Georgiana pronunciation

[PrimroseWharf]

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!

First thought was Georg-ina then I read the comments and noticed the extra A, so second thoughts would make it Georg-i-anna.

If you can't decide it might be easier to stick with Georgina especially for a middle name.

I’ve only ever heard it pronounced as Jor-jayna. Same with the name Christiana, which is Kris-tayna, not Kristee-ahna. IME it’s highly unlikely that someone upper/upper middle class would pronounce this name as Jor-gee-ahna (if that’s more what you mean by ‘correct’). That being said, if you’re not sure then say it whichever way you prefer and prepare your child for a life of correcting the other half (either way) and not enough letter spaces for their names on application forms.

Jor-jee-ah-nah

jor-Jayne-ah was correct to a very select group of long dead Aristocrats. The Duchess of Devonshire herself only adopted that pronunciation of her name upon marriage, she had pronounced it the usual way all her life.

NW Scotland: jor-jee-AHN-ah or jorj-YAHN-ah. If you go for four syllables, expect it to be shortened to three or three and a half by children and people in a hurry.

For confused Scots, and others: the r comes in because of non-rhotic accents. Rhotic speakers (most native English speakers in the world) pronounce an r when there is an r (on the basis of spelling) and do not pronounce an r when there is none. Non-rhotic speakers drop the r after a vowel and add an extra r after a vowel. Rhotic accents are common in many parts of England, Australia, and the US northeast (the "typical" Bostonian accent from the USA is an extreme example).

Eg:

Rhotic: Hey, Mariana! Julia says there's a bar car on the train to New York.
Non-rhotic: Hey, Mariarner! Julier says there's a bah cah on the train to New Yawk.

You can say your baby's name is pronounced with three syllables rather than four, or vice versa, but you can't really insist on adding extra rs: people will say them or not say them depending on their accent.

How can you like a name if you don't know how it's pronounced?

I'd go with the jor-jay-ana pronunciation, although I did do a class at uni with a woman who was called Georgiana and made a massive show of correcting everyone to her way of saying it which was jor-JAAY-nah, with huge emphasis on the middle syllable. She was a bit of a dick generally though so I'd totally disregard that!

😂

Georgie-Anna to me.

Jor-Jee-Anna

I would pronounce it jor-jee-ah-na. I'm Irish and we don't add Rs unless it's in the spelling.

The only time I've heard the jor-jay-na pronunciation was in the film The Duchess.

I would pronounce it jor-jee-ah-na. I'm Irish and we don't add Rs unless it's in the spelling.

I'm not Irish and wouldn't add a random R either

I always would have said george-ee-AH-na except I now know one girl with this name, and she pronounces it George-AY-na.

Jor-Jee-Arnuh

Jor-Jee-Arnuh

Why are you adding an R?

Not all names are pronounced phonetically and this is one of the accepted standard variations of this name.

I bet half the people on this thread crying over the 'R' sound being added say castle like CAR-SELL anyway.

I bet half the people on this thread crying over the 'R' sound being added say castle like CAR-SELL anyway.

Who on earth says Castle like Carusel (without the u)?!

I say Cassull. If I saw CAR-SELL, I'd say Car Sell

Jor Jee Ahh Na

If you prefer the sound of Jor-Jaynah I'd just go with Georgina personally.

But that would be George-EE-na?

Mr Darcy call his sister Jorj-ee-ah-na and that’s authoritative enough for me.

<slight swoon at the thought of Darcy>

Me too! (Also from Glasgow).

I really don't get the added r either.

I bet half the people on this thread crying over the 'R' sound being added say castle like CAR-SELL anyway.

What?! Why would those of us with accents that don't add a non-existent r pronounce castle as car-sell?? Makes no sense.

My partner has an accent that adds r sounds (e.g. sawring instead of sawing). He spells words wrongly on occasion as he actually thinks they have an r in then!

Dear Jorge-ee-arna, how I long to see her :)