Berenice

[JamaicaGeisha]

Is is terrible?

I am starting to like it, but have a nagging feeling it is really really awful!

How do you say it? I sort of like it too... does grow on you, doesn't it?

I knew a Bernice, who shortened her name to Berry. (I knew her ages before I discovered she was called Bernice).

I think it's berry nice.

See what I did there

Have I put you off yet?!

I think it's high up in the ponciness stakes - it would suit in a family of classicists, but might be a pain to keep correcting the pronunciation unless you used the Berenike variant of the spelling.

I think it is a nice name, however it is pronounced very differently - in English it is ber-en-ees, however it is a Greek name and in Greek it is pronounced ver-en-ee-kee.

I would say it be-ren-EESE.

Don't like the Greek pronounciation. Is it ancient Greek or modern, does anyone know? Because I have Greek people in my family, and I don't want them to use that pronounciation! Does anyone know if it is common in Greece and therefore they will know the pronounciation?

God sorry, that was rambling. Hope you got what I meant!

Unless you mix with very erudite people, she'd be called Bernice

I would definitely end it "ny-kee" because it's the same root meaning as Nike as in the trainers. And that is the Greek way (or was, for classical Greek - maybe a modern Greek speaker will see this and comment for you too).

Ooh, I always assumed it was pronounced like Bernice; I much prefer the Greek version. :)

So would it be pronounced be-re-NY-kee?

More or less: the initial sound was more of a "ph" originally, so as GOML said, it's somewhere between a "b" and a "v". Francophones go for the Bernice variant (which is I think always "eese"): do you have French in you family too?

No French. I'm going off this name already!!!

Could you try it out on your Greek family members, and see what they actually say?

it sounds like a dear, old jamaican woman's name, with a best friend called myrtle.

It's a bit too similar to Bernard. Prefer Beatrice.

Oh God sorry but absolutely vile. Up there with Myrtle for me.

I know a Bernece - you might get less confusion over the end pronunciation that way.

I know a Berenice. She is a very formidable middle-aged West Indian lady. It sounds quite a mannish name, to me.

I used to work for a Berenice who was called Ben. She was lovely and liked her name.