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Help with a boy name... some will call it "unique"
We like the name that is pronounced like Ky-Lin but we are wanting to spell it with a C. Please help me out with any spellings that do not look totally crazy or opinions on what we've brainstormed. I know some people on here will not like the name because it is different and not common and that is fine but I am only looking for comments on help with spelling...
Some options we have thought of:
Cyelin- My fav
Ckylin- His fav- I hate
Chylin- Okay but not either of our favorites...
Cylin- He said it looks like a medicine and now I see that too...
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Re: Help with a boy name... some will call it "unique"
Phonetically, C followed by a Y has the S sound, so expect a lot of people to call your LO Sigh-lin.
Out of this list, I prefer Cylin, but it looks like Sigh-lin to me.
Chylin=chillin' to my eye.
Ckylin is just plain nutso
Cyelin is my second choice.
Agreed with all of this. FWIW I read the names before reading the paragraph you wrote and did not pronounce any of them the way you wanted.
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I don't like the name at all (to me it's less "unique" and just plain "bad" and think you are setting your son up for a really annoying time with people saying/knowing/spelling his name, but, here's how I would pronounce these the way you've listed.
Cyelin- My fav (SIGH-LIN)
Ckylin- His fav- I hate (SKY-LIN)
Chylin- Okay but not either of our favorites... (CHAI-LIN or CHILLIN)
Cylin- He said it looks like a medicine and now I see that too.. (SIGH-LIN)
Cyelin-This looks like it would be pronounced Sy-Lin
Ckylin-Makes very little sense if you just prefer speeling it with a C the K is just extra. Would probably be prounouced Sky-Linnot Ky-Lin.
Chylin-would most likely be pronounced Chy-lin not Ky-Lin
Cylin-Probably the closest bet for what you are going for pronunciation-wise, but it I still feel like it would be pronounced Sy-lin...this is because of the C and Y being right beside one another. In English we learn that this more often than not is pronounced like Cycle.
Anyway, personally I would just stick with Kai b/c I think the "-lyn" sound at the end of the name makes it sound like a girls' name. Or Keiran or Cilan are good names as well.
I'm also not a fan of changing the spelling of the name, even if it's like foreign or something, and in this case -- if you're absolutely 100% set on this name -- I'd say it's an even worse idea b/c Kailan is hard enough to pronounce when properly spelled and none of the spellings you've come up make sense phonetically to me, no offense. For example --
Cyelin & Cylin -- I'd pronounce both of these as Cilan.
Ckylin -- I'd say "Check-lin".
Chylin -- I'd say "Chillin' ".
I would not pronounce any of these spelling "ky-lin" and I'm not sure that anyone would get it right.
Cyelin and Cylin I would pronounce like "sigh-lyn", Ckylin I would pronounce like "sky-lyn", and I would pronounce Chylin like "chai-lyn".
Since the pronunciation is going to be so different from how it's spelled, I think you can just choose the one you like the look of best. If I was choosing the look of one (disregarding how it's actually pronounced) I think I would choose Cyelin. Is there a reason you want it to begin with a C?
I'm trying to think of another way to spell it that would make it easier for people to come up with the ky-lin pronunciation... but all I could think of was writing it c-a-i-l-i-n (the first part I'm getting from the name Kai, but just changing it to a C), which obviously doesn't work because it makes a completely different name. Hmm. That's a tough one. You may already have all the best possible spellings... so again, I would just go with what you like the look of most.
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I think Cuylin would be your best option as far as pronunciation goes. I actually read that the way you want it to be pronounced. The other spellings I wouldn't even know where to begin.
Cyelin- Sigh-lin or Cee-lin
Ckylin- mispronounced as sick-lin or chick-lin
Chylin- Chai-lin or chillin'
Cylin- sigh-lin or killin'Honestly, I don't think it matters. You will have to spell it and explain it every time anyway, so you might as well use the spelling you like. You just have to decide how comfortable you are with mispronunciations ? as pp mentioned, English-speakers will pronounce Cy- as SIGH.
Actually, I think the problem with this name isn't that it's unusual, but that it sounds so overdone. There are thousands and thousands of Kylas, Kylees, Kaylins, Kylers, etc., and Kylin sounds like all the rest, no matter how it's spelled. Cailix is a much more interesting name, and I'd encourage you to find a better match for it. Something like Chiron, Chryses, or Castor (all mythological names) would make a good sibset within your parameters. Obviously, it's your kid and you should use the name you like, but it seems from your post that having a unique name is very important to you, and I wouldn't want you to be surprised/disappointed/annoyed when lots of people assume that your child's name is one of the Kaylee/Kaylin/Kyla family.
