The girl name post got me thinking...

Caity Todd · June 2009

We've decided on Eion Henry for our little guy...Eion pronounced (Ian) everyone always asks...which brings me to my question. Is the spelling to weird. We picked that spelling because it's Irish and we're both part Irish..not to mention it's very different. What do you guys think?

AJluvsLI · June 2009

I like names with unique spelling but you'll have to be prepared for teachers in school never knowing how to say his name the first day.

merjmm · June 2009

I personally don't like "different" spellings that often but if you and your DH like it then go for it. My DH is trying to convince me to use Jason as our LO's middle name (if we have a boy) but spell it Jayson. Needless to say we haven't come to a decision yet.

Cosmos48 · June 2009

I like the spelling and knew what it was right off. I haven't seen it that way before, but it looks and sounds very nice. Go with your heart.

Pennylane824 · June 2009

Since you are asking our opinion, I think it is way too weird.

cleigh11 · June 2009

I like different spellings, however, that one is difficult to get if you don't have an Irish background;-)

majors31 · June 2009

it is pretty different. NMS. i would get tired of having to tell people how to pronounce it.

my maiden name was hard for some people to figure out and it was a little frustrating. i can't imagine if my first name was difficult.

BUT at the end of the day, it is your kid and your decision.

ChrisnTris · June 2009

Pennylane824:
Since you are asking our opinion, I think it is way too weird.

This

ellemoney:) · June 2009

IMO, I like regular spellings, but I also first thought the name was Elon... E-l-o-n b/c of the way it looked on the computer. ?Just something to think about.?

But it's your child, you get to name & spell however you wish ?

KimberlyJean · June 2009

I think it's cute - I like celtic/gaelic names - but you will always have to deal with people asking. If that doesn't bother you than don't worry about it.

Caity Todd · June 2009

O! First of all thanks for being honest...I giggled:) And second, I'm not too worried about it being pronounced off or having it spelled for everyone...my name is Caitlyn. And I go by Caity. I have to spell it for everyone.

peas out · June 2009

I agree, its too weird. I like Ian, but the spelling throws me off. It may be Irish but to me it looks like one that just added letters to be "unique".

But, your kid, not mine. Spell however you wish!

FLVintageBride · June 2009

I don't like made up creative spellings, though I give you credit since yours isn't actually made up. I personally will stick with a name that is either spelled phonetically in english or is common enough that people know how to pronounce it. Even when you give your kid a name that is phonetic (my daughter's name is Imogen), you'd be surprised how many people will eff it up.

Finn829 · June 2009

He might be called "Ion" like the particle, which is what I first thought of when I saw it. But I was always having to correct people about my name as well. My name is Kaylin, but everybody calles me Kaitlyn. He'll get used to it like I did.

Jenn.J. · June 2009

ellemoney:):

IMO, I like regular spellings, but I also first thought the name was Elon... E-l-o-n b/c of the way it looked on the computer. Just something to think about.

This is exactly what I thought it was, until you clarified the Ian thing. Wierd spellings aren't really my thing.

FLVintageBride · June 2009

Finn829:
He might be called "Ion" like the particle, which is what I first thought of when I saw it. But I was always having to correct people about my name as well. My name is Kaylin, but everybody calles me Kaitlyn. He'll get used to it like I did.

Or people will call him "eon". That's how it read in my mind.

mrsgarrison · June 2009

It reminds me of the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" where they pronounce the guys name Eeee-on Meeeler. LOL. I like the name but the spelling's just NMS.

efortune · June 2009

Pennylane824:

Since you are asking our opinion, I think it is way too weird.

Ditto... A little too strange for me.

Dancer6978 · June 2009

Wow. It never ceases to amaze me how people lump language/ethnicity spellings into the same category as "weird" or "made-up" spellings. That is such blatant ethnocentrism!

I think your name is great, and kudos to you for being true to the Irish language and, thus, your heritage.

(FWIW, "Ian" is a Scottish name, not any more American or "normal" than "Eion.")

atlbride23 · June 2009

I have a very traditional irish name with a "weird" spelling. Don't worry- it won't mess your kid up or anything. They'll eventually appreciate not having the same name as 20 other kids in their school.

