(no subject)

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

I fell in love recently with Ciara, even though it looked like a funky spelling of Sara when I first saw it, and I hear most people misprounce it as Sierra when it's actually "KEER-a". What do you guys think of it? Would naming a daughter this be worth it if she needs to keep saying, "No. We pronouce it the Irish way, the right way, and it's 'KEER-a'." Ok, maybe she wouldn't be so snobby, but you know what I mean. XD

If I did use it, I think the girl's name would be Ciara Emily Nadine. Do you guys think it works? Nadine is my mom's middle name (cos I don't like her first--sorry Ma), and the other two just because I like em and want the child to have a full name as theirs and the second middle name as a bonus. So if she never wants to acknowledge she was named after her grandmother, she can go with Ciara Emily for the rest of her life. What do you guys think?

Comments

[djador.livejournal.com]

I like it but you're right, she's going to go through life correcting people on the pronunciation. Especially since Ciara the singer is probably the only time most people have heard the name and she pronounces it with a soft C sound. Another spelling maybe?

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I could go with Kira, but I like how Ciara looks. It seems almost... softer to me, I guess. Maybe I could give it to her as a middle name, Emily Ciara Nadine?

[lneef.livejournal.com]

I liked the same name and had the same problem with it. Going through life correcting people would just be too much trouble.

I also like Chiara, a similar Italian name pronounced Kee-AR-ah. Not quite the same in spelling or pronunciation but I think a bit easier to figure out for an American- though then you have the problem of people calling her "Chee-ara".

[lneef.livejournal.com]

I think it works nicely as a middle name.

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

I pronounce that see-AR-uh.

I think it's snobby to use that as keer-a, regardless if you sound snobby when correcting/explaining or not. Use Kiera or Keira. Or even Kira.

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it does, but I kinda didn't want to use Emily as a first name. I love it, but it's common, and I don't want her to be like me, one of many Emilys in her class. I'm not Emily, I'm Jessica, which was like the name in the 80's it seems.

[nothingbuthp.livejournal.com]

I know a Ciara, but she pronounces it like Sierra.

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

Snobby? When Ciara is originally an Irish name, a femine form of CIARÁN ("Kieran") and since it is Irish, it is supposed to be pronouced that way?

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

Yes, because the people you/she will come across are dumb. I think there is proof of that all over the place regarding names. I don't care if it's the authentic pronunciation or not. We're not in Ireland.

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

...so it's snobby for me to pick a name some people might not be able to pronouce correctly? So I should stick with Ann and the like?

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

So? How do you pronouce Jesus? And other ethical names? I'm Irish, my last name is Irish, and I want to give my daughter a name to reflect that. But I guess, since I'm in America, I can only pick the stupid names?

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

I mentioned that because it's a primary concern of yours. I'm, like, the queen of creativity when it comes to names, but that's just my two cents in regards to your issue. Do what you'd like. I think it sounds nice as a middle name, as you commented to someone above.

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

Don't stress yourself out. Sheesh, I don't care. It's very obviously not up to me, which you should be happy about.

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry for my response, but you made it sound like I was being a snob for even considering this name. I can see saying why it would be hard, but not how I would be a snob.

[cxtxc.livejournal.com]

Honestly? I don't see what harm spelling her name K-i-e-r-a would do, besides making her life easier. She'll have a lifetime of hell correcting people in school, work, and otherwise with the traditional Irish spelling.

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

I don't mean to sound like I'm attacking, and I very much understand attachment to names. I get fiery about mine as well. I don't mean to attack you so much as the name. I don't know, not even the name. I just thought I'd be honest about it, since it's your concern. I think some names (like... Winston and... I don't know... Thurston, lol) come across as snobby. There are different ways of coming across as snobby, and I think that using names spelled in a way that is not conducive to pronunciation in the English language and how most of it know it is a bit snobby.

[lustdumpster.livejournal.com]

like everyone else has said so far, in america, that name is pronounced like sierra. it's just the dialect. we're taught from an early age that c + e/i = s. so in reality, you have no reason to be getting angry with the other people who have replied because they are confirming this fact.

tbh, i don't like the name ciara/kiera/kira regardless, but i think ciara looks like sierra, particularly because the A in the name is nowhere to be found in the pronunciation, by american english terms.

i understand that you're irish and you want your child's name to reflect that. but there are other irish names that you could use that won't be so confusing to the typical american eye. another thing to think about is that along with correcting people when they're reading her name, she'll also have to correct the spelling all the time and that will probably get frustrating.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

I like the spelling Kira better, for no particular reason other than it looks nice.

