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Help[Opinions] Re: Amir, Ayal, and Kfir
in reply to a message by sprout
In the UK, Amir would work. I've met a few Amirs and many Amira/Amirah/etc. from the Asian and Muslim communities here, I don't think it'd be unexpected here and most people would have an idea how to pronounce it. I do think people would expect it to be a S. Asian/Muslim person with this name here, make of that as you will.
I dislike Ayal and having been through the UK school system think any name that follows the A*al pattern does unfortunately lend itself more or less to the faint possibility of some very juvenile bullying. Although my experience bullying based on names is rare (rarer than certain commentators seem to believe), it did still happen and when it did it was relentless, especially if the name was less common to English speakers unfortunately. Maybe kids in schools nowadays are more enlightened. Other than that, I don't think it sounds amazing, when I say it it sounds like isle/aisle.
Kfir ...People would struggle to varying degrees with the Kf sound, it looks a little odd like a typo at first glance, kefir is known here. I personally think 'kefir' sounds like it could be an insult, with no context... like if you didn't know what kefir was, and someone called you a kefir, you'd feel a bit personally attacked... I don't think the sound is nice at all. I think Kfir is more difficult to say and sounds worse, but also he'd probably get called kefir a lot. It might sound lovely to other ears, but I dislike it.
All that said, personally I think most UK people wouldn't care much either way, but you would have varying degrees of familiarity and difficulties with pronunciation, with Amir being the best and Kfir by far being the worst.
I dislike Ayal and having been through the UK school system think any name that follows the A*al pattern does unfortunately lend itself more or less to the faint possibility of some very juvenile bullying. Although my experience bullying based on names is rare (rarer than certain commentators seem to believe), it did still happen and when it did it was relentless, especially if the name was less common to English speakers unfortunately. Maybe kids in schools nowadays are more enlightened. Other than that, I don't think it sounds amazing, when I say it it sounds like isle/aisle.
Kfir ...People would struggle to varying degrees with the Kf sound, it looks a little odd like a typo at first glance, kefir is known here. I personally think 'kefir' sounds like it could be an insult, with no context... like if you didn't know what kefir was, and someone called you a kefir, you'd feel a bit personally attacked... I don't think the sound is nice at all. I think Kfir is more difficult to say and sounds worse, but also he'd probably get called kefir a lot. It might sound lovely to other ears, but I dislike it.
All that said, personally I think most UK people wouldn't care much either way, but you would have varying degrees of familiarity and difficulties with pronunciation, with Amir being the best and Kfir by far being the worst.