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exactly what I was thinking
I know an autistic kid with this name... he's 13 and hates his name.
Kylen
This. It doesn't seem unique so much as overdone and with the alternate spellings, it just adds further to the confused jumble of almost-the-same-names-with-way-too-many-spelling-variants - which yes, will all have to be explained regardless of what you choose.
Also, given the trend of female names with this sound, it sounds well, very, very feminine to me.
Ckylin- Wtf??
Chylin- "CHIGH-lin"
Cylin- "SIGH-lin"
The "C" spelling doesn't lend itself to a "K" pronunciation; if you for sure want the "K" sound, use a "K" spelling.
I would say to spell it "Cailin"...for me, that's the closest it gets to making sense. Even that isn't good, though.
Honestly, you're probably setting the kid up for a lifetime of spelling his name out to confused people, and that's just not cool. Either go with a K or pick a different name entirely.
The only one of these variations that I would actually pronounce Ky-Lin is Ckylin.
I would pronounce Cyelin and Cylin Sy-Lin and Chylin Chai-lin.
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Cailan would maybe work as a variant of Kailan. It looks extremely feminine to me. I don't think any of the made-up spellings you suggested really work and would lead to lots of mispronounciation or misspelling.
If you're looking for a more unusual C name to go with your other child's name, may I suggest--
Cominius
Carlyle
Cavan (means handsome in Gaelic)
Ciprian
Conall (meaning "strong")
Thank you. This!
The pronunciation you want cannot be achieved by any of the options you listed, OP.
Thanks for the responses- I love the sound of the name but hate every spelling... These are just the ways we have come up with. The "C" theme is my H's idea- we both start with a C and he wanted to continue with our kids--- I am not set on that but I am not against it either as long as we find names we like. I don't know why the hell he suggested CK and I hate it- and of course now he's set on it! I also worried about Cy- being Sigh- but I have seen names on websites spelled this way and pronounciation says Ky-. As far as having to spell his name out forever- I have to spell my name out everyday... it's Cassie- I don't have that much of a problem with it... It doesn't hurt me at all and I think my name is VERY common and easy to figure out! I've learned that's not true for all! Thank you for the alternate suggestions! We still have plenty of time!
The closest thing I can think of to give you a pronunciation like you want is Cullen. It's a last name and a trendy-thing I think, thanks to the vampire books, but I've seen one or two kids in the area with it. There is a snowball's chance in Panama that people are going to see your Cylen/Cylin spellings and think anything but the "Sy" sound.
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It sounds too much like Kai-lan, a very pretty and feminine japanese girl's name. It is also the name of a girl on a popular Nick Jr. cartoon. Just be prepared that your son will be called "Ni Hao Kai-lan" as a nickname.
If you really want the C to be a hard sound, I wouldn't pair it with a "y" -- look into Irish boys names like Ciaran or Cian.
I was thinking the same things. You nailed the phonetics
Agree. Do you want the names to sound matchy? If that's what you're going for, I'm sure you can find other names that aren't as close, but still are a little matchy and make a nice sibset. Also, I would have pronounced all of those names wrong as you had them, so the spellings are misleading to me.
Sorry but you need to show your hubby this thread! He's really stretching to come up with something youneek. Don't forget, your kid has to live with this name his whole life.
I know you want to use C names... so how about:
Cyrus (if you can get past the Miley/Billie Ray reference).. sounds pretty similar to what you like.
Cedric is nice.. unusual but not odd.
Here's a whole list
https://www.momswhothink.com/baby-boy-names/baby-boy-names-c.html
I'm sorry, but they are all terrible.
Pick another name.
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None of these will be pronounced Ky-Lin. None of them even look like Kylin.
I read everything and only now remembered that you wanted this as a boy's name. Reading through all of them just sounded feminine to me, maybe because of all the Caitlin/Kylie resemblances?
I like the suggestion of Caelin, it is the best way to get the pronunciation you want with the letter "C." Also, Caelan or Caelyn is an (apparently unisex) Irish name meaning "slender person."
Never heard of the show but Ni-Hao means hello in Chinese so I'm fairly sure you're mistaken about it being a Japanese name.
None of those spellings are going to get you the pronunciation you are looking for. I agree with PP- Cuylin would be better.