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[name]Adam[/name]
[name]Amara[/name] M deity
[name]Arun[/name]/[name]Aeron[/name] F/M morning sun; name of the sun god
[name]Bora[/name]
Chai
[name]Channa[/name] M/F
Channary F chan + nary
Chanya F
[name]Dana[/name]
[name]Danny[/name]
[name]Daren[/name]
[name]Daven[/name]
[name]Davy[/name] [dah vee] F
[name]Fey[/name]
[name]Jaya[/name]
[name]Kanika[/name] F
Keo
[name]Kiri[/name] M mountain
[name]Lena[/name]/[name]Lyna[/name]/[name]Lina[/name] F
[name]Lisa[/name]
[name]Lorn[/name]
[name]Meara[/name]
[name]Melanie[/name]
[name]Monica/name
[name]Mora[/name]
Narith M/F
Nary [nea ree] F girl/woman
[name]Navy[/name] [nah vee] F
Nisa
[name]Pan[/name]
Parin
Pila
[name]Rane[/name]
[name]Red[/name]
[name]Rida[/name] F
[name]Ravi[/name]/Ravy F
[name]Ron[/name]
[name]Roth[/name]
Salone F beauty
Sarath M
Sareth
Sarey F/M free
[name]Sarika[/name]
Sarin M/F a Khmer province in present-day Thailand
[name]Sam[/name]
[name]Sina[/name] F
Sonith M good conduct or manners; good law
Sony F
Sophea M/F wisdom
Sophon F beauty
[name]Sophy[/name] F
Soriya
Sorya/Soriya F/M sun
Sovanna M dream
Sovanni/Sovanny F gold
Srey F girl/lady
Theara M/F
[name]Thom[/name] M/F oldest one; large
[name]Thida[/name]/Thyda F angelic girl
[name]Viney[/name]
[name]Yan[/name] F/M
[name]Zorida[/name]
I’ve known a handful of Cambodians through work and their names have never been a problem to pronounce, well at least to me. I’m obviously more sensitive to names. The ones already hyperlinked would be an easy place to start. I knew one girl that wants to name her daughter Kaliyanei (F beautiful, lovely, attractive) which I [name]LOVE[/name]. The hardest names are the ones with combinations almost never seen in English like CHH combinations … This hurts our little brains! Sovanna is very pretty too! Are you leaning toward any name in particular?
I think many of those names can work in [name]Canada[/name], although it will depend on where you live. I’m in Toronto, and we’re pretty used to foreign-sounding names, but if you’re in a small town you may get more confusion.
Names for your list that I would avoid: [name]Adam[/name] (for a girl); Chai (too commonly known as tea); any name starting with Chh (for pronunciation); [name]Davy[/name] (sounds like a nn for [name]David[/name]); Fang (teeth); [name]Hung[/name] (…like a horse); Kampucheabot (long and pronunciation issues); Krum (sounds like crumb); Leap (as in to jump); Mann; Monkol (too close to monkey); [name]Navy[/name] (colour and military force); On; Peap (too close to peep); Pisey (looks like “pissy”); [name]Red[/name]; [name]Ron[/name] (a man’s name, also spanish word for rum); Sayonara (most people know it’s Japanese for goodbye); Somaly/Somalia (there are a lot of Somalis in [name]Canada[/name]); Sony (electronics); names starting with Sr (pronunciation); Thai (nationality, plus Thai food is so popular); Touch; Yum (as in yummy food)
The rest you could potentially use, but the ones I think most usable are below. I’ve put a * next to my favourites.
