Siobhan

• no one else will have this name, and the teachers will die trying to pronounce it during rolecall on the first day. It is also the name of my most clever and sweet friend, who wins all the debates at school.
• This one appeals to me because it is very uncommon in the U.S., and because it has a sound so different from the way it is spelled.
• the Irish Gaelic name I want to name my daughter, because it is so beautiful. It is also a derivative of "John", which is my father's name, and which my name and my sister's name are derivatives also.
• I think this name is lovely. Its Scottish and I have come to love Scottish names since I am married to a Scotsman.
• I like the celtic quality of the name and the fact that is sounds nothing like it looks.
• Siobhan Rita Elizabeth I love the way Siobhan sounds..it really feminine.  Rita and Elizabeth are my grandmas and they just go great together!

In English, Siobhán looks hard to pronounce, but if you dissect it in Irish Gaelic, it makes perfect sense. "si" makes a "sh" sound (so does "se", like in SEAN). "Bh" makes a "v" sound...Siobhán is pronounced /shih-vawn/ or like /SHVAWN/ and is the Irish form of Joan, via the Norman French feminine form of John, Jehanne. In Scottish, Joan is Seonaid (SHAW nutch) or Siubhan. Siobhán is not uncommon in areas of the USA with high populations of people of Irish descent. Elsewhere it is found as Shavonne, Shavaughn etc.

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