Leofric

[greekyogurtaddict]

DH is very keen on this name. He has been watching/reading 'The Last Kingdom' by Bernard Cornwall and is a history enthusiast in general. The name is pronounced "Lay-off-rich' on the show with emphasis on the first syllable but I believe "Lair-frich" or "lair-vrich" is more accurate. The name sounds nothing like "Leo". I would probably be saying it "lair-frich". Has anybody met one outside of a history book to confirm this?

I actually like the sound of the name. My concern is that he will spend his entire life explaining how to pronounce his name to anyone that didn't grow up in coventry hearing the lady Godiva story regularly. Also, that it sounds a little like we are trying too hard to be different as it isn't exactly a classic anglo saxon name like Alfred or Edward and therefore sounds a bit fantasy genre.

I already have a girls name in mind thankfully!

I am in two minds as I have a child with a short, very simple to pronounce, straightforward name that gets mispronounced or misspelt all the bloody time . Totally unanticipated as to me the pronunciation is obvious from the spelling, but even when she tells people her name they still mispronounce it. It is a relatively uncommon family name, but not difficult. I have met a few others, so not a total outlier.
Anyway my point is that unless you choose something very familiar then people often make mistakes with names, so having something even more unusual makes no difference.
I do agree that in this case it will probably get shortened to Leo though, (my dc have short, two syllable names but they still get shortened further by others). So if that would bother you then maybe not the name for you.

@HomeHomeInTheRange

Well I love it, and wish we used more Anglo Saxon names.

But it seems that society is not equipped.

In The Last Kingdom a lot of the characters have similar names. Aelswith, Aelfric, Aethelflead, Aethelred, Aethelwold. It's very confusing!

I really like it and would pronounce it Lay-o-fric or Lee-o-fric depending on which way the wind was blowing. He could always call himself Leo if he preferred.
DS is Alaric but as a middle name. I also liked Wilric.

I grew up in Coventry, Lady Godiva and Leofric country! There was a posh hotel Leofric in the town centre. We all said Lee-uh-fric

I met one but he pronounced it phonetically - Lee-oh-frick. Generally called Leo.

I think the Lay-oh-Frich pronunciation will reflect Anglo Saxon pronunciation so I’d expect it to be modernised now.

So either accept the modern pronunciation (which is a perfectly fine name - much like Leopold - and likely to be shortened to Leo), or use it as a middle name.

I agree with pp, I grew up around Coventry and Leofric was always pronounced
Lee-uh-fric.

I don’t think your child will thank you for choosing it.

I wouldn't be to my taste but if it's not to your son's taste when he's old enough to have opinions on such things Leo is a very easy shortening to live with.

I know this isn't the point, but if Leofric is pronounced Lairfrich, would Eric originally have been pronounced Erich?

What a glorious Anglo-Saxon name. I am sure OP is in the right zone with the pronunciation, but I would default to Leo like a Lion and Fric rhymes with Brick.

I think your husband should play out his fandom in a different way though. Names can be a curse. Take it from someone who knows. I'm OK with mine now, though I never use the second one, but there were times when they were just multiple rods for an anything but broad back.

1st: 'Catholic are you?' - "well yes half the family are". 2nd: 'That's Irish'. "Got me, by way of Kilburn". 3rd: 'Hang on that's Spanish'. "I have four grandparents, like you do, they all bring something to the table". 4th: 'I thought we had a family name with the 3rd and now this one is Slavic?'.

@MumsMetHer

I know this isn't the point, but if Leofric is pronounced Lairfrich, would Eric originally have been pronounced Erich?

Eric is a Norse name. Leif rice is Anglo-Saxon. I think!

Leif rice? I meant Leofric. It autocorrected. I think Eric is pronounced with the emphasis on the E rather than the ric.

I love all the Anglo Saxon names in Last Kingdom! However, I don't think I'm brave enough to call my child one of the names.

I think he'd end up being called 'fricking Leo' or something if he wasn't liked by someone

It is interesting to see where a lot of place names came from. The last season of The Last Kingdom will start on March 9. Will Uhtred find his destiny?

Is 'rich' pronounced in the English or German way would be my first thought?

My second thought is that he would be Leo by week 3.

My third thought is that you've forgotten this is a real person you're naming who will spend his life correcting people. I know someone called Kirsten whose parents insisted on the Swedish pronunciation. Complete pain all round.

Surely, Leff-ric ( same initial sound as Leonard) is the usual in the UK?

The second syllable can end fairly softly, almost like an 'ig', rather than a harsh 'ick' .

I don't much like the nicknames 'Len' or Lenny', but they would follow very naturally.

Nooo! Sorry! Go for Leo 😊

@MumsMetHer

I know this isn't the point, but if Leofric is pronounced Lairfrich, would Eric originally have been pronounced Erich?

Eric was originally spelled with a k (it's Viking) - in fact, the Old Norse spelling was Erikr!

Slightly different but, I grew up with an odd surname and it blighted me through school and my first few jobs before I got married and changed my name. It was a source of stress even on my wedding day.

The sniggering, the repeated put downs, feeling embarrassed... I genuinely think I would have had a different personality if I hadn't been living in low-level shame & embarrassment through my formative years.

Of course, I developed some strategies for muddling through but when I look back, it was a consuming 'job' to handle. I would never put my kids through the same especially when they will have their own life difficulties to contend with.

It's quite a burden for a child, isn't it? What if your child grows up to be the sort of person who prefers to fit in rather than stand out? They might not thank you if they're always remarked for their name. Having said that, a greater range of names are popular now than in the past so they won't stand out as much as they would have 20 years ago when classes were full of Toms, Sarahs and Emilys.

It's by no means the worst name I've seen on here but its just a bit too out there.

No. Too many opportunities for a p*ss take

@Firebird83

I wouldn’t use a name that has “frick” in it.

Nope. He'll be known as Leo Prick at school. Horrible name. Parents really should consider how names translate on the playground because kids are ruthless. Plus the fact noone will ever be able to pronounce his name correctly. Why would you saddle your child with that?

I really, really feel like 'frick' means something rude but I can't remember what. Is it slang for masturbate? It's something along these lines. Whatever it is, Lair-frick just made me think of doing something rude in a lair 😂That's why i wouldn't use it.