[sarahness.livejournal.com]

I will always and forever pronounce Ciara "see-air-uh".

If you want to limit confusion, I'd go with Keira.

I love the name, though. And if you like the Ciara spelling better, go for it. KEER-a IS, afterall, the proper Irish pronunciation, but it might get annoying to have to correct people every second.

[sifukatara.livejournal.com]

I think that name is very beautiful myself. It's really nice! I might just use it for a future story I'm writing. But I def like it a lot!
God loves you
Lauren

[moldycelery.livejournal.com]

I'm butting here, but I agree -- I think it is snobby to expect people to pronounce it Kira if it's spelt Ciara. It's like expecting people to pronounce Genevieve the correct French way -- it's been so Anglicized that most people don't even know that Jennyveev isn't the right pronounciation.

[kitten-wrangler.livejournal.com]

"No. We pronouce it the Irish way, the right way, and it's 'KEER-a'."

Ah, 'right' is a completely subjective concept.

To me:
As an English speaker, Ciara is 'See-ah-ra'
As an Indonesian speaker, Ciara is 'Chee-a-ra'
As an Italian speaker, Ciara is 'Cha-ra'

All of these pronunciations are just as 'right' as 'Kee-ra'

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

I know 'right' can be subjective, which is why I said afterwards that she wouldn't be so snobby, I was just kidding. Personally, tho, I think it's right, since the origin of the name prounouces it this way. It would be like telling an Asian person that their name must be Americanized when over here, because Americans can't learn new ways to say things or be open to new legit names. That, tho, is just my own opinion of course.

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

I really like Emily and Nadine, but I don't like Ciara. I like the pronunciation, but not the spelling, because it DOES look like it's pronounced like Sierra. Kiera, maybe? Ugh, I don't know. I do love the pronunciation, but not the name itself. And Ciara Emily Nadine is gorgeous.

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I was really worried about the combination. And yeah, to me, Kira Emily Nadine doesn't have the same oomph behind it. Kira looks to.. harsh? Rough? It's that K that's bothering me, I think XD Do you, maybe, have any suggestions that have the same sort of style Kiera/Kira/Ciara have (but aren't them) that would go with Emily Nadine?

[kitten-wrangler.livejournal.com]

Can you clarify what your point is? I'm a little confused, partly because I feel that to claim ethnicity X as being the 'origin' of any name is a mistake (for example 'Naomi' - is it a Japanese or Hebrew name? 'Sari' - is it Arabic/Hebrew or Indian? 'Malo' - Hawaiian or French?) and partly coz I don't understand your point about Americanising names.

[politicking.livejournal.com]

i like Ciara pronounced as see-air-uh or keer-a... i'm not a big fan of see-r-uh. though, since the musician Ciara is so popular right now, if i were to have a daughter (or had one in the last maybe year or two), and wanted it to be said as "Keer-ah", i'd most likely spell it as Kiera, Keira or Keera/h.

but i definitely don't think it's a bad name OR that it's snobby that you want it said that way :)

i also really like Ciara Emily Nadine. i also like Emily Ciara Nadine and Nadine Emily Ciara.

[politicking.livejournal.com]

that's one of the huge, main reasons i will probably never use Genevieve... i LOVE the name and the correct French pronunciation, but i know that hardly anyone would say it that way :(

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

Why would claiming the origin as where it came from be a mistake? If multiple cultures beyond Irish and Gaelic had influence the name, I would have gladly mentioned them and said, "Well, in Ireland, it's this, but since it's a French name too, it could be said this way too." How else would you say where a name came from? The people that use it the most? The reason I mention the origin so much is I think it greatly influences how the name is said, and what it means.

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

Emily Ciara Nadine could work, and I've always liked Emily even tho it's so popular. Nadine Emily Ciara, eh. It sounds nice, but since Nadine is after my mom, I didn't want a "junior". Not quite that, but I'm sure you know what I mean.

Maybe Emily Ciara Nadine would be better to do, so all those silly people that can't learn new names can use Emily, but I could still call her Ciara.

Thank you for not thinking I'm snobby. I'm not expecting the world to know immediately it's KEER-a, or that I will scream at them for mispronoucing the name. I just asked if the name was beutiful enough, would the repeating of everything be worth it. :)

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it might, I guess I would need to figure out if I really love the name enough. It might just be easier to go with Emily Ciara Nadine. I'll have to see.

