S. writes:
My husband and I are extremely excited to be expecting our first baby in about 4 weeks. We feel as prepared as we can be but can’t seem to settle on a name we both like. We got a late start in the family-making business so this could be our first and last baby but we are hopeful for at least one more. I hope that we can come to an agreement on both first and middle names in the coming weeks and I love how helpful your site is to so many people. Hoping you can help us too!
We know it is a boy and his last name will be Ilic (pronounced ee-litch). The last name is of Croatian decent. My husband is passionate about honoring his Croatian heritage.
I am passionate about boys name from the South such as Wyatt, Jackson, Macallister. Although my husband is absolutely against the names Wyatt and Jackson.
The first name that is getting the most discussion these days is Milan, pronounced Me-lan. This is a Croatian name that is relatively easy to pronounce and spell compared to the other options. And, it is an improvement from his original suggestion so maybe this is where we will have compromise.
We are open to more first name suggestions if you have them but are really needing your help in the middle name category. It seems like names with 3 to 4 syllables sound best with the first name Milan but that has led to a pretty narrow field of choices. Are we overlooking some good shorter names?
Middle names being considered thus far are:
Macallister
Alexander
AleksanderWe are having a hard time coming up with much else especially with other Southern or Southern-like names that work well. We think that Milan Alexander Ilic sounds the most fluid but it is probably the name that I am least passionate about. I really like the name Macallister but am wondering if it is odd to have the two names starting with M, Milan Macallister Ilic. It is possible that we would end up using a nickname and I like Mac or Alek for that. The nickname is not a requirement though.
As you can see, our choices are few right now (as is our time is short!) so your help in expanding our choices or helping us decide between the options we have would be greatly appreciated.
What I notice first is that the child’s surname will ALREADY honor his Croatian heritage. Having the first name ALSO honor the Croatian heritage seems imbalanced, unless both sides of the family have a Croatian background.
From your letter I’m not sure how you feel about things. Maybe the strength of your husband’s preferences is making it seem as if he ought to get his way even though it’s not what you want. It sounds to me as if you both feel like you’re compromising, and yet all the compromising is done from the starting point of what your husband wants (“It has to be Croatian”), rather than starting with what you both want. I could be reading this completely wrong: perhaps a Croatian name is also one of your own preferences. It sounds, though, as if Milan Ilic is the child’s very Croatian name, and your own passionate preferences have been pushed into the almost invisible middle name spot.
If it has been agreed between the two of you that the child’s first AND last name will honor his father’s family and preferences, I would definitely push for the middle name being almost completely your choice. If you are passionate about Southern names, then I would suggest choosing one of those (after removing the ones your husband most dislikes). Milan Macallister Ilic seems like a great choice. I don’t see any issue with two names starting with the same letter, and in fact in this case I really like the sound of it.
I would also think ahead to potential sibling names. If you choose a Croatian name for your first child and you do have a second child, will the second child also have to have a Croatian first name for the sibling names to sound right to you? If so, even though time is short, I might advise re-thinking this whole idea. My own preference, if this were happening with my own husband, would be to use a Croatian middle name and a non-Croatian first name. This feels more balanced to me (though still quite weighted toward what your husband wants): a first name from a category both parents like; a strongly Croatian middle name and surname to meet your husband’s preferences. This would also allow for a much wider range of Croatian names; perhaps your husband could have one of the ones he likes best (after removing the ones you most dislike), rather than settling for an easier-to-spell/pronounce choice.
I’m wondering if your husband has a Croatian first name. I find Milan problematic for an American baby boy: the name reminded me immediately of the Disney female character Mulan, and I’m concerned for your son that his name will appear feminine to many. The pronunciation will have to be explained again and again, and with Mila becoming increasingly popular for girls, the name Milan could be a source of teasing from other children. Having a very foreign sounding name — Milan Ilic — may pose challenges for your son throughout his life. It’s the kind of name that an immigrant might change to something more American — perhaps Michael Ilic — when he is naturalized.
