definitely wouldn't make up a pronunciation for a legit name.

jbraswell8290

Before reading your explanation I read it as sillian. I wouldn't have thought to pronounce it as killian.

nanabanana06

fitzpemberley:

This reminds me of the people who named their daughters Aislinn and pronounce it "ace-lynn" when it should actually be "ash-ling."

 Aisling is pronounce Ash-lynn. Same with Aislinn, it's just a more modern spelling. People just don't get Gaelic man. It's why I didn't name my kid Siobhan even though I totally dig the name.

ridesbuttons

When I read your name I think you have spelled it wrong.  And I also think this:

And then when I read you want to pronounce it "Sill-ian" I think....no.  Don't do that.

jallascalla

Nana_Osaki06:

fitzpemberley:

This reminds me of the people who named their daughters Aislinn and pronounce it "ace-lynn" when it should actually be "ash-ling."

 Aisling is pronounce Ash-lynn. Same with Aislinn, it's just a more modern spelling. People just don't get Gaelic man. It's why I didn't name my kid Siobhan even though I totally dig the name.

Aisling is indeed pronounced Ash-ling, I've never heard it pronounced otherwise in Ireland, perhaps it is an american thing. And, my name is Siobhan, and honestly, it hasn't really been a problem growing up mostly in the US, people get it after you tell them. People are smarter than you think, don't dumb down your names for the sake of a few people who can't get it right after being told once or twice!

 

hoopduck

Cillian pronounced Silly-en just sounds....well...silly    sorry

raefre

I read it as Killian before I kept reading, because I thought that was what you were going for but with a unique twist.

Your choice if you want to be a trailblazer. I hate I mispronounce a name and the parents harshly correct me (because I'm sure they are tired of correctly *everyone*). I normally roll my eyes very obviously at them when that happens. 

Stardust54

If I didn't know better I would think this is MUD. ridiculous.

IrishTraveler

austenreader85:

gimmietimmies:

austenreader85:

Joy2611:

Renee1105:

Elinetrouwt:

I think giving your kid a name that starts with 'silly' will not help him make friends at school.

This! Cillian is just plain silly!

...because "kill" is better than "silly"?

Honestly, when I first saw Cillian Murphy's name I thought it was "sillian."  I was rather sad when I realized it was "killian."  But, even so, I still don't think it's right to change the pronunciation.

Well, hundreds of years of English speaking Irish don't seem to have a problem with it starting with "kill." Op, I agree with everyone else. It's not ok to just change the pronunciation, that is part of the package of liking a name. What you like is a made up name.

Because cill=/=kill (as in to murder a person), that's why it's "okay" to Irish: cill a church; locative case of ceall, q.v., used for the most part in place-names. Cillian is a place name.

But when they say it outloud they obviously hear the "kill." Do most Irish even know Gaelic? I thought it was such a dying language few would be able to fluently converse in it. Not saying they don't know meanings of names or important terms but I don't think the English part is of miniscule importance.

It's my understanding that Irish Gaelic is taught in schools in Ireland. While the people generally don't use it on a daily basis unless they're in a Gaeltacht, they do know the correct pronunciations of words.