[ifancylust.livejournal.com]

unfortunately, everyone would probably call her sierra. i probably would if i didn't know her. =/ i don't think you should immediately rule it out though if you really love it. i've grown up with people mispronouncing my name and i've just gotten used to it. it's annoying, but not completely terrible.
i had a friend named kyra (KEER-a) and even she had her name mispronounced..so i can't even imagine how many people would get ciara wrong.
if you're open to other spellings, i'd go with kyra, keira, or kira.
i think the full name you picked sounds nice.

[xpaniic.livejournal.com]

Same here.

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

thank you for saying the whole combination is good, I was worried about that the most. The misprouncation I could deal with, but if the name sounded like a five year was using his crayon to pick names out of a book, well, that wouldn't be so good XD I'm not sure about other spellings, the K's make the name look hard to me. Or rough, or something, I'm not sure how to explain it. But I'll keep rolling the spelling around in my head to see if I can get used to it.

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

I totally understand what you mean. I love Catherine, but I think Katherine looks kind of trashy. I think I just have a 'thing' against K names because of all of the Kaleb, Kaitlin, Kristopher, and Kristians out there whose names look ridiculous:) What about Cara Emily Nadine? It can be pronounced as Care-uh or Car-uh (I prefer the latter), and both are acceptable and easy to correct if someone gets it wrong.

Other ideas:
Moira Emily Nadine*
Calla Emily Nadine (Cal-uh)
Clara Emily Nadine*
Anya Emily Nadine
Lena Emily Nadine
Leta Emily Nadine (rhymes with Pita)
Lydia Emily Nadine*
Mara Emily Nadine

I don't know if any of these are what you're looking for, but when I typed Kira/Ciara and Emily into Nymbler.com, this is what came up that struck me as being (a) somewhat similar in style, and (b) sounding really good with Emily Nadine. My favorites are starred.

[kitten-wrangler.livejournal.com]

I think what I'm trying to get at here is that whilst you found Ciara through your Irish heritage, there is absolutely nothing that would prevent the letters C-I-A-R-A from emerging from any other ethnicity as a name. It's possibly presumptuous to assume that Irish is the only possible source of Ciara.

So unless you know the origin of the name you won't know how to say/spell it. And unless you're a flaming redhead with green eyes and a County Kerry lilt to your voice then it's hard to pick which specific origin out of many a name could have come from. Hence, a lifetime of going "It's an Irish name, it's spelt C, I, A, R, A."

[ifancylust.livejournal.com]

i also once met a girl who pronounced it KEER-a, but spelled it cira. that could be a possibility too.

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

Oh I do like Cara, but I have a sister named Cara (Cara Beth, actually, but she doesn't use the Beth part), so I wouldn't be able to use it :/ Hmm, and I do like the list, thank you for the help. They all sound wonderful. The only one I would be wary of is Leta, just because you mentioned pita. Seems like kids, being kids, would tease her for that :)

[ex-911pleas.livejournal.com]

I knew a girl with a name like that but it was Key-are-uh. I do not know how to type out pronunciations. It was Ciara with a hard C sound, basically.

[cherrysorbet.livejournal.com]

I really like Ciara, but I wouldn't use it as I could see a lot of people having problems pronouncing it. I would go with Keira personally... but I still think Ciara looks really pretty :)

[bobinwales.livejournal.com]

I like Ciara a lt. I prefer it with a K, but I just like the look of K's more! :)

I like the whole name you've chosen!

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

I'm not a big fan of the name spelled that way. I'm sure it will be misspelled and mispronounced a lot. I do like the way Ciara Emily Nadine sounds, though.

[admirari.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking this.. i pronounce it the French way which is BEAUTIFUL. My mom had a friend with that name. I don't know if she had problems or annoyances telling people how to say it correctly?

[admirari.livejournal.com]

i understand your frustration :(

[admirari.livejournal.com]

our doggie's name is Sierra. it's hard for me to say, though (he got her before he got me *wink*) It doesn't roll naturally, I dunno. All the vowels and then the weird r in the back of your mouth. I just call her Puppy :)

[songspell.livejournal.com]

I was just scrolling through the comments wondering if anyone else pronounced that name like I would...

key-ARE-uh

Glad to know I'm not that weird...