I found this list of top 100 baby names in Croatia in 2009: http://www.behindthename.com/top/lists/cr/2009. Milan isn’t on it, although Mila was 83rd among girls’ names. Many of the boys names on the list are Croatian versions of standard English language names with a Croatian spelling. If you like one of these, I’d use the American spelling.
Or as Swistle suggested, choose an American name for the first name and use Milan — or another Croatian name — in the middle. From the names you mentioned, I don’t think Mac Ilic works; Alex Ilic, while not ideal, works better. A name like Alexander Milan Ilic would honor your husband’s Croatian heritage while not burdening you son with a foreign- and feminine-sounding first name.
It sounds like everything is ready for your baby boy except his name, so even though time is short until his birth, you can concentrate on just that one thing — choosing a name for him. I hope the suggestions from Swistle and others here will help you find a name you and your husband both like very much and which will serve your son well.
I find this comment very offensive and narrow minded. Cultural diversity should be celebrated and not hidden by “americanising” an immigrant’s name.
I don’t interpret the comment as saying that anyone SHOULD change a name, only that many people DO choose to alter their names upon joining a new culture. I also see nothing in the comment stating that cultural diversity should not be celebrated, or that it should be hidden.
I’m very sorry if I offended the original poster. It’s because my family IS very multicultural — my husband and I adopted seven children from Korea or Vietnam following the births of our first two children and the spouses of 4 of our children were born in Australia, Ecuador, Mexico or Korea –and because I have had numerous experiences with immigrant families over the years that I shared that observation.
We have a number of Bosnian refugee families in our town and I think, for the most part, the adults keep their first names when they become citizens and that works well for them because their extended family and closest friends are often Bosnians as well. But I’ve noticed that after immigrant parents have been in the US, they often choose American/English language names for their children. Our close friends from Vietnam named their children Megan and Thomas although the parents kept their own Vietnamese names when they became citizens. These children have Vietnamese middle names and are sometimes called by those names by their parents, but when the family is visiting relatives in Vietnam the kids are always called Mi and Bao.
One of my sons — born in Korea and adopted by us as a baby — has an American name himself, and he and his wife, who grew up in Korea and whose parents live there, named their three sons American first names and, Korean middle name. My son’s family is able to have long stays in Korea every few years (my son is a professor at a private college in the East and the family is presently in Seoul where John will lead a semester abroad group from his college in the fall). My son and his wife very carefully chose the names for their boys who are David (my son’s middle name after my husband’s first name), Jonathan and Henry when they go to school in the States and Mingyu, Minhoo and Minjoon when they go to school in Korea.
I know that some parents like to emphasize — or match — the ethnicity of their surname by giving their child a name from that language too. Sometimes it works well because the parents like and choose a name from that country that is also used regularly in the U.S. or at least recognizable here: Eric, Kristin, Michelle, Greta, etc. But it could be problematic to be named a foreign name that is mostly unknown here, especially if the pronunciation and gender are unclear. I’m not saying that these parents should rule out Milan, but it’s always good to try to look at any possible name choice from every angle.
I’ve always thought that it’s a good idea (really a ‘must’) that the parent of the same gender ‘try on’ the proposed name, thinking of being a child, teen, adult with that name. Would it work for him? Someone recently wrote of the Starbucks test (I think it was called), where the parent of the same gender gives the name in question to the barista as his/her name. I would suggest that the husband here try that with Milan.
My son’s Korean name was/is Suk Chul. He very occasionally uses that in Korea. But he strongly prefers John. I’m sure he finds that name far easier to use when he orders a cup of coffee in the States.
I can attest to this. My parents, & all my aunts & uncles, were 1st generation Quebecois immigrants to New England. They each had strongly French names, and for the most part married partners also of Quebecois origin. When in turn they had their own families, nearly every child (all my first cousins) were given American names with French middle names. And of course, as adults, many of us now”wish” we’d been given cool French names, but as children such names would have been problematic. However, it was a different era. Now multi-cultural names are much more acceptable, sometimes even preferable in terms of cachet.
