English pronunciation/associations with the name Seppe

Boy Names
1

[name_m]Hi[/name_m] everyone!

In about a month we are expecting our first baby. The gender is still a surprise, but if it’s a boy we’re currently thinking of the name Seppe.

In Belgium this is quite a popular name, but as the world is getting smaller and smaller I’d also like to consider if a name works internationally.

As i speak Dutch i cannot be unbiased in answering these questions, so i thought i’d ask them here :slight_smile:

  • how would you pronounce Seppe in English?
  • what kind of first impression do you get from the name? what do you think of the name?
  • do you associate the name with anything in particular?

Thank you so much for helping out!

2

I would pronounce it ‘Seppee’ in English but my mother tongue is [name_m]German[/name_m] so I sometimes pronounce things weird :smiley:

I personally would not choose the name because in [name_f]Austria[/name_f] Sepp is kind of an awful nn for somebody named [name_m]Josef[/name_m]/[name_m]Joseph[/name_m] :smiley:

3

I think I’d pronounce it ‘SEP’, like Sepp Blatter, the FIFA football guy. But the [name_m]German[/name_m] student in me wants to pronounce the ‘e’ on the end like ‘