Ralph pronounce Rafe

[toastonbean]

Is it just too 'think I'm upper class'??

I love it.

Everyone will call him Ralph (pronounces Ralf) though won't they?!

Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes^

You made that up, didn't you, soup dragon?

So I clicked on here to say "if you want it pronounced Rafe name him Rafe Ralph is its own name pronounced ralf"

Seems like I'm wrong! I'm glad I learned this now and not when it could've shown me up!! You learn something new every day!

No! His siblings all have the same surname :)

@GahWhatever: yes, I think of G&S too, plus RVW and Fiennes.

I was at school with a Ralph pronounced Ralf in the 1970s so I consider both pronunciations equally valid. A bit like the two versions of Irene.

I dislike both Rafe and Ralf spellings.

Are you going to triple barrel it or use as muddle names?

So Ralph-pronouced-Rafe Toast or Ralph Pronouced Rafe Toast?

Would solve the pronounciation problem

Yes, 'Rafe' is a perfectly legitimate pronunciation of Ralph, and my preferred pronunciation by a country mile.

Ralph is "rafe" for me too (and I'm really not posh)

Eye - you might enjoy on Americans pronouncing English place names

I know a Raife pronounced ‘Rafe’.

Ralph is pronounced ralf (Ralph Lauren)

Rafe is a totally different name.
I prefer rafe and if you want people to pronounce it rafe then that's how I'd spell it. All the Ralph's I know are pronounced ralf

Ralph is pronounced ralf (Ralph Lauren)
*
Rafe is a totally different name.*

I think this thread has proved otherwise

The Rafe spelling became popular in the 17th century according to behindthename.com. There is a character in Wolf Hall called Rafe and that’s set in the 16th century and there is also a dog in Enid Blythons books Shadow the Sheepdog (written in the 40s) called Rafe so definitely not a new younique spelling.

In case you can’t tell we have a Rafe. We went back and forward between the spellings for ages but ultimately were happy that it was a legitimate spelling of an old name and sadly the Ralph version has been so commonly Americanised now (I blame the simpsons) that I think he would have a lifetime of saying ‘it’s pronounced rafe’ as shown in this thread. Occasionally people say his name wrong but it doesn’t happen that often and overwhelming the response has been positive from friends and family. I still love it and even though I have other children now too it’s my favourite out of all their names. I loved Raphael too but sadly that didn’t go with our surname so you could consider that with a shortening to a Rafe?

It's really silly.

@toastonbean well I suppose it depends where you live. Where I'm from Ralph is pronounced ralf. I couldn't be doing with corrected people all the time 🤦🏻‍♀️

It's such a gorgeous name. I did know about Ralph pronounced Rafe but I probably wouldn't use it because not everybody does know. I know a Rafe and a Raif and I also like the suggestion of Raphael nn Rafe.

No, I KNOW, I just think it's silly 🤷‍♀️

Ralph pronounced as Rafe is my first thought - it's the classic pronunciation, as pp have said. Ralph pronounced as Ralph is fine, too. Rafe is just wrong in so many ways... But we're heading into Louis/Louie/Lewis territory here!

I would pronounce Ralph as Rafe unless told otherwise. I think it’s a lovely name. However now I realise that not everyone agrees on pronunciation I’d hesitate to use it for fear of my son having to spend his whole life correcting people and hating his name.

To the people saying that Ralph is Ralf and Rafe is a different name. Do you know that Ralph Fiennes is pronounced as Rafe?

@Fifthtimelucky
Two versions of Irene? Eh? Educate me!

"Ralph is pronounced ralf (Ralph Lauren) "

Maybe in America?

I thought that Ralph was Rafe & Ralf was Ralf?

Ranulph anyone?

@AnotherRubberDuck Version 1 = Eye Reeny version 2 = Eye Reen.

I was at primary school with an Eye Reeny in the 1960s and never heard the Eye Reen version until well into my 20s.

What about Raphael, shortened to Raphe. Much nicer.

I would have like to have used Ralph pronounced Rafe because that was my grandfather's name. I was considering spelling it Rafe though because even in my grandfather's time people would pronounce it wrongly.

The only rafe I know is Raphael really . I still wanted to call Ralph and did for few years .