I had the same feeling Swistle did on reading your post, that your husband’s preferences were getting more weight than yours. I’ve never really been clear on what makes a name seem Southern– I think of Wyatt and Jackson as having more of a Western vibe, so I’m not sure I can make suggestions of new names. How about Macallistir Milan instead of Milan Macallister?
I know a young man (in his early 20’s now) whose name is Milan ( his family is not Croatian, just liked the name). When he was growing up all his friends and family called him ‘Milo’. I think the name Milan is a great name, and if you hadn’t told me I wouldn’t have known it was Croatian, even having known a Milan for many years. And just so you know, the Milan that I know is an extremely handsome and well liked Gentleman, and I’m sure your little man will be also. Good luck and enjoy the new edition to your happy family xx
I think Milan is a great choice. It’s familiar as the place name, with place names like Paris and Brooklyn being well established as first names.
I personally find Macallister quite jarring in its mismatch with the first and last names. I much prefer Alexander/Aleksander.
I wonder, though, if you plan to use the nickname Alek why you don’t put Aleksander in the first slot and Milan in the middle?
Totally agree with Swistle- it seems like the name is very Croatian heavy. I would go with a southern first name since the last name will already honour your child’s Croatian heritage.
I like Mcallister but how about Levi? Or Livingston? Or how about Tennessee? I know it sounds crazy but Reese Witherspoon used it for her son and I really think it works.
I agree with Swistle re: your husband and his preferences. I hope you are able to come to a more balanced compromise. I also want to point out that when I saw the name Milan, I immediately pronounced it with a Long I, as the I sound in the word “Fire.” I think most people in the US (if that is where you live) will pronounce his name that way. That might not be a deal-breaker for you, but I just wanted to point it out!
Good luck!
FWIW, I would assume most people in the US would pronounce it like the Italian city (mih-LAN), not with a long I.
For what it’s worth, Milan Ilic, if I’m pronouncing as you intend, sounds like IVAN ILYCH, as in Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan Ilych.” (I capitalized to differentiate between the “i” and “L”.) This may not occur to anyone else and it might not matter to you even if it does, but I figured I’d put it out there. I hope you find a name you love!
That, and Mulan, were the first things that came to my mind.
My main problem with Milan is that is looks like a place name. I don’t think Mee-lan is going to be as intuitive for most people as you might imagine. I think most people are going to default to Mih-lan like the city. Fighting pronunciation issues on a name that is already a compromise for both parties kind of seems like maybe this isn’t the best compromise name.
There are several traditional Croatian names that also have English counterparts. Aleksandar & Andrej for example. You could also do an English variant like Daniel, but use a Croation nickname like Danko. I have to agree with Swistle that at least from your letter, it sounds like you are the only one doing any real compromising. I wonder if you’ve researched Croatian names on your own, or have you just been taking your husband’s suggestions? Behind the name has a decent list of Croatian names, perhaps you could find something there that you both really like. http://www.behindthename.com/names/browse.php?type_gender=1&operator_gender=is&value_gender%5B%5D=masculine&type_usage=1&operator_usage=&value_usage%5B%5D=croatian
If Milan is the name you go with, I agree with Swistle that you should get to pick the middle name. If Macallister is the name you want, I say go for it. However, seeing as you seem to be giving up the most as far as prefrences for names, I am even inclined to say you should get to us whatever name you want in the middle slot, even if it means using a name your husband really doesn’t like.
For other southern names I really like Davis with your last name. I agree that Milan, pronounced as the city does seem feminine to my ears. I also agree about the name being very Croatian-heavy. I would do a name you both like, Croatian middle name and Dad’s last name. Also wondering what your last/maiden name is. In the south boys are often named after their mother’s maiden name I believe.
