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I like Phineas in theory, in practice, I find the association with Phineas and Ferb too strong. Cillian is not my cup of tea, mostly due to the "kill" sound. Phineas "Finn" is alright.

Cillian is handsome. I do think a lot of people would assume it is pronounced “silly-an” though.

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I don’t mind Finn, although it is very popular. Phineas makes me think of Phileas Fogg in Around the World in Eighty Days.

This message was edited 4/13/2020, 9:18 AM

I've always liked Phineas. I think Finn flows naturally from it. I'm a tiny bit bothered by the change from Ph-->F (sort of like when people do Kate from Catherine), but Phin(n) does look odd. It's fine.

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I've always like Cillian too, though I'd hesitate to actually use it because of the "kill" part. The C definitely softens that, but it's still there when you say it aloud.

Undoubtedly so-so at best, more the Cillian than the Phineas fan.
Phinneas, Julia Roberts' son, the double n and, not at least, the Ph don't increase the appeal substantially.
Finneas & Finn, if it all.
I like Kilian (KEY-lee-ahn), but not the Kill-version and certainly not the Cillian-version (SILL-lee-ahn or CZILL-lee-ahn)

I like both, but dislike the spelling of Cillian. My favorite is Kilian, followed by Killian. I think both names are handsome, but maybe Phineas is a little less trendy-sounding. Finn is a good nickname.

Phineas is alright, it makes me think of Around the World in 80 Days, which for me isn't a positive. I'm not sure how popular the show Phineas and Ferb is with kids these days, but if I wanted to use it, I would find out. I don't think Finn detracts. I'd call it a natural outgrowth. It works nicely with your surname.

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Cillian is really lovely, though in the US I'd go for Killian, because I'm pretty strongly conditioned on the soft C and think many others are also. Admittedly Cillian also looks softer and lacks the direct KILL beginning of the K spelling. It's got a nice Celtic vibe without being so unfamiliar as to seem weird.

Phineas: Julia Roberts son. PT Barnum. Phineas and Ferb. I cannot get behind this at all. It is trying so hard that it hurts

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Cillian: this might hit close to home and I'm sorry but I'm going out to say ir. This screams out pompous English professor to me, though East Coast not South.

Of the two I’d prefer to see Phineas used. I think Finn improves Phineas, grounds it a bit.
I don’t like the “kill” in Cillian.

I love both. Finn does detract from Phineas a tiny bit, only because Finn is so insanely popular, I can't count how many I know! It's probably not nearly as popular in the US though.

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Cillian is really lovely and I think with a C the "kill" bit isn't so obvious. I always find the spelling Killian a bit more harsh.

I'd be happy to see either of them used, but I'm not sure how well I can explain why. They both have a guy-who-maybe-wears-corduroy vibe?

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Cillian seems more rhythmic and happy-go-lucky (and Irish). Phineas seems softer yet sharper or more absentminded professor.

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Cillian to me is kinda like Damien, Ronan, Diarmuid, Oscar, Eoghan, Ciaran, Gili, Cassian.
Phineas to me is kinda like Timaeus, Percival, Cedric, Silas, Orion, Thaddeus, Leonidas, Sebastian.

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I'd maybe put them both in a group with Julian and Xavier, but they're more off-beat than those.

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Also, I just like saying them. I have a preference for 3-syllable names, so that's part of it. I prefer Phineas without a NN, but I'm not bothered by Finn.

This message was edited 4/12/2020, 8:08 PM

I like Phineas NN Finn, don't like Cillian

I don't like either one. I think Cillian is better. I'd rather spell it Killian or Kilian. I like Rillian more.
I wouldn't say Finn detracts from Phineas, because I'm pretty neutral towards Finn, compared to Phineas.

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eta - why?

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Phineas seems stuffy and deliberately antiquey / literary, not real-lifey. Could have a sister Bathsheba.
Cillian ... honestly makes me think of beer before anything. I don't think it's any more overbearingly Irish in the US than, say, Ronan. But it seems friendly and masculine. In this name the C-as-K thing doesn't appeal to me. It's okay... I can overlook the Kill thing totally if it's a guy's actual name. I guess what I don't like about it, might be just that there are so many K-l-n names, and it seems cousin to that genre, with Keelan, Ciaran / Kieran, Keegan and Kellan (which I like ok) etc.

This message was edited 4/12/2020, 6:50 PM

I really don’t like either. I actually like Finn a lot, but not Phineas. It’s really... dorky, old mannish, weird professor vibe.
Cillian just confuses me. According to English language, (or at least the majority of words spelled with a -Ci-, it should be said Silly-an, but it’s actually pronounce Killy-an, and I just don’t like it. I don’t like the Kill part, I don’t like the spelling.
Sorry :( I love most of your other boy names though!

Don't like either one. Phineas sounds like a body part, and Cillian? Well, if you don't know already that it's pronounced Killian, it sounds like Silly-un. And if you do know, well, who wants kill as part of their name?

I love Phineas. It doesn't need shortening at all. Fin is part of a fish. Finn is person from Finland. Neither work as a name.
Cillian reminds me of cilia, the hairs in the ear. Killian is better.

Hmm...good question, about Phineas. I have been thinking about whether or not I like this name, myself. I'll say yes. I prefer Phineas NN Finn over horrible, simpering Finley. God, do I hate Finley.

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Cillian is not my thing, at all. People seem to love it, but all I hear is "kill", and I can't get over that. Not pleasant.