Just curious: is pronouncing Ralph as 'Rafe' actually a thing?

[MrsNuckyThompson]

Or is it just Ralph Fiennes?

It's a thing! Although not for all Ralph's.

Definitely a thing. But I was brought up, interestingly, to think of it as a very aspirqtional and therefore common "thing". Like Hyacinth Bucket calling herself Bookay.

I know a couple of Ralphs/Ralfs and have only heard it pronounced as it is written, Ralf. Nice name!

It is a thing, I prefer it pronounced as it is written though.

I know a few Ralph's and they're all pronounced as written.

I've only ever heard of the other pronounciation with Ralph Feinnes and I think some eejit from Made in Chelsea.

Much prefer it as written.

Bit harsh on Ralph fiennes! He had to change the spelling I think but not sure but rafe should be spelt rafe and Ralph should be spelt Ralph! Love the name rafe x

I've always assumed it's a posh thing. I'd just spell the name Rafe and save a lot of hassle.

I only know one vair posh (old posh, not pretend or just rich) and he's pronounced Ralph, not Rafe.

Seems as good a reason as any to post a picture as the lovely Mr Fiennes. He'd probably have you flogged if you called him 'Ralf'.

I've braver come across one written Ralph and pronounced Rafe. To me it sounds very pretentious to say it that way, I don't like it at all (sorry Mr Fiennes)

Never met a Ralph pronounced Rafe - I also think it sounds pretentious - if it was spelt Rafe then fine. I met a Petra, spelt Petra, pronounced Pee-tra - again had never come across that before.

Ive never* come across one

"I've always assumed it's a posh thing"

It sounds that way- but actually it's the opposite. Interesting. I wonder how it happened?

I once vaguely knew a mrs bucket type who called her sister, Patricia, Patreecia. And that's in Yorkshire.

You can't ever say Ralph (not Rafe) with a straight face if you've read Judy Blume's Forever anyway.

I always thought Rafe was short for Raphael.

It's not pretentious or aspirational, in my experience it's a very trad. UC variant from people who may not have a bean but are very secure in their high social niche and have been for many generations.

If I (from the bottom of the proletariat) were to call my son Ralph- but-pronounced-Rafe, it would probably signal I was aspiring to higher things, on the other hand.

(As well as Mr Fiennes, there's also the actor Timothy Spall's actor son, but he writes it as 'Rafe'....)

I thought it was the case that Ralph was always pronounced "Rafe" until the early C20th.

And no-one reads "Forever" these days.

I'd never heard of Ralph pronounced as 'ralf' before mumsnet! I thought all Ralphs were pronounced as 'rafe'!!

I know a baby Rafe, spelled that way too. His mother is forever fending off "Is his real name Ralph?". She spelled it that way precisely to avoid the Ralph thing. Failed.

To a whole generation it will always be a penis.

It's traditionally pronounced Rafe, yes

The name is 'Rafe'.
The penis is 'Ralph'.

The name is Ralph in Scotland, apparently.

And we don't know how the penis pronounced its name. It could have been Rafe..........