In looking at the list of top Croation names from 2009, there are many names that I love. Luka, Ivan, and Marko, Karlo, Niko would reflect his heritage without standing out to much in the US. I do like Filip with that spelling though I expect many people would think you were trying to be creative with the name Philip. It would never occur tio me that Leon is a Croatian name and I do like that one.
If do think Milan MacAllister is fine. You mention nicknames that would come from the middle name? Will you be calling him by his middle name? If so, and your husband’s heart is set on Milan, then I would absolutey find a middle name you love and not settle for alternatives. Some Southern ideas:
Milan Augustus -Augie or Gus
Milan Everett – Rhett
Milan Montgomery – Monty
Milan Josiah – Joe
Milan Bradford – Brad
Milan Clayton – Clay
I agree with Swistle/everyone that it doesn’t seem like much of a compromise if he is getting the Croatian last name and now a Croatian first name.
Milan did immediately make me think of Mulan.
What about the croatian name Augustin which is very close to the southern names Austin and Augustus? You could even do Augustin with a possible nn. of one of those.
Emil is a croatian name this is nice as is and well known in the US.
Janko with possible nn. Jak or Jank?
First of all, congrats!!
I personally love the sound of Milan Macallister Ilic. I think it’s a great name, but of course, you have to love it. I love the fact that you can use Milo or Miles as shortened names if you wanted, although I personally love the name Milan. As for above comments (it sounding feminine or makes them think of the place, etc) my cousin dated a guy once who was named Milan (in Canada) and he went by his full name. He never had any issues with it. Most people knew how to pronounce it and he was never “teased” about his name.
Croatian names that I love:
Henrik. Sigh. Just love this name so much. Plus, Hank or Hal are total southern charmers! hehe…
Emil. (eh-meel). Love this name as well. Although, it is somewhat of a tongue twister with your last name….
Augustin. I think if Milan isn’t “the” one… this could be another great name to compromise on. Augustin has the Croatian roots, but is very similar to August or Austin…. plus has the great nicknames of Auggie or Gus which I think are more towards your naming style as well.
Other names I like:
Andro – kinda young and spunky.
Aleksander – although note: most people will likely misspell this
Anton – this also remind me of a name that perhaps you would like. It has a southern charm feel to it, it very much reminds of Dalton.
Luka
Jakob
Duke
Dalton
Arlo
Jude or Judah
Maguire
Macallister
Guthrie
Fitzpatrick or Fitzgerald. LOVE Fitz as a nickname
Whittaker
Weldon
Pierce
Good luck and keep us posted! Hope you find a name that you love. And if it is Milan Macallister Ilic then I think that’s a great name!!! I would do it!
A name from my family tree is Macmillan. Kind of combines both names…?
I think this is one of those questions that would benefit from some context about where you plan on raising your son. If you want him to blend in with the Jaydens, Jacobs, and Masons of the world, that may be a bit harder than if he’ll be growing up with a lot of other children with diverse names. Where I live, you meet lots of people with international names you’ve never heard before and Milan is a fairly easy one to pronounce (once the long i vs. short i question is cleared up) so I wouldn’t expect it to be a problem…and I think Milan Macallister Ilic has a great ring to it and captures the two sides of his heritage well.
I am not familiar with Croatian names, and I’m guessing many people are not either so Milan jumps out as a place name to me immediately. From reading your story I agree with Swistle. Personally I feel that both parents should have equal weight in naming a baby, after all the baby is each your equal Son and responsibility. Depending on your surname that is a great southern tradition as using for first name. I don’t think it necessarily has to be your maiden (?) name. My sister is named Taylor, after our grandmothers maiden name for example. My family is very southern. Good luck!!
I agree that it sounds like you are doing all of the compromising. First you are compromising on the style of name and then the actual name. A very croatian name is a fine idea, if both parents desire that, but it sounds like you are just agreeing with your spouse.
