Ralph?

[WhoStoleTheTarts]

I’m due in a couple of weeks with a baby boy, we’ve got a shortlist but we’ve not settled on a name yet. One name I was considering early on but that fell off the shortlist was Ralph (Rafe?), but I’m now considering it again. Would appreciate any opinions, is this cute and classic or are the pregnancy hormones getting to me?

I think if you call your kid rafe there in for a lifetime of people pronouncing their name wrong

Because that’s the traditional pronunciation 🤷🏼‍♀️

Lovely whichever pronunciation. I know a five year old Ralph but pronounced Ralf. Ranulf is even nicer.

I’m not that worried about the penis thing tbh, I think that’s a pretty dated reference.

Love it x

Nope sorry - I immediately think of Judy Blume's Forever!

I really like Ralph but I can't pronounce my Rs well so it wasn't an option for me! Xx

Love Rafe

Hate Ralph pronounced phonetically, it’s like a small dog yapping. And I think calling him Ralph but pronouncing it Rafe would be a PITA

I have a Rafe, we had the same thought re: the spelling, OP. I didn't want him to have a lifetime of saying "Ralph pronounced Rafe" and besides, it has a rather "aspirational" overtone that way that I wanted to avoid.

Oddly, it's by far the most popular of my three kids' names but we get loads of mispronunciations! Raffy and Raf-uh especially. I find myself saying "Rafe like safe" a lot. 😂

Still wouldn't change it, I love his name!

Me too. That was my first thought 🤣

Forever & the dog from the Muppets. Although I’ve just looked that up & found he was Rowlf.

I think an entire generation of women are going to associate Ralph with that book. I was 13 & I remember a bunch of us gathering at lunchtime to read & discuss, with one eye & ear on the door in case a teacher came in.

its prerty date now for a Rafe to be spelled Ralph a la Ralph Fiennes, and you’d (he) def be spelling it out to people.
I’m old enough to only think of Judy Blume, and the synonym for throwing up with the Ralf pronunciation I’m afraid .
I really like Rafe and Rafael (Raphie) though

Yeah will always make me think of a pecker thanks to Judy Blume.

I think it was on Grace Dent’s podcast Rafe Spall told a story about drunkenly telling Ralph Fiennes his name was spelt incorrectly.

Is it? Because I’ve only ever heard of Ralph Fiennes pronouncing it that way.

NO. (Sorry.)

Ralph pronounced Rafe is the traditional way, but the tradition has dated out to the point that hardly anyone is used to it anymore.

(Random tangent- apparently wolves used to be pronounced wohves. I guess people ignored the letter l a bit more.)

If it doesn't bother you having to correct people I'd go for it. I like the name either way.

Like Ralph.

@Melancholyflower I can think of two musical Ralphs with the Rafe pronounciation, both of whom date to the 1870s.

Ralph Vaughan Williams is one. The other is the hero of HMS Pinafore by Gilbert and Sullivan. We know it was pronounced that way because it rhymes with “waif”.

Of course, I forgot about Vaughan Williams (don’t know much G&S), but can’t think of any others in more recent times.

This is what I’m wondering too.

I’ve only ever known Ralph to be pronounced as it’s spelt - with the L.

Why wouldn’t you pronounce?

I always thought Rafe was a totally different name.

It may be dated but the Netflix version of Forever is due to come out next month so it might be worth a consideration.

Rafe is a very old English Nordic-influenced name in its own right and predates the French-influenced Ralph. I love Rafe, gorgeous name.

Great name - just don’t add ‘ie’ to the end. Sounds like a golden retriever

Immediately thought of Judy Blume Forever and the penis name. I get that it's an outdated reference but I'm not yet 40 so you'd have decades of people making that association still.

Don't pronounce it Rafe that's pretentious AF.

I don't like the sound of 'Ral-F' though either - bit of a throwing up kinda noise.

I wouldn't. Awful 😖