Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Georgiana pronunciation

116 replies

PrimroseWharf · 09/08/2022 08:44

How would you pronounce Georgiana? And where are you located? We are in NW England. I would say Jor-Jaynah but DH says Jor-Jee-Arnah. I like both pronunciations but would prefer to use the ‘correct’ one. This is only for a middle name so not the end of the world if people mispronounce. So how would you say it?

Jor-Jee-Arnah
Jor-Jee-Anna
Jor-Jaynah

Something else entirely?

Thanks!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
JasmineVioletRose · 09/08/2022 09:42

George ee ahh na

Original poster
PrimroseWharf · 09/08/2022 09:46

Thanks all - seems fairly split 😂

OP posts:
NRogers · 09/08/2022 09:55

Jyorj-ee-arnah.

InTheCup · 09/08/2022 10:04

Gor jean na

ginghamstarfish · 09/08/2022 10:13

Jor-jee-arna for the usual spelling, I think in the film with KK it was about Georgaina, so that would mean a different pronunciation.

ermagerdabear · 09/08/2022 10:16

I read in a biography that the way they pronounce Georgiana in The Duchess was down to an odd drawl that the family had in real life. They apparently pronounced lots of other words in an odd way too, but it became a fashionable way of speaking within their circle. It's not like Maria, where the widespread pronunciation at the time was 'Mariah'.

I would say it as 'George-gee-ana' although tbh, I rather like how they said it in The Duchess.

LadyEloise1 · 09/08/2022 10:17

The Duchess with KK was about Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.

Can anyone remember how it was pronounced in the film please ?

MassiveSalad22 · 09/08/2022 10:19

I always think Jorjayna would surely be Georgaina ? How is ‘ia’ pronounced ‘ay’? Jor-jee-arna is my fave pronunciation anyway :)

ermagerdabear · 09/08/2022 10:19

@LadyEloise1 it was like George-Jayne-Ah, iirc.

LadyEloise1 · 09/08/2022 10:20

Thank you.

MassiveSalad22 · 09/08/2022 10:20

To be fair I can see how it would be pronounced the same as plain old Georgina too. Geor-gee-(a)nuh. Like barely the first A pronounced at all. I love Georgina!

notacooldad · 09/08/2022 10:25

I'm in the Nw. I know 3, 2 are teens and one is early 20s. They all pronounce their name the same way as your DH- Jor-Jee-Arnah

Soorude · 09/08/2022 10:59

Top one. That's the Jane Eyre pronunciation from school and audio books. Although Maria of that era is pronounced differently from how it is now.

mycatisannoying · 09/08/2022 11:04

2pinkginsplease · 09/08/2022 09:13

Glasgow and I’d say :
jor-jay-Anna

I don’t get why people would put an r in the Anna part at the end, there isn’t even an r in the end part of the name.

Same! I'm Scottish too.

It's a very twee name. A friend's child is called Georgette - Georgie for short - and I can just about cope with that!

ChristmasJumpers · 09/08/2022 11:04

George-ee-anna for me (north west)

goldfinchonthelawn · 09/08/2022 11:07

I've heard George-Ahnah and George-ee-ahnah and something in between where the middle 'ee' sound is barely pronounced but does exist - just which is how I'd pronounce it. But never heard George-ay-ahna.

I love the name. It was on our list for a DD if we'd had one.

Holidaygirls · 09/08/2022 11:39

Louise0701 · 09/08/2022 09:28

Jorjayna??? Never heard this and wouldn’t take this from the spelling, either.

Ive always pronounced it Jor-Gee-Arna like your DH.

We’re in South Yorkshire.

This. But I'm SE England.

RuthW · 09/08/2022 12:05

George - gee - arna

Midlands

Anotherusernamethisweek · 09/08/2022 12:22

Back in the depths of history (like 18th century of whenever it was popular) I'm pretty sure it was Jor-Jaynah

pinklavenders · 09/08/2022 13:35

George - gee - ahna

Why are people adding a random R..? The ending is ahna and not aRna

downtonupton · 09/08/2022 13:50

Georgie-Arnah

SE/London - bit of a posh accent

SpringIntoChaos · 09/08/2022 14:30

I have two in my class, both pronounced George-ee-ar-nah

I'm in Lincolnshire.

Prunel · 09/08/2022 14:32

George Arna

Purpleavocado · 09/08/2022 14:37

I always thought it was pronounced Jorge-jayna if said 'correctly'. it's a bit like StJohn though, how many people would know the correct pronunciation?

ermagerdabear · 09/08/2022 14:57

Purpleavocado · 09/08/2022 14:37

I always thought it was pronounced Jorge-jayna if said 'correctly'. it's a bit like StJohn though, how many people would know the correct pronunciation?

It's not the correct pronunciation. Amanda Foreman touches on it in her biography of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire on which the film is based. It was just an affectation adopted by the Duchess and her inner circle.