Perhaps a way to make it more of a compromise is that he gets a Croatian first name but that you get to pick it. Use the lists above as great starting point. I also really like the idea of a name with a Croatian nickname. Dominic, Leo, Marko, Paskal, Teo, Victor are some of my favorites.
Or you get final choice on a different first name, and he can go all out with a wild and crazy middle name.
More than the Croation/non Croatian name issue, I think (like other commenters have said) that a bigger issue may be correcting pronunciation of Milan all the time. And to me Mee-lan Ee-lich is very sing songy but that is a personal preference. I do think Milan Mcallister sounds nice.
I know of a family where the mother is from Bulgaria (not the same as Croatia, I know) and is a first-generation American. She and her husband named one of their boys ‘Nicola’… it’s definitely a man’s name in Bulgaria… just not in America. It is hard to take standard names from other countries and find if they fit in a new country. Milan sounds feminine to me–as feminine as Nicola. Is it a bummer? Yeah. But I feel like poor Nicola would want me to pipe up about this.
The idea of taking an American name and giving it a Croatian nickname is GENIUS!! Naming a boy Robert (which is from the Croatian list) and calling him Roko at home seems so personal, so familial, so endearing. (It also sounds like ‘Rocco’, which is super Southern, too.) Victor becomes Vito. Mark becomes Mario (what boy doesn’t want to be called ‘Mario’?!).
Other Croatian favorites:
Marino
Alen
Viktor
Leonardo
Victor and Robert are both Southern stalwarts. At school, he might ask his friends to call him ‘Vic’ or ‘Bobby’. With a solidly Croatian surname for his lifetime, perhaps a more multi-cultural first name will open doors for him if he goes into international business or chooses to be like his father and move to another country.
As far a people assuming that you’ve used cre8tive spelling for your child… paired with your last name, I doubt they will harbor that opinion for long.
Best wishes as you find the perfect name for this wonderful son you are presenting!
One comment about how the father is getting his way with both the first and last names being Croatian — I know an American woman who married a Pakistani man. They knew, because of all the warfare, that their children wouldn’t be spending much, if any, time in Pakistan as they grew up. The wife happily agreed to give them Pakistani first names (that are easy enough for Americans) even though they have a Pakistani last name, because she knew that her husband was mourning the fact that his boys wouldn’t be able to visit his homeland. Don’t know if something like that is the case here, but thought I’d give an opposing view.
Erin just beat me to the reply I was drafting–as a counterpoint to the majority view here, I think it’s entirely reasonable for a Croatian parent to passionately want his American-born children to have Croatian names. I actually feel more uneasy about the idea of the (presumably) American parent opposing that. So, kudos for being flexible on something that’s understandably important to your husband! They will have far more substantial links to your heritage whatever they’re called.
As a matter of personal preference, I think Milan is a gorgeous name and extremely classy on a little boy. I would certainly guess the pronunciation would be like the way the US pronounces the name of the Italian city. If told otherwise, I’d adjust accordingly, as with any unfamiliar name! It would never, ever, ever occur to me to default to a long I, especially not with the city name as an easy reference.
Good luck with the middle name!
It seems to me this fails to take into account the mother’s heritage, which we don’t know from this letter. Let’s say her heritage is Scottish. I’m not sure I understand why the child should have his first AND last names reflecting only one side of the family.
In fact, I am opposed to most arguments that one parent should have more sway in the decision than the other. I feel the same when it is a naming tradition: of course it’s entirely reasonable for one parent to passionately want to follow a naming tradition (or reflect a heritage, or use a name they’ve liked since middle school, or honor a parent/friend/cousin), but the name is still to be decided by BOTH parents. One parent may choose to let the other parent’s strong feelings hold more sway, but they needn’t be manipulated/pressured by those feelings—and what if both parents have equally strong but incompatible feelings? There are other ways to honor a family, a heritage, or a loved one, and rejecting a name doesn’t mean rejecting the powerful feelings behind it.
