Yeah, people hear their names and there is sometimes/often a pause for ... contemplation? Nah, it usually is because they just don't know what to say since most people don't run across these names much. Adelaide is more known, which leads to this exchange (which happens ALL the time!)

"The girl's name is Adelaide."
-- "Oh, that's a pretty name."
"The boy's name is Kestian."
-- "How do you spell that?"

So it is with this in mind that I will, nay, must, enlighten all on their names.

KESTIAN (KES-tchin)

Ok, it isn't really pronounced like that, but it is close. The 'ia' combination is a dipthong that sounds sorta like 'ya' with a single sound. The 'tia' would be a 'tya' which sort of sounds like 'chia'. So it should sound something like KES-tyan, but with the last four letters said all together to get the "chin" sound, even though it doesn't actually have a 'ch' sound. Sounds like the last syllable in Christian, though that is definitely NOT his name. Also, though it is stressed on the first syllable, it isn't too stressed.

Kestian is a name that I thought up of many years ago. Doesn't mean anything that I know of, but if you want to retrofit a meaning, try using the word "kestral", that'll sound cool. There are apparently people with that last name (only a few show up on Google) and there are also a few other places on the web where the names is found. Strangely, the name pops up on some geeky fantasy-type boards (and I do say that with all love as a (less concentrated) geek). Oh well, such is life. It's too late since we like the name anyway. Maybe he'll grow up to be a fighter/mage?

ADELAIDE (AD-el-ade or A-del-ade)

I have it both ways because it is sort of in between. The 'Adel' is sort of like "adle" with the sound flowing together, and a stress on the first 'A'. In fact, this name is just one quick flowing name with no stops in it

This is a German name, though it is found in other languages. It comes from the cognates 'adal' meaning noble and 'heid' meaning kind/sort/type. So basically it means something like 'noble type of person', or 'noble' as per the type of person. Whatever, we just liked the name. Plus, "Sydney" was just too common.

APOLLOS (uh-PAHL-los)

Something like that, though it, again, isn't really it. NOTE, the 's' at the end does not sound like a Z, instead it is a definite non-chopped S sound like the last syllable in glucose. The way it really sounds is something more subtly different; ah-POL-los. Too anal, I know.

Derived from Apollo in Greek mythology.

ARTEMIA (ar-TEH-mee-a or ar-TEE-mee-a)

Derived from Artemis in Greek mythology.

NOTE: Text in this color is Damon's commentary, which Laura tried to take out, but he keeps on insisting has some value...so it was left in.