Maybe you’ve realized I am terrible at finding boy names I like - and usually the ones I do like seem unusable in some way. This one is no exception.
I [name]LOVE[/name] the name Lir. It’s pronounced “leer.” Yeah, that’s the problem. Is the name too strongly related to the word leer? Does it sound overly negative? There is also the [name]King[/name] Lear reference. I’m not very familiar with the play, but apparently he was a bad dude? So I’ve been told that’s not the best association either.
From my research, Lir is an Irish word (or name - I’m not sure) for sea. In the book/movie The Last Unicorn, [name]Prince[/name] Lir is the hero. (There are also a lot of “sea” references in that story.) I just love that!!! THAT is why I’d love to name my son Lir, but I don’t want to saddle him with a potentially negative name because I fell in love with a cartoon.
Also, spelling is an issue. I realize this name is probably always going to be mispronounced and misspelled. Which, as an educator, I’m horrified by. But I just love the name so much! Would I be better off going with the Lear spelling? But then what about the association with [name]King[/name] Lear? Augh!
So…
What are your thoughts on Lir?
Are the associations too negative?
What do you think of the spelling?
Is it just too much trouble? Or is it one of those hidden gems (like I hope it is?)
I think it’s a cool name at first glance, but for me the associations are too much. I don’t like the word “leer” (creepy connotations) and I have read the play [name]King[/name] Lear, so that cinches it for me.
I’m sure others don’t have those bad associations though.
I think Lir looks cute, but it sounds like leer. Maybe as a middle?
([name]King[/name] Lear was not a bad guy but he was bloody stupid. He asked his daughters to tell him how much they loved him so he could decide which one he should give his kingdom to, and his two oldest evil daughters lied and told him they loved him more than this and that, and his youngest (nice but so so syupid) didn’t sweet talk him, so he disinherited her. And then all went to hell! [name]Love[/name] the play, but [name]King[/name] Lear and his daughter [name]Cordelia[/name] are two of [name]Shakespeare[/name]'s most daft characters.)
I like the way Lir sounds. It’s pretty, but masculine. I would spell it Lear so that people wouldn’t mess up the pronunciation. The associations with the [name]Shakespeare[/name] character and the verb “leer” don’t bother me too much.
I love the name Lir, but I like it spelled Liir better. Liir is a character in the Wicked series by [name]Gregory[/name] [name]Maguire[/name], a kind of spin off of The [name]Wizard[/name] of [name]Oz[/name]. I don’t think it sounds negative. It is really cute.
This is what I was going to say! I really like the name. If it helps, it doesn’t sound that much like leer to me. The vowel sound is the same, but for me leer has a more drawn out sound while Lir or Llyr have a quicker, softer ee sound. Not sure if that makes sense, but there is almost a soft h or breath sound in it. I do love the name! Good luck!
I really like the name. If it helps, it doesn’t sound that much like leer to me. The vowel sound is the same, but for me leer has a more drawn out sound while Lir or Llyr have a quicker, softer ee sound. Not sure if that makes sense, but there is almost a soft h or breath sound in it. I do love the name! Good luck!