Ghislaine

[NotTheOriginalFeargalSharkey]

Ok, I'm not pregnant. Not looking for a name for anything. I have heard ghislaine in the news a lot recently. But it seems every news reader says it differently. Is there a "proper' pronunciation?
I have heard
Giz Lane
Giz lun
Jiz Lane
Jiz lun
Jeez LANE
Gizelle
Elaine
Jeez lane-EE
JeezLANE we
Elaine-ee
GrIZ Lane
GrIZ luh

Didn't Prnonce Andrew snippily correct Emily Maitliss's pronunciation?

You could watch the clip and emulate him, or not.

@Bluetrews25

Yeah, middle name Myra?

Was just thinking the same🙄

@DahliaMacNamara

OP, where did your options come from? In the UK, I think it's been universally reported along the Gi-laine spectrum, with minor differences in pronunciation, some more French than others. So, Gi-lehn, or, Gi -lenn, but no J, ess or zz sounds.

America, I'd imagine. I've heard a few Americans trying to say her name and they've definitely tried to...'exoticise' it or dress it up!

@Whitepillows

MN comprehension skills at their very finest on this thread, I see!

At least it warns the rest of us who we should instantly disregard, should they ever reply on one of our own threads.

@Elllicam

I also thought Gih lane. It’s a pretty name, shame it’ll be unusable for years.

It's very pretty but seems to be very rare even before this.

playback.fm/people/first-name/ghislaine#google_vignette

Rose West hasn't put parents off using Rose but I suppose it's always been popular and pretty.

Myra wasn't particularly popular and to my ears isn't pretty. I always feel sorry for the pianist Dame Myra Hess who organised almost 2,000 lunchtime concerts during The Blitz. The concerts were held at the National Gallery. She was a brilliant pianist and despite the surname was English.

It seems doubly unfortunate to be lumbered with possibly the second worst surname possible at that time and end up with that combination in her later years. She died the year of the Moors Murder trials. Oddly her first name was actually Julia- even without the association Julia is a much nicer name.

I wonder if Maxine , which I think is a very pretty name is much used now- although obviously Maxine Carr is not comparable to Hindley or Maxwell.

Maxine Carr is on nobody's radar any more (where she deserves to be imo)

I think of Maxine Peake when I hear that name.

Rose West hasn't put parents off using Rose but I suppose it's always been popular and pretty.

It put us off using it in 1995; but at that point the papers were full of stories about the Wests.

I heard her brother say Gillen
I think he must know.

Ghislaine Maxwell was born in 1961 in France to a French mother.
It's a French name and BehindTheName.com says it can be pronounced either ZHEES-LEHN or GEE-LEHN, and a few comments indicate there is some disagreement in France although they mainly expect it to be a hard g.
In France the girls name Ghislaine became popular in about 1920, peaking in 1956 with over 3,000 babies, and was used for girls up until 1986 (appears to drop off after that?). The year Maxwell was born she was one of almost 2,500 baby girls named Ghislaine.
Still in France, the boys version, Ghislain was used up until 1999, with 200 to 300 a year from 1950 to 1990.
Even if it weren't for Maxwell's notoriety, calling an non-Francophone child this name in England might be considered pretentious. "Giselle" is much much nicer sound and lovely association with the ballet too.

The name is said to mean "hostage", but the current English use of "hostage" doesn't cover the mediaeval and earlier meanings. "Promise" might be a better translation, in the sense that people used to be sent to other communities in a way to say we promise not to attack you/ we trust you to treat our people decently.

I think Jizz Lane suits her. We should go with that.

Ha ha glad you're not using it.

I heard it said Gill-enn

Gee-laine

But seriously not a good name to use at the moment.

Ghislaine Maxwell's name is pronounced 'Gee-lehn'. However on the last Great British Sewing Bee last year there was a lady from French Martinique and she pronounced it 'Gizz-lane'.

Personally I wouldn't want any name with Jizz or Gizz in it!!!

Hard G
Gi-lehn is the French way of pronunciation

There seems to be a bit of variation even in France.

forvo.com/word/ghislaine/

@SeanChailleach

Ghislaine Maxwell was born in 1961 in France to a French mother. It's a French name and BehindTheName.com says it can be pronounced either ZHEES-LEHN or GEE-LEHN, and a few comments indicate there is some disagreement in France although they mainly expect it to be a hard g. In France the girls name Ghislaine became popular in about 1920, peaking in 1956 with over 3,000 babies, and was used for girls up until 1986 (appears to drop off after that?). The year Maxwell was born she was one of almost 2,500 baby girls named Ghislaine. Still in France, the boys version, Ghislain was used up until 1999, with 200 to 300 a year from 1950 to 1990. Even if it weren't for Maxwell's notoriety, calling an non-Francophone child this name in England might be considered pretentious. "Giselle" is much much nicer sound and lovely association with the ballet too.

The name is said to mean "hostage", but the current English use of "hostage" doesn't cover the mediaeval and earlier meanings. "Promise" might be a better translation, in the sense that people used to be sent to other communities in a way to say we promise not to attack you/ we trust you to treat our people decently.

I certainly briefly knew a French Ghiselaine (spelled like that) about 20 years ago, who pronounced her name, roughly, ZHEES-lehn.

I thought it was very pretty. I don't like the way Ghislaine Maxwell pronounces her name anywhere near as much.

I think that Mme Maxwell would have known how to say her daughter's name

I’ve only heard it on TV as Gill-en.
Now does anyone have any ideas on how to pronounce Giuffre?

Quite a few people replying to an OP they haven’t even bothered to read😄

Even if it weren't for Maxwell's notoriety, calling an non-Francophone child this name in England might be considered pretentious. "Giselle" is much much nicer sound and lovely association with the ballet too

There are quite a number of French girls names which are used in UK without much raised eyebrows. I wonder if Ghislaine didn't make the transfer as even the French aren't in agreement on how to pronounce it.

This has reminded me I used to work with a "Gillian" who pronounced her name with a hard G rather than "Jillian" . I never liked to ask why but it's not a million miles from Ghislaine with a hard G.

www.peanut-app.io/blog/french-baby-girl-names

It is such an ugly name

Now does anyone have any ideas on how to pronounce Giuffre?

Jew-frey if it is pronounced like the Italian surname (although short first syllable and no dipthong on the second syllable). Of course there are often variations in how Americans pronounce their names for many reasons. She may pronounce the 'i' sound for instance.

In my board Welsh accent I say "Jizz-Lane" 😳

Jyoo-ffreh - the y is very short and the oo short

Jiz-Lane GrIZ luh