Comments on: Name of the Day: Briallen

By: appellationmountain

appellationmountain — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:37:48 +0000

It does, Laura – thanks. But it also reinforces the idea that if you’re going to use Briallen in the US, you’ll need to accept that you can’t get the authentic pronunciation … at least not most of the time. That’s the constant challenge of importing names … and the fun part, too, to see how they change and transform.

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 09:10:57 +0000

Interesting post, however I speak fluent Welsh and can confirm it is not pronounced bree-allen or anything close to that!

I speak fluent Welsh and the double l (Ll) is a letter on it’s own in the alphabet. The sound doesn’t exist in English so it’s very hard to explain, which is why I would suggest non-Welsh speakers avoid any Welsh names with “ll” in it!

This guide should help: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/livinginwales/sites/howdoisay/alphabet/

It’s kind of said like a hissing sound a bit, somewhere between a h and an l. Hope that helps

By: Panya

Panya — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:15:09 +0000

I really wanted to use Szczepan as a mn for our son, both to honor me, and my g-g-g-g-gpa [!] Szczepan, but my husband has a speech impediment and can’t say ‘szcz’!

By: appellationmountain

appellationmountain — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:28:13 +0000

Panya, I’ve never heard Szczepana before! Though Szczepan came up when we were naming our son, as a possible middle. Two barriers: while I understand how to say “szcz,” I struggle to pronounce it. I think it is the kind of sound that you have to master young. And his first name had to be Alex. And our last name starts with S. So we couldn’t use a middle name that starts with S. But I have an uncle Stephen I would’ve loved to have honored.

Anyway, Bettany is neat!

By: Panya

Panya — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:55:41 +0000

I was going to use Briallen as a middle name for my daughter to honor my brother and mother. His name is Bret Alan and one of her very favorite names is Brianne (bree-ANN) [Emilie Brianne being her chosen combo for another daughter]. But my brother named his daughter Breeana (bree-AH-nah). That’s too close for me, so I had to choose Bettany to replace it, as a combination of Bret and my given name of Stephanie (Panya is the name I go by, from Szczepana, maybe you could feature those names ).

By: Kat

Kat — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:59:39 +0000

I think I actually prefer “Briallu”, even though it’s the plural! Sounds sprightly.

By: Allison

Allison — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:44:30 +0000

Hmmm… it’s pretty, and it would be a viable choice in some other countries. Here, unfortunately, it does sound contrived and definitely masculine.

Stumbled on a girl who writes an Australian name blog… I love that her daughters are Rory and Indie! http://anamebyanyotherrose.squarespace.com

By: youcantcallitit

youcantcallitit — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:06:15 +0000

Gut reaction: I don’t like it at all.

Had I not read this, I would have ignorantly assumed it was an amalgam of mommy and daddy’s names, something like Brielle and Allen. I’d be interested to get a Welsh perspective.

By: SophieGray

SophieGray — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:36:31 +0000

This one’s not for me I’m afraid. She’s very interesting indeed, but all I see in the word is ‘Braille’ and I don’t find her very feminine really.

By: Lola

Lola — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:14:13 +0000

Interesting, Briallen is. I think she’d be mangled here in the States. I also think I’d like her if I lived in Wales. I know a Brian whose wife is pregnant, maybe I should toss this one at them, for a girl. It definitely has the hallmarks of a fast riser,
Yeah, Briallen could go places. Not on my kid, but I wouldn’t mind it on someone else’s.