|
Throughout British history,
names have been a pronunciation hazard. Reading the names that
populate 19th century literature and history can be
likened to being on a battlefield of prose whose verdant fields
are strewn with oral land mines. Hopefully, your literary
adventures will be less verbally dangerous with this pronunciation
guide of a few hardy, old-guard surnames.
Pronunciation of Surnames
|
Abercrombie - |
Aber-crum-by (but
sometimes as written) |
|
Abergavenny - |
Aber-genny (hard
“g”) |
|
Adye - |
Aydi |
|
Alleyne - |
Alleen (but sometimes
as written) |
|
Baden-Powell - |
Bayden-Poell |
|
Balcarres - |
Bal-carris |
|
Bampfylde - |
Bam-field |
|
Beauchamp - |
Beecham |
|
Carnegie - |
Car-neggie |
|
Calverley - |
Car-verly or
Calf-ley |
|
Capell - |
Cayple |
|
Carew - |
Carey (has become
archaic in some places) |
|
Castkereagh - |
Castle-ray |
|
Claverhouse - |
Clayvers |
|
Chichele - |
Chich-ley |
|
Dalyell - |
Dee-el |
|
De la Warr - |
Della-ware |
|
Dumaresq - |
Du-merrick |
|
Dymoke - |
Dimmock |
|
Garioch - |
Ghorric |
|
Gower - |
Gore |
|
Guise - |
Gyze |
|
Harwich - |
Harrich |
|
Heathcoat - |
Heth-cut |
|
Hepburn - |
Heb-b’n |
|
Howick - |
Hoyck |
|
Iveagh - |
I-va |
|
Jervoise - |
Jervis |
|
Kilmorey - |
Kil-murray |
|
Lygon - |
Liggon |
|
Lycett - |
Lissett |
|
Macmahon - |
Mac-mahn |
|
Monzie - |
M’nee |
|
Pepys - |
Peppis (Peeps become
archaic, except for the Diarest) |
|
Powis - |
Po-iss |
|
Prevost - |
Prev-o |
|
Rowley - |
Roe-li |
|
St. Clair - |
Sinclair |
|
St. Cyres - |
S’nt Sires (rhymes with
fires) |
|
St. Leger - |
Sill-inger |
|
St. Maur - |
S’nt More |
|
Sanquhar - |
Sanker (Sanwer is
historically correct) |
|
Strachan - |
Strawn |
|
Teignmouth - |
Tin-muth |
|
Terregles - |
Terry-glaze |
|
Vaux - |
Vokes |
|
Wriothesley - |
Rottisli or Risely |
|
Yerburgh - |
Yar-bra’ |
|
Yonge - |
Young |
|
Zouche - |
Zooch |
|
Copyright 2001- 2005 by
Realms of Research.