A - Akara/Akera, *[name]Amara[/name], [name]Arun[/name]
B - [name]Bora[/name]
C - [name]Chan[/name], Charya, *[name]Channa[/name], Charya, Chenda,
D - [name]Dana[/name], *[name]Dara[/name], [name]Daren[/name], [name]Daven[/name], [name]Devi[/name]
F - [name]Fey[/name]
H - Hatha
J - [name]Jaya[/name]
K - *[name]Kanika[/name], *Keriya, [name]Kiri[/name]
L - [name]Lena[/name]/[name]Lyna[/name]/[name]Lina[/name], Lini, [name]Lisa[/name]
M - [name]Mala[/name], Masa, *[name]Makara[/name], [name]Meara[/name], [name]Melanie[/name], [name]Monica[/name], [name]Mora[/name]
N - Narin, Nary, Nisa, Nitha
P - Panja, Pila, [name]Pola[/name]
R - [name]Rane[/name] (is this like “rain”, or like “rah-ne”?), Ratha, [name]Ravi[/name] (although I see this as an [name]Indian[/name] male name), [name]Rida[/name]
S - Salone, Samai, [name]Sarann[/name], [name]Saray[/name], *[name]Sarika[/name], *Sayana, Saru, [name]Sina[/name], Sophea, Sorya, *Soriya, *Sovanna
T - [name]Thida[/name]
V - *Vannara, Vanta, *Veha
Z - [name]Zorida[/name]
Its nice to see what other people think my name is khmer and i love it but my brother and sister have always hated their names, thats the last thing i would want for my kid but i guess times are changing since when we grew up i think its probably more acceptable nowadays to go for more different names. I love Kaliyanei, but there is a young khmer woman in our small community with that name already, same with the names [name]Mara[/name] and [name]Dara[/name]. I also like Polida, or [name]Polina[/name] (although that’s a Russian name). Sayanna, [name]Thida[/name], [name]Sina[/name], Nisa and [name]Rida[/name] could also be options. I came across the name Saven pronounced Sa-vane which I think is quite nice as well! I’m just so fickle with names haha
Here are my favorites from your list (but it is a bit difficult to choose not knowing how to pronounce all of them):
A
Akara F/M letter
Akera
[name]Amara[/name] M deity
[name]Arun[/name]/[name]Aeron[/name] F/M morning sun; name of the sun god
Ayuthara
C
D
[name]Dara[/name] M/F star
DaraVichet
DaraVichey
[name]Dana[/name]
[name]Danny[/name]
[name]Daren[/name]
[name]Dareth[/name]
Devut
[name]Daven[/name]
[name]Devi[/name] [day vee] F angel
G
Githa
H
Hatha
Han
J
[name]Jaya[/name]
Jenavong
Jorani F radiant jewel
K
Kaliyan F morally good; charming
Kaliyanei F beautiful, lovely, attractive
[name]Kanika[/name] F
Kanleakhana F possessing character
Keriya F
Keo
Khanitha F
[name]Kiri[/name] M mountain
Kunthea/Kunthear F kun (good deed, kindness, favor) + thea (great quantity)
L
Lam
Lai (Is this pronounced the same as Lie? I’m torn…)
Lao
Leakena F attribute, characteristic, quality
[name]Lena[/name]/[name]Lyna[/name]/[name]Lina[/name] F
M
[name]Mala/name
Malai
[name]Makara[/name] M [name]January[/name]
Malis/Maly F [name]Jasmine[/name] flower
Mealea F lei, garland, braid of flowers
[name]Meara[/name]
[name]Melanie[/name]
[name]Mora[/name]
Moyoura
N
Narin M/F
Narith M/F
Nisa
P
Panja
Panjapor
Parin
Polida
R
Rachana/Rajana M/F art, fine arts; artistic decoration
Raksmei/Rasmey F/M ray of light; illumination
[name]Rida[/name] F
[name]Ravi[/name]/Ravy F
[name]Ron[/name]
S
Salone F beauty
[name]Salim[/name]
Saly
Samai/Samay M modern, contemporary; daydream
Sarak M name of famous Khmer kickboxing champion
Sareth
Sarem
[name]Sarika[/name]
Sarin M/F a Khmer province in present-day Thailand
Saru M/F
Sarun
[name]Sam[/name]
Samuth
Sathea M/F
Savath
Sayana
Sayonara [name]Sun[/name] suet
Seda F
Serey F/M beauty, charm, splendor; peace, prosperity; power, authority
Serenda
Seyha M lion; [name]August[/name]
Sida F
[name]Sina[/name] F
Sinath F
Sinine [se neen] F
Sinuon F the color white mixed with a little yellow; a type of flower
Sitha F
Sody F/M from sodhi meaning ‘pure’
Sonka
Sophana
Sophany/Sophanny F/M
Sophea M/F wisdom
Sopheak M/F
Sopheaktra M
Sopheap F/M proper, well-mannered
Sopheary F
Sophon F beauty
[name]Sophy[/name] F
Sorpheny F beautiful
Sorida
Soriya
Sorya/Soriya F/M sun
T
Thavery [ta vree] F
Theara M/F
Thevy/Tevi angle
V
[name]Van[/name]
Veasna/Visna M/F fate, destiny
Veha M sky
[name]Ven[/name]
Visan
Y
[name]Yan[/name] F/M
Yim(Khmer-Chinese)M
Yin(Khmer-Chinese)M
Yuthara
Z
[name]Zorida[/name]
I like several of them but love [name]Kiri[/name], [name]Lena[/name] and [name]Sina[/name].