Thanks Swistle–great points. I generally agree! What I meant was that both parents seem to have named a certain “heritage” they’d like represented in the baby’s name–Croatian for him, Sourhern U.S. for her. I figured she’d have mentioned it if, for example, Scottish names appealed to her a lot, but I could be wrong!
And I agree that both parents deserve ownership of something as singular and important as a name, but my personal preference (that others generally don’t share) is that a harmonious name like Milan Ilic honors one side much more compellingly than a combined name like Wyatt Ilic honors BOTH sides, if that makes sense. That’s just personal preference, though!
Lastly, I guess I’m in the minority on this, but since it’s SO customary to use the father’s surname, and since other options are available (e.g., hyphenating, which apparently didn’t happen here), I almost don’t count the surname as blatantly honoring the father’s side in most cases. It’s just defaulting to custom. I guess (just as a thought experiment) I’d like Milan McAllister Jones-Ilic or something for its double harmony!
Thanks for your reply. I love this blog!!
“We know it is a boy and his last name will be Ilic (pronounced ee-litch). The last name is of Croatian decent. My husband is passionate about honoring his Croatian heritage.”
My impression from this is that the husband’s surname is Croatian and that he has Croatian ancestors. I didn’t interpret this as meaning the husband is an immigrant from Croatia or that he ever lived in Croatia. Whether all his ancestors were Croatian or just some on his father’s side and what generation American he is (no mention of his parents being immigrants from Croatia) is not revealed. Others are reading into this letter that the husband is a “Croatian parent”, but I thought of him as an American parent of (some, maybe not all) Croatian ancestry.
These are factors we really can’t speak to without clarification from the original poster.
I have an elementary school-aged nephew named Milan, so I find this discussion fascinating. I’m always on the lookout for Milans and there was a midfielder named Milan on Croatia’s World Cup team this year.
To address concerns other commenters have raised, confusion with Mulan has never been an issue. Also, if anyone has thought the name was too feminine they’ve kept it to themselves.
The first comments were right on. My nephew was named in honor of his great-grandfather and was the first baby in three generations to be given a Croatian first name. Lots of people in my generation are giving their kids names that celebrate one (or both) parent’s heritage, so names like Milan that would have raised eyebrows a generation ago now have an extra cool factor. We actually have a family friend in his 60s named Milan who goes by the more American Mike. It’s just a generational difference. There was a lot of suspicion directed toward people with roots from Soviet bloc countries during the Cold War, so many of them “Americanized” their names (both first and last in some cases).
Swistle also raises two other points—compromise and future children. One suggestion I like is that if one parent compromises for Baby #1, that parent should have a greater say in deciding Baby #2’s name. Would that work for you? My nephew Milan’s siblings have names that are in the U.S. top 100 and have been for years, so their names are very different in style. It works for their family, although I know it’s not for everyone. I do agree with some of the most recent comments—that a passion for honoring your heritage is a very good reason to ask your partner to compromise on a name—but it might be a good idea for you and your husband to talk about how naming your first child Milan might affect the names of your future kids.
Emi’s very positive experiences with the name Milan (young nephew and older family friend) have made me rethink the name. Having never heard the name before, Milan sounds very foreign to me. But after looking for more information on the name, I now think it could work fine and is rather cool. Milan Badelj (born 25 February 1989) is the Croatian footballer that Emi mentioned — good looking young man. And surprising to me, googling “baby name Milan” produced lots of hits, including one from Baby Name Wizard’s Namipedia:
Milan Pronunciation: MEE-lahn (key)
Milan is a common Slavic male name derived from the Slavic element ‘mil’, meaning gracious. Milan was originally a diminutive or nickname for those whose names began with ‘Mil-‘. It is used in Czech republic, Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, and Bulgaria. It was in the top 20 names for boys born in Slovakia in 2004. It was the eighth most popular name for boys born in the Netherlands in 2007. It is used in Belgium and some areas of India also.
