Odd pronunciations of proper names - examples
From Hull AWE
The Type column contains abbreviations: PN means that the word in the first column is a Place-name; SN means that it is a surname; and FN that it is a forename or first name. T indicates that the word is a PN used, sometimes, as a title, as in Prince of Wales. Sc shows that the name is Scottish; W that it is Welsh; and Ir that it is Irish. These Celtic languages have their own spelling systems. No effort is made to show how they are pronounced.
| Written form | Type | Pronunciation(s) - re-spelt | Pronunciation(s) - IPA | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anstruther | PN SN |
AINSTer ANN-struth-er |
ˈeɪnst ər ˈænst rʌð ər |
Town in Fife, Scotland | |
| Auchinleck | Sc PN | OCH-in-leck | Scots trad: IPA: /æf ˈlɛk/ usually /ˈɒχ (or ɔːk) ɪn lɛk/ |
A village - from which comes a surname. Sir Claude Auchinleck (1884-1981), Field Marshall, was nicknamed 'The Auk'. | |
| Affleck | Sc T | affLECK | IPA: /æ ˈflɛk/ | See previous. Alexander Boswell, Lord A (title of Scots judge) (1707-1782), father of James Boswell, spelled his name as above, pronounced it as here | |
| Beaufort | SN | BOH-fort | IPA: /ˈbəʊ fert/ | There is a a place in S. Carolina (*USA) pron /ˈbjuː fert/. | |
| Beauchamp | SN | BEE-cham | ˈbiːtʃ əm | Some Bs - e.g. conductor Sir Thomas - write 'Beecham' | |
| Beaulieu | PN | BEW-ley | IPA: /ˈbjuː lɪ/ | in Hampshire
(The same initial syllable as 'beautiful'.) | |
| Belvoir | PN | BEE-ver | IPA: /ˈbiːv ər/ | . | |
| Bicester | PN | 'bister' | IPA: /ˈbɪst ər/) | Bister [b-eye-sister] IPA: /ˈbaɪst ər/ has also been heard. | |
| Blenheim | PN | BLEN-em [blen-EEM] | IPA: /ˈblɛn ə (or ɪ)m/ [IPA: /blɛn ˈiːm/] | The 2nd pronunciation is for a street in Hull. | |
| Cadogan | SN, used as PN (London) | k'-DUG-an | IPA: /kə ˈdʌg ən / | ||
| Caius | PN; SN | keys | IPA: /kiːz/ | As the familiar name of 'Gonville & Caius' College, Cambridge; family name. Roman praenomen Caius (or Gaius) realized in English as 'KYE-us' /kaɪ əs/ or 'CAY-us', /keɪ əs/. | |
| Cheyne | PN | CHAIN-y [chain, cheen] | IPA: /ˈtʃeɪn ɪ/ [/ˈtʃeɪn/, /ˈtʃiːn] | Cheyne Walk in London, home of famous writers Thomas Carlyle, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and George Eliot. | |
| Cholmondely | SN | chumly | IPA: /ˈtʃʌm lɪ/ | ||
| Cirencester | PN | s-EYE-ren-ses-ter [sister] | [IPA: /ˈsaɪr ən sɛs tər/] | The traditional 'sister' is little heard these days. | |
| Cliveden | PN | CLIV-den | ˈklɪv dən | Scene of the Profumo scandal of 1963 | |
| Cockburn | SN (Sc) | COE-burn | ˈkəʊ bɜːrn | Don't confuse with Colborne, /ˈkəʊl bɜːrn/ | |
| Colquhoun | Sc SN | ca-HOON | IPA: /kə ˈhuːn/ | An English pronunciation is 'col-kwe-HOON'. Scots call this an error. In defence, some spell it Cahoun. | |
| Culzean | Sc PN | cull-AIN | IPA: /kə ˈleɪn/ | Castle in Ayrshire. | |
| Dalziel | Sc SN | dee-ELL [dalZEAL] | IPA: /di ˈɛl/, IPA: /ˈdæl ziːəl/ | 2 branches of the family; 2 pronunciations. (The '-z-' is a form of yogh.) | |
| Daventry | PN | DA-ven-tree [DAIN-tree] | IPA: /ˈdæv ən trɪ/ [IPA: /ˈdeɪn trɪ/] | 2nd pron. [in brackets] is traditional but obsolescent. | |
| Donne | SN | dun (as in done) | IPA: /dʌn/ | Famous English poet John (1572-1631) | |
| Featherstonhaugh | SN | FANshaw | IPA: /ˈfæn ʃɔː/ | LPD records 3 other pronunciations: /ˈfɛð ərst ən hɔː/; /ˈfɛst ən hɔː; /ˈfiːst ən heɪ/. | |
| Frome | PN | froom | IPA: /fruːm/ | Town in Somerset surname more commonly written Froom or Froome | |
| Glamis | PN, T | glahmz | IPA: /glɑːmz/ | One of the titles of Macbeth; birthplace of Elizabeth II's mother | |
| Gloucester | PN, T | gloster | IPA: /ˈglɒst ər/ | . | |
| Grosvenor | SN; PN | GROW-v'ner | IPA: /ˈgrəʊv ən ər / | Family name of Dukes of Westminster, who built the G. estates in London, Cheshire and Scotland Name from le gros veneur, 'fat huntsman': Hugh Lupus, huntsman to William the Conqueror | |
| Happisburgh | PN | HAZE-b'ruh | IPA: /ˈheɪz bərʌ/ | Village in Norfolk | |
| Hawick | Sc PN | hoik | IPA: /hɔː ɪk/, IPA: /hɔɪk/ | . | |
| Haworth | PN | HA-e(r)th | IPA: /ˈhɑː əθ/ (IPA: /ˈheɪ wərθ/) | Home of the Brontës. 2nd is a public house (pub) in Hull. | |
| Heathcote | SN | HETH-c't | IPA: /ˈhɛθ kət/ | ||
| Holyhead | PN | HOLL-I-hed | IPA: /'hɒ lɪ ,hɛd/ | A town and port in northwest Wales. Although the adjective ‘holy’ is pronounced with a long ‘o’ (IPA: /'həʊ lɪ/), when the word forms the first part of a place name, the ‘o’ is short, as in ‘Holywood’ (a town in Northern Ireland), Holywell (a street in Oxford), and Holyrood (an area of Edinburgh). | |
| Kirkcaldy | Sc PN | Kirk-CAWD-ie | IPA: /kɜr ˈkɒd ɪ/ | Town in Fife (E Scotland) | |
| Kirkcudbright | Sc PN | kirk-COO-bry | IPA: /kɜr ˈkuːbr ɪ/ | Town in SW Scotland. | |
| Lechlade | PN | LETCH-laid | IPA: /'lɛtʃ leɪd/ | Town in Gloucestershire | |
| Leicester | PN, T | lester | IPA: /ˈlɛst ər/ | . | |
| Leominster | PN | LEM-[']-ster | IPA: /ˈlɛm stər/ | The UK pronunciation; the place in Massachusetts is LEM-in-ster, /ˈlɛm ɪn stər/. | |
| M(c)Donald | Sc SN | mac-DON-ald | IPA: /mək ˈdɒn əld/ | May be confused with next | |
| MacDonnell (1) | Sc SN | mac-der-NELL | IPA: /mək dən ˈɛl/ | Note: though Irish and Scots are both Gaels, they pronounce the same name differently | |
| M(a)cDonnell (2) | Ir SN | mac-DON-el | mək ˈdɒn əll | See previous | |
| M(a)cLean | Sc SN | macLANE | IPA: /mə ˈkleɪn/ | Some, (e.g. toothpaste company) pronounce it 'clean' (IPA: /mə ˈkliːn/). | |
| M(a)cKay | Sc SN | mac-EYE | IPA: /mə ˈkaɪ/ | Many rhyme it with 'say', /mə ˈkeɪ/ | |
| M(a)cKenzie | Sc SN | mac-KENZ-y | IPA: /mə ˈkɛn zɪ/ | The traditional (and obsolete) pronunciation was 'mac-KING-y IPA: /mə ˈkɪŋ ɪ/. See yogh. | |
| M(a)cLachlan | Sc SN | mac-LOCH-len | IPA: /mək ˈlɒχ lɪn/ | M(a)cLoughlin is an Irish equivalent. | |
| M(a)cLeod | Sc SN | mac-CLOUD | IPA: /mə ˈklaʊd/ | Many changed the spelling to match:, 'MacCloud' | |
| M(a)cPherson | Sc SN | mac-FER-son | IPA: /mək ˈfɜːrsən/ | Not, please, in UK ' | |
| Marjoribanks | SN | MARSHbanks | IPA: /ˈmɑːrʃ bænkz/ (LPD, less commonly /ˈmɑːr jər ɪ bænkz/ | ||
| Marlborough | PN, T | MAWL-b'ruh [MALLb'ruh] | IPA: /ˈmɔːrl brʌ/ ˈmæːl brə |
The second is local, in e.g. local pron. of Marlborough Avenue in Hull. | |
| Masham | PN, SN | 1) MASS-em 2) MASH-em |
ˈmæs əm ˈmæʃ əm |
1) is the place in Yorkshire; 2) is alternative used by some branches of the family. | |
| Menzies | Sc SN | MING-iss | IPA: /ˈmɪŋ ɪs/ | Usually pronounced 'MEN-zis' (/ˈmɛnz ɪz/) in England. | |
| Milngavie | Sc PN | mill-GUY (locally 'mull-GUY') | IPA: /ˈmɪ(or ʌ)l gaɪ/ | Well-known trap for visitors to W. Scotland. | |
| Onions | SN | 'uhn-EYE-ens' 'UHN-yens' 'oh-NIGH-ens' |
IPA: /ən ˈaɪ ənz/ /əʊ ˈnaɪ ənz/ /ˈʌn jənz/ |
Some of this name don't sound like the vegetable, being Irish O'Nions. Some do, including lexicographer C.T.: his family was Welsh Einion. | |
| Pepys | SN | peeps (or pips or pepiss | IPA: /piːps/, /pɪps/ or /ˈpɛp ɪs/ | Samuel (1633-1703), diarist & Sec. to Navy is PEEPS; others use various. | |
| Pontefract | PN | PONtyfra(c)t [pom-fret] | IPA: /ˈpɒn tɪ frækt/ [IPA: /ˈpʌ (or ɒ)m frɛt/] | Traditional pron. [in brackets] now obsolete | |
| Ralph | FN | rafe | IPA: /reɪf/ IPA: /rælf/ | Traditionally pron. with no 'l', and the vowel of 'say'. Often now has an '-l-' and the vowel of 'cat'. | |
| Ruthven | Sc SN, PN | RIVen | IPA: /ˈrɪv ən/ | Place in Aberdeenshire, + family. | |
| " " (2) | Sc PN | RUTH-ven | IPA: /ˈrʌθ vən/ | Place in Grampian; Loch. | |
| Salisbury | PN, T | SAULz-b'ry | IPA: /ˈsɔːlz bərɪ/ | ||
| Scrope | PN | SCROOP | IPA: /skruːp/ | Family seat at Masham pronounced 'MASS-em', /ˈmæs əm/ | |
| Shrewsbury | PN, T | shROHz-b'ri [shrOOzberri] | IPA: /ˈʃrəʊz bər ɪ/ [IPA: /ˈʃruːz bər ɪ/] | The 1st is more RP; 2nd is how many locals say it | |
| Southwell | PN | SUTH-ell SOUTH-well |
IPA: /ˈsʌð əl/ IPA: /ˈsaʊθ wɛl/ |
The 1st is more RP, and the BBC's preference; 2nd is how many locals say it | |
| St Clair | SN | SIN-clare | IPA: /sɪn ˈkleɪerr/ | The Scots spelling is Sinclair | |
| St John | SN | SIN-jen | IPA: /ˈsɪn dʒən/ - surname | Place and Saint are both 'normal' - IPA: /seɪnt ˈdʒɒn/ | |
| Strachan | Sc SN | straw-n [stra-can] | IPA: /strɔːn/, IPA: /ˈstræ kən/ | Traditional Scots say it as one syllable; some in England have two. | |
| Towcester | PN | toaster | IPA: /ˈtəʊ stər/ | ||
| Urquhart | Sc SN | ERK urt | IPA: /ˈɜːrk ərt/ | ||
| Villiers | SN | VILL-erz | IPA: /ˈvɪl ərz/ | Traditional RP realization; now less heard than the trisyllabic spelling pronunciation 'VILL-i-erz', /ˈvɪl ɪ ərz/ | |
| Wodehouse | SN | wood-house | IPA: /ˈwuːd haʊs/} | Famous writer P.G. (1881-1975) | |
| Worcester | PN, T | wooster | IPA: /ˈwuːst ər/ | . | |
| Yeats | Ir SN | yates | IPA: /jeɪts/ | Famous Irish poet W.B. (1865-1939) & painter brother Jack (1871-1957) |
