Name spelling/pronunciation

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2007
Name spelling/pronunciation
28
Mon, 04-23-2007 - 4:48pm

Hi all,

Input on a name we're strongly considering for our first child, a boy, is much appreciated. The name is a special one to us, as my husband's background is Persian, I am part Irish, and the name is both Persian and Irish (it also has Hawaiian and African-American roots). The pronunciation we would go with is the Persian pronunciation: the first syllable rhymes with the word "tea", and the second syllable rhymes with the boy's name "John". The *second* syllable is stressed, not the first.

These are my questions:

1. Which spelling makes it easiest to pronounce the name?

2. Which spelling makes it easiest to stress the second syllable?

3. Knowing the pronunciation, how would you spell the name?

4. How might you mispronounce the name spelled in these ways if you didn't already know the pronunciation?

a. Kyan
b. Keon
c. Kian
d. Kiyan
e. Keyon
f. Keyan
g. other?

Thank you SO much. Your feedback is much appreciated!
Amy :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2007
Tue, 04-24-2007 - 10:27am

I would definately go with either (b) Keon or (c) Kian.

a. Kyan (I pronounce it like "cayenne pepper")

All of the others (Kiyan, Keyon, and Keyan) I could see myself stressing the "Y" in there. Kind of like yawn)

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2007
Tue, 04-24-2007 - 10:56am

Thanks so much for your vote!

Amy

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2007
Tue, 04-24-2007 - 11:10am

Hi Tracy,

Thank you for your response. I agree, most people will probably stress the first syllable; in Persian, actually, each syllable receives either equal stress or the second syllable is just slightly stressed.

Yes, Cian is the most common Irish spelling, and Kian is an Irish variation in spelling (both are pronounced "KEY-in"). The Persian spelling is Kian or, less commonly, Kiyan. Therefore, if we were to go with Kian (which is what we were planning to do before we realized it could be mispronounced), the spelling would tie together both the Persian and Irish names. We're trying to decide now if it's more important to retain the original spelling, which we like and which reflects his heritage, or if it's more important that he doesn't undergo problems throughout his life with the spelling and pronunciation of his name (after all, like both of us, he will be growing up in the U.S., which he might feel more strongly is his heritage). Any opinions on that issue?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2007
Tue, 04-24-2007 - 11:14am

Yes. There are few common names used in the U.S. with the stress on the second syllable. The ones that come to my mind are Dion, Christine, Michelle, Dianne, Justine, and Jamal. Thanks so much for your reply!

Amy

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2007
Tue, 04-24-2007 - 11:20am
Wow, thanks for the great spelling variations! Based on everyone's feedback (Keon and Keyon seem to be closest spellings to the pronunciation we're looking for), I'm thinking that Keyaun and Keonn might be good choices. Does anyone agree that Keyaun or Keonn would encourage the speaker to avoid stressing the first syllable?
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2005
Tue, 04-24-2007 - 11:20am

<<>>


Oh, that definitely clears things up! ;) In that case, I would easily vote for Kian. It is a common Anglicization of Cian, as you mentioned, and if it's the actual spelling of the Persian name it certainly ties the two heritages in nicely.


FWIW, I wouldn't recommend a made-up spelling simply to "help" pronunciation any more in this case than I would if you were simply considering the Persian name (without Cian even mentioned). If you like the Persian name Kian, said kee-AHN, there's absolutely no reason to bastardize it on the off chance someone, somewhere might mispronounce it. Fact is, no matter how you spell a name -- any name -- someone WILL get it wrong. Assuming you're not using some crazy, kre8iv spelling that can't be said the way you want, that's not your problem. It's theirs.


Kian is the traditional Persian spelling and also happens to honor your Irish roots as an Anglicized form of Cian, so I think your first instincts were 100% correct. A wonderful choice for you. ;)


ETA:


<<>>


Perhaps, but I wouldn't encourage that any more than I would


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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2007
Tue, 04-24-2007 - 11:21am

Thank you for your reply!

Amy

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2007
Tue, 04-24-2007 - 11:22am

Thanks for the feedback, Lori-Ann.

Amy :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2007
Tue, 04-24-2007 - 11:23am

Thank you for responding --

Amy

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2007
Tue, 04-24-2007 - 11:26am
Thank you for the spelling idea. Does anyone think that Kiyaan or Keyaan would discourage stressing the first syllable?