FLVintageBride · June 2009

Dancer6978:

Wow. It never ceases to amaze me how people lump language/ethnicity spellings into the same category as "weird" or "made-up" spellings. The ethnocentrism is blatant.

I think your name is great, and kudos to you for being true to the Irish language and, thus, your heritage.

(FWIW, "Ian" is a Scottish name, not any more American than "Eion.")

I don't think it's ethnocentric to point out to someone that people are going to butcher the name they chose. Not everyone in America has Irish heritage and thus will be familiar with this non-english spelling. That doesn't mean she can't choose that name, but seeing as I'm guessing 99% of people who choose Gaelic names in the U.S. don't speak a lick of the language, I do think it's kind of weird. Why not spell it in the language you and most of your countrymen actually speak? It has an english equivalent. That's just my opinion. It's your kid so name it what you want, just don't get pissed when I can't pronounce it.

FLVintageBride · June 2009

Dancer6978:

(FWIW, "Ian" is a Scottish name, not any more American or "normal" than "Eion.")

And FWIW, Ian may be Scottish, but it is also the english phonetic equivalent of the name. So anyone who is literate in english should be able to pronounce it.

Ali-B · June 2009

I'm glad you mentioned how to pronounce it, because I thought it would sound like EON rhyme with neon. I think the spelling is fine if that's the traditional Celtic spelling, but it will get butchered frequently. Mine does, and it's not very unusual.

Dancer6978 · June 2009

FLVintageBride:
Dancer6978:

Wow. It never ceases to amaze me how people lump language/ethnicity spellings into the same category as "weird" or "made-up" spellings. The ethnocentrism is blatant.

I think your name is great, and kudos to you for being true to the Irish language and, thus, your heritage.

(FWIW, "Ian" is a Scottish name, not any more American than "Eion.")

I don't think it's ethnocentric to point out to someone that people are going to butcher the name they chose. Not everyone in America has Irish heritage and thus will be familiar with this non-english spelling. That doesn't mean she can't choose that name, but seeing as I'm guessing 99% of people who choose Gaelic names in the U.S. don't speak a lick of the language, I do think it's kind of weird. Why not spell it in the language you and most of your countrymen actually speak? It has an english equivalent. That's just my opinion. It's your kid so name it what you want, just don't get pissed when I can't pronounce it.

You are correct. Pointing out that people might mispronounce it isn't an ethnocentric comment, and I didn't say it was. It was the other comments about the fact that it's "weird"; THOSE were ethnocentric and condescending to another culture/language. "Why not spell it in a language you and most of your countrymen actually speak?" There are many reasons: One, I didn't know English (or Scottish?) was the official language in the U.S. That's news to me. Two, many people still feel strongly attached to their heritage. Is that so wrong? I'm not using any English-lanuage name for my baby. I don't see why I have to cater my choice to what "most of my countrymen" speak, and neither does the OP. Naming a child shouldn't be based upon whether people around you can automatically pronounce it on the first try; it should be based on what it means to you, whether it's English, Pashto, Mandarin, or "made up."

Anyway, I've said my piece. I think if some people stepped out of their American bubble a few times, they'd be able to see the utter beauty in all cultures.

bwm2bmw · June 2009

Hmmm...I'm not sure what to think about Eion. I've never heard of it and would have guessed Eon or Ion. What about Eian? Could that be a possibility? I have a traditional Irish name too (brigid) which I love though it is always mis-spelled and even more suprising to me, often mispronounced. People sometimes seem to think it's a soft g like in BIG. That one pisses me off for some reason if someone says brig-id but the misspelling I'm used to. It does get frustrating trying to spell it for people, especially if giving my email address for work over the phone etc. When your name is common but spelled differently people automatically start writing it the way they know and then get all sorts of confused trying to go back and correct it. I just learned that if I have to spell it for someone I don't say it aloud first. That way they don't automatically start writing it wrong. Good luck

p.s. you could post on the baby names board too if you want a whole slew of other opinons!

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