Female form of the name Milan: Milania, Milana, Mila; [so the name is related to Mila]
Meaning:
1. Gracious
2. Dear
3. Beloved
Notable persons named Milan include:
* Milan I of Serbia, King of Serbia (1882-1889)
* Milan Baroš, Czech football player
* Milan Begović, Croatian writer
* Milan Hejduk, Czech ice hockey player
* Milan Hodža, prime minister of Czechoslovakia
* Milan Jovanović, Serbian football(soccer) player.
* Milan Kangrga, Croatian philosopher
* Milan Komar, Slovene philosopher
* Milan Kučan, President of Slovenia
* Milan Kundera, Czech writer
* Milan Lučić, Canadian hockey player
* Milan Michálek, Czech ice hockey player
* Milan Mladenović, Serbian musician
* Milan Obrenović II, Prince of Serbia
* Milan Rešetar, Croatian linguist and historian
* Milan Rastislav Štefánik, Slovak politician and astronomer
* Milan Šufflay, Croatian historian and politician
* Milan Uzelac, Serbian poet and essayist
* Milan Vidmar, Slovene engineer, chess player, and philosopher
* Milan Piqué i Mebarak, son of singer Shakira and footballer Gerard Pique
Global Popularity
of the Name Milan
#8 in Belgium
#11 in Netherlands
#18 in Hungary
#48 in Czech Republic
#171 in Canada (Quebec)
#349 in Norway
I also came across this link for Milan in celebritybabynames.com:
“It’s a boy [born January 2013] for pop singer Shakira and her boyfriend, Barcelona soccer player Gerard Piqué, and they chose a place name—Milan—for his first name. (His full name is Milan Piqué Mebarak, with his surname and hers filling the middle and surname spots.)
Milan is a city in Italy, famed for its fashion industry. According to a statement on Shakira’s website, “The name Milan (pronounced MEE-lahn), means dear, loving and gracious in Slavic; in Ancient Roman, eager and laborious; and in Sanskrit, unification.”
Milan is a slightly offbeat baby name choice. In the U.S., Milan is more commonly used as a girl’s name—it ranks in the top 600 girls’ names, while it hasn’t hit the top 1000 boys’ names since 1955. But given the popularity of city and place names for boys and girls (we’re talking London, Brooklyn, Camden and Roman), perhaps Shakira’s new son can help lift Milan into popularity here. Keep in mind, though, that if you’re a jet setter, you’ll find plenty of Milans in your travels throughout Europe, especially in countries like Hungary and Croatia, and even into the Netherlands. (It’s also pretty popular in India, thanks to its lovely meaning in Hindi.)”
While this report links the name Milan to the city, it appears that this baby’s parents may have chosen the name with the non-related slavic name Milan in mind.
And checking the most recent SSA baby name stats, I found that Milan returned to the Top 1000 names for boys in 2013, ranking at 542 (and also ranking at 597 for girls), jumping on the list in 2013 at a very high initial ranking, after being out of the top 1000 names since 1959. Milan was pretty steadily in the lower half of the Top 1000 from 1912 – 1958, while Milan as a female name has only been in the Top 1000 for the past 5 years.
Behindthename.com has a good write-up of the name too: http://www.behindthename.com/name/milan
All of this information on the name has made me rethink my previous impressions and concerns, and I think Milan would work fine for this baby. Milan Macallister Ilic seems like a good choice all around, with a good rhythm, some alliteration, and a very American result of mixing ethnicities in one name.
From a recent babynamewizardblog on the fastest rising boys’ names:
“#3 Milan. (#484, up from 1,159) Singer Shakira, who made her Arabic name more common amoung both Spanish and English speakers, did the same for this classic Slavic men’s name when she chose it for her son.”
I can’t get past what I feel is the rhyme-y feel of MEE-lan EE-litch… Unless I’m inflicting incorrectly?