Avoid this spelling in English-speaking countries, or you'll curse your kid to be relentlessly mocked and picked on, for life. If you want it to be pronounced Semyon, write it that way.
If you live in an English speaking country, I'm begging you don't use this for a child. If you live in a non-English speaking country, and it's pronounced different, I love it, do it for sure!
In fact, this name is quite uncommon; it's not like it sounds entirely archaic and unfamiliar for a modern Ukrainian ear, but it's not even among top 50 male names (according to 2013 database study by Privatbank). From my experience I would say that most of Semens are 40+ and I don't know anyone bearing this name personally.
Fun fact: a famous modern Ukrainian military commander, whose real name is Konstantyn Hryshyn, is far better known under the pseudonym Semen Semenchenko.
― Anonymous User 1/1/2021
5
The correct pronunciation is actually "seh-MEN" [noted -ed]
This isn't a baby name website, stop whining. Names that sound different in other languages exist. It's notable that the way this is written in Russian is "Семён" which is pronounced "Sem-yon". I think this would at least be counted as a variant spelling.
― Anonymous User 2/28/2018
22
No, don't name your kid this. Please.
― Anonymous User 10/9/2017
2
Please don't use this name if you live in an English speaking country, unless you want your kid to be tormented for the rest of his life.
― Anonymous User 8/2/2016
1
I am one eighth Ukrainian and even I don't like this name. It's definitely something to avoid if you don't live in Ukraine.
For hopefully obvious reasons, I would NOT recommend using this as a name for your son if you live in the English-speaking world! I'm sure it sounds perfectly lovely in Ukrainian, but if you live in the Anglosphere, you should really consider other names to honor your Ukrainian heritage.
In Ukranian, it's actually pronounced "SEH-Men", not "SEE-min" like the English word. I think the correct Ukrainian pronunciation sounds quite nice. But, as the previous user said, It's completely unusable in Anglophone countries.