Breaking down Cillian Murphy's name pronunciation that confuses fans

19 July 2023 , 19:57

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Irish actor Cillian Murphy explains how to correctly say his name as many non-Irish fans accidentally mispronounce it

Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy has been captivating audiences for over 25 years with his striking looks and incredible on-screen persona.

But some fans might have been butchering their favourite star's name all along with its surprising Irish pronunciation.

As the highly anticipated Christopher Nolan film approaches, the Irish actor's name will be in the mouths of many all over the world so it's important to point out one very common mistake non-Irish fans make.

When fans pronounce 'Cillian' they sometimes pronounce it with an S sound saying 'Sillian' instead of the correct Irish pronunciation of the name, 'Killian' which should be pronounced 'Kill-ee-an.'

Breaking down how to pronounce Cillian Murphy's Irish name ahead of his newest performance in Oppenheimer

Cillian shared how to say his commonly mispronounced name in an old interview at the start of his career saying: "It's an Irish name. It's an old Irish name. It like most Irish names, they were Saints originally (laughs). And it's pronounced kill-ee-an."

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The traditional Irish boy name means 'bright-headed' and can also mean 'war strife.' The name Cillian is also often associated with the church and spirituality. The word 'cillian' in Irish means 'associated with the church' and can also mean 'little church.' The name also, as the actor mentioned, references the name of a 7th-century Irish saint who evangelised in Franconia.

According to Baby Name DNA, Cillian is ranked as the 22nd most popular baby name in Ireland.

Since Murphy's rise to fame, the popularity of the baby name 'Cillian' has skyrocketed in Ireland (© Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.)

The name has skyrocketed in popularity since Murphy's rise to fame - portraying beloved characters in many television shows and movies. Some of his most notable performances include the famous gangster Thomas Shelby in period crime drama Peaky Blinders, the evil super villain Scarecrow in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises, and Robert Michael Fischer in Inception.

Cillian is currently in the spotlight for his upcoming movie, Oppenheimer. In the new war drama, Murphy plays physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. The movie dives into the life of Robert and his discovery atomic bomb and how it led to the death of hundreds and thousands of people.

Cillian Murphy shares an inside look at tackling his complicated character physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in upcoming film (© Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.)

When describing his role, Murphy said in an interview with Radio Times: "I was so immersed in it and so involved in it, and I was trying not to judge the character at all times, and just trying to kind of understand it and give Chris [Nolan] the raw materials for his script."

The Oppenheimer cast including Murphy, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and more also recently made headlines for their incredible walk out during the UK premiere of Oppenheimer to show support for the ongoing actors' strikes.

Caroline Gaspich