Gillian

Why would you name your child after fish lungs?

I can see how people may pronounce it like Gill but this spelling is so much nicer than Jillian. I think it's common enough that people will pronounce it correctly.

This name is perfectly fine as it is. Jillian looks weird in my opinion and gill-ee-un is a cute pronunciation.

NO NO NO! Use Jillian! It looks a lot better. Some people might even pronounce this "Gill - ee - en."

I love this name. It's classy and classic, regardless of whether the G is soft or hard. I love both pronunciations. Unfortunately, I don't think I could use this name, though, because I could probably never decide on which way to pronounce it.

I thought this was masculine for some reason. I prefer Jillian.

The hard G pronunciation sounds unpleasant.

I think if you want the soft G pronunciation, you should spell the name Jillian. If you spell it Gillian, it will always be a mystery whether the G is pronounced like a g or j.

I have a feeling that this name will become a popular English name for Chinese people, since it sounds like the words "lucky" and "peaceful" in Chinese.

My name is Gillian, I use my middle name as first. I think it's beautiful, not too girly or boyish or different or common or too anything, don't like it shortened or with a j as much. People always tell me it suits me. It's classy and interesting sounding in my opinion.

I like both the hard and soft pronunciations. Although Gillian with a hard G almost sounds masculine, and I'm afraid to say I may like it, although I'd never use it on my children.
I know a sweet girl named Gillian (soft g) so that's what introduced me to this name.
It is one of my favorites, this is a very nice name either way, with many opportunities for nicknames if desired. Love it!

My name is spelt as Gillian. I've been called and enjoy being called: Gillian, Gillie, Gilly, Gilliana. It has been pronounced as both g and j. I have no preference really with the exception of being called Gill/Jill. I absolutely LOATHE that...

I just have to say it is REALLY annoying when people accidentally pronounce my name as Jillian, because I don't like how it sounds and that's how Americans pronounce the name. I mean, I'm Australian and American (More Australian) and having an Australian name is SOOOOOO boss! Americans need to get it right!

I am Gillian and I pronounce my name with a hard G. I like this pronunciation way better than Jillian but everybody tries to call me Jillian. It is annoying. I think Gillian with a hard G is the Welsh pronunciation. I also got called Gilligan and I hate that. Gilligan's Island. Not a good association with my name. I like to be called Gilly, after the Gilly flower, or Gill or G. Or just Gillian! My middle name is Grace so my name is alliterated and it sounds pretty.

I think Gillian is way better than Jillian. Gillian - the traditional, unique form, and I think it looks better. I love it!

My name is Gillian with a soft G, I like my name spelled with a G versus a J because it makes it more unique. The name is classy and simple at the same time. However I think that both pronunciations of the name are nice.

Regarding pronunciation, if you go by English phonetic rules, then pronouncing Gillian with a soft-g (like Jillian) is the correct pronunciation.
The rules for hard-'g's versus soft-'g's is:
A) If the word is of Greco-Latinate origin, then the g is followed by an i, e, or y, it is said with a soft-g. If it's followed by pretty much any other letter, you say it with a hard-g. [ ex: germ, angel, allergic, clergy, biology vs. Galaxy, gulf, gown, Greece, glacier]
B) If the word is of Norse or Germanic origin, the letter 'g' could be said as a hard-g even if it comes before i, e, or y. [ex: get, girl, gills, stringy]

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Since Gillian is derived from Julian and all it's Latin cousins, I think it's safe to say that it should follow rule A, and be said with a soft-g/j sound.

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Personally, I love this name. This spelling is somehow more aesthetically pleasing than Jillian. It also looks more "grown-up" to me. More mature than Jillian. Maybe because "Jill" is just right there in front, and Jill tends to be a bit of a nondescript little girls' name it makes it look more juvenile? I don't know. I do know that I adore this name.

Beautiful, but only when pronounced with the hard "G." When pronounced with the soft "G," it falls short and you might as well spell it with a "J" if you are going to say it that way.

I really like this. It seems very English to me because both my grandma and a girl I knew in high school were from England and spelled their names this way, but pronounced differently. My grandma pronounces it with a soft J and the girl from my high school pronounced it with the hard G.

I have actually heard of this being used as a boy's name. I can understand it seeming highly feminine, but then, I was just reading the comments for Julian over yonder--a name more masculine I have never heard!--and it astonishes me how many seem to think THAT's feminine. So for me Gillian doesn't sound overly feminine, but that said, I wouldn't use it for a son. Except possibly as a middle name. I did name a fictional character this once, and it suited him fine though he was in no way effeminate.

I should also add that, if hypothetically this *were* used as a man's name, I'd prefer the hard G pronunciation. Currently I'm seeing that as more masculine and the Jillian pronunciation as more feminine.

I absolutely love this name. It's so much prettier than Jillian.

Love this name. It is my daughter's name and I pronounce it with a soft G.

I think this name is pretty but I would spell it Jillian as Gillian reminds me of "Gilligan's Island".

I dunno why, but the name reminds me of rotting fruit. I seriously despise it.

Well I really like my name because it makes me unique. It's quite pretty to hear someone calling me with the pronunciation of hard-'G' sound, rather than soft 'J'. I also prefer calling me in my nickname "Gill". To all of you, love your names because it can be the expression of the inner you. Gillian Rocks!

Strangely enogh, I don't like the name Jill at all, but I think Gillian is quite a pretty name without being too girly and cutesy. I like both pronunciations, actually. To me, the 'g' sound is softer than the 'j' sound.

My name is Gillian and I really like it. I use the hard "G" - it sounds and looks prettier than if it was spelled with a "J". I usually get called Gill or Gillza though. :)

This is a really pretty name, with a medieval flavor, and not overused. I much prefer it with the soft G. The hard G makes me think of the gills on a fish.

I love this name! I much prefer it with a hard "G", as in "Gill-ee-an", and I'm glad to see that that pronunciation is noted! Gillian is so cool and unusual!

I personally think this looks much prettier than the J variation.

My younger sister has this name, I like it very much. Not to mention it's highly amusing when people pronounce it wrong (with a hard G instead of a J).