Odd pronunciations of proper names - examples

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
Auchinleck	Sc PN	och-in-leck	IPA: /ˈɒχ ɪn lɛk/	A village - from which comes a personal title pron. as next.
Affleck	Sc T	affLECK	IPA: /af ˈlɛk/	See previous
Beaufort	SN	b-OH-fort	IPA: /ˈbəʊ fət/
Beauchamp	SN	bee-cham	IPA: /biːtʃ 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	beaver	IPA: /ˈbiː vər/	.
Bicester	PN	'bister'	IPA: /ˈbɪstər/)	Bister [b-eye-sister] IPA: /ˈbaɪ si stər/ has also been heard.
Blenheim	PN	BLEN-em [blen-EEM]	IPA: /ˈblɛn əm/ [IPA: /blə ˈniːm/]	The 2nd pronunciation is for a street in Hull.
Cirencester	PN	s-EYE-ren-ses-ter [sister]	IPA: /ˈsaɪ rən ˌsɛ stər/ [IPA: /ˈsɪstər/]	The traditional 'sister' is little heard these days.
Cheyne	PN	CHAIN-y [chain, cheen]	IPA: /ˈtʃeɪ nɪ/ (or /tʃeɪn/ or /tʃiːn/) || Cheyne Walk in London, home of famous writers Thomas Carlyle, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and George Eliot.
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: /kəl ˈeɪn/	Castle in Ayrshire.
Dalziel	Sc SN	dee-ELL [dalZEAL]	IPA: /diː ˈɛl/, IPA: /dælˈziːl/	2 branches of the family; 2 pronunciations. (The '-z-' is a form of yogh.)
Daventry	PN	DA-ven-tree [DAIN-tree]	IPA: /ˈdæv əntr ɪ/ [IPA: /ˈdeɪntr ɪ/]	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: /ˈfæɔn ʃɔː/	LPD records 4 other pronunciations
Gloucester	PN, T	gloster	IPA: /ˈglɒ stər/	.
Grosvenor	SN; PN	GROW-v'ner	IPA: /ˈgrəʊv nər or ˈgrəʊv ə nər /	Family name of Dukes of Westminster, who built the G. estates in London, Cheshire and Scotland
Hawick	Sc PN	hoik	IPA: /hɔɪk/, IPA: /hɔːɪk/	.
Haworth	PN	HAW-e(r)th	IPA: /ˈha or É‘ÊŠ É™rθ/ (IPA: /ˈheɪ əθ/)	Home of the Brontës. 2nd is a public house (pub) in Hull.
Kirkcudbright	Sc PN	kirk-COO-bry	IPA: /kər ˈkuː brɪ/	Town in SW Scotland.
Kirkcaldy	Sc PN	Kirk-CAWD-ie	IPA: /kər ˈkɒd ɪ/	Town in Fife (E Scotland)
Leicester	PN, T	lester	IPA: /ˈlɛ stər/	.
Leominster	PN	LEM-[']-ster	IPA: /ˈlɛm ə stər/	The UK pronunciation; the place in Massachusetts is LEM-in-ster, /ˈlɛm ɪn stə/.
M(a)cLean	Sc SN	macLANE	IPA: /mə ˈkleɪn/	Some, (e.g. toothpaste company) pronounce it 'clean' (IPA: /-ˈkliːn/).
M(a)cKay	Sc SN	mac-EYE	IPA: /mə ˈkaɪ/	Many rhyme it with 'say'
M(a)cKenzie	Sc SN	mac-KENZ-y	IPA: /mə ˈkɛnz ɪ/	The traditional (and obsolete) pronunciation was 'mac-KING-y IPA: /mə ˈkɪŋ ɪ/. See yogh.
M(a)cLeod	Sc SN	mac-CLOUD	IPA: /mə ˈlaʊd/	Many changed the spelling to match:, 'MacCloud'
MacDonnell (1)	Sc SN	mac-der-NELL	IPA: /ˌmæk 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 əl	See previous
M(a)cPherson	Sc SN	mac-FER-son	IPA: /mək ˈfərs ən/	Not, please, 'mac FEAR-son' IPA: /mək ˈfiːr sən/.
M(a)cLachlan	Sc SN	mac-LOCH-len	IPA: /mək ˈlɒχ lən/	M(a)cLoughlin is an Irish equivalent.
Marjoribanks	SN	MARSHbanks	IPA: /ˈmɑːtʃ bæŋks/ (LPD, less commonly /ˈmɑːʃ bæŋks/	.
Marlborough	PN, T	MAWL-b'ruh [MAL-b'ruh]	IPA: /mɔːl bər ə/ or {{IPA|ˈmɑl bər ə	The second is local, in e.g. street name in Hull.
Menzies	Sc SN	MING-is	IPA: /ˈmɪŋ ɪz/	Usually pronounced 'MEN-ziz' (IPA: /ˈmɛn zɪz/ in England.
Milngavie	Sc PN	mill-GUY (locally mull-GUY)	IPA: /mɪl ˈgaɪ/ or IPA: /mʌl ˈgaɪ/	A well-known trap for visitors to W Scotland.
Onions	SN	uhn-EYE-ens (UHN-yens)	IPA: /əʊn ˈaɪ ənz/ (IPA: /ˈʌn jənz/)	Some in the family don't sound like the vegetable. Some do, including lexicographer C.T.
Pepys	SN	peeps (or pips or pepiss)	IPA: /piːps/ (IPA: /pɪps/ or IPA: /ˈpɛp is/)	Samuel (1633-1703), diarist, was PEEPS, others use various.
Pontefract	PN	PONtyfra(c)t [pom-fret]	IPA: /ˈpɒnt ɪ ˌfrækt/ [IPA: /ˈpɒm frət/]	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: /ˈrɪ vən/	Place in Aberdeenshire, + family.
" " (2)	Sc PN	RUTH-ven	IPA: /ˈrʌθ vən/	Place in Grampian; Loch.
Shrewsbury	PN, T	shROHz-b'ri [shrOOzberri]	IPA: /ʃrˈəʊz bərɪ/ [IPA: /ʃrˈuːz bərɪ/]	The 1st is more RP; 2nd is how many locals say it
Southwell	PN	SUTH-ell SOUTH-well	ˈsaʊθ wɛl} IPA: /ˈsʌð əl//	The 1st is more RP; 2nd is how many locals say it
Salisbury	PN, T	SAULs-b'ry	IPA: /ˈsɔːlz bərɪ/	.
St Clair	SN	SIN-clare	IPA: /ˈsɪŋ kleɪər/	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 monosyllable; some in England have two.
Urquhart	Sc SN	ERK urt	IPA: /ˈɜrk ɜrt/
Wodehouse	SN	wood-house	IPA: /ˈwuːd haʊs/}	Famous writer P.G. (1881–1975)
Worcester	PN, T	wooster	IPA: /wʊ stər/	.
Yeats	Ir SN	yates	IPA: /jeɪts/	Famous Irish poet W.B. (1865–1939) & brother Jack (1871–1957)