Is Killian/Cillian too different of a name in the US?

Re: Is Killian/Cillian too different of a name in the US?

• 00kim00 member

  February 2023

  It was in our top 3, and actually was there because it's an Irish name that's relatively easy to spell and pronounce (as opposed to Tadhg, our first choice name that we were apprehensive about using in the US because he'll always have to tell people how to pronounce/spell it). I think if you spell it with a "k", he probably won't have to tell people how to pronounce or spell it often. With a "c" he will, but so does every Catherine/Katherine or Lindsay/Lindsey or Stephen/Steven.  So I think it's totally reasonable to use it in the US, and it's a great name!

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• harpseal135 member

  February 2023

  The only thing I can think of is the association to the beer.  Not too crazy, imo

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• mb0112 member

  February 2023

  I prefer it with a C and think most people would be familiar if you're in a part of the country with a lot of Irish Americans like I am. People might ask for the spelling but they will do that for many fairly common names with variations anyway. Not a reason to avoid it in my opinion. 

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• starlight8323 member

  February 2023

  I live in the U.S. and I think Cillian is a great name! Is Killian a common spelling in Ireland? If not, then I don’t think you should change it just for the U.S.
  Also the Killian spelling has the word Kill in it, so that turns me off of it. I personally would much prefer having to spell it or say “with a C,” than to have the word Kill in my name.
  As for Cillian Murphy, I think he was popular here 20 years ago, but I don’t think he’s getting any more popular now. I am only one person, but I haven’t heard anyone mention his name in like 15 years. 

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• kbmt member

  February 2023

  A friend of mine has a one year old named Killian. It never crossed my mind that the name was too different in the US. Most people wouldn’t have an issue with this name.

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• makstew24 member

  March 2023

  Cillian is a top choice for our baby boy due in May for the same reasons! I prefer the Irish spelling with a “c” ( K is not a letter in the Irish language but many “C” names have been anglicized to use “K”- for example Kelly). Cillian is not way out of line phonetically and you can avoid the “kill” concern. Great Irish name 🍀

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• justkp member

  March 2023

  I love the name Cillian! 😍 Mind, I don't live in the US and I spent a couple of years living in Ireland. But except for having to tell people it's spelled with a C, I wouldn't have thought it would cause any sort of problem.
  
  Maybe if you decided to call him Tadgh or Caomhán, sure, but fairly straight forward names like Cillian or Ciarán or Cormac, no issue with those IMO 😊

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• andrawrmeda2 member

  April 2023

  We had a Killian and I have seen it spelled Kylian too. I went to school with a boy spelled that way. I wasn't worried about the "kill" part, we nicknamed him Kili/Killy. You can always change the spelling anyway, there's not many rules on names. I grew up with a hard name and trust me people mispronounced even easy names. Also misspelled it a lot. So it can happen either way. 

  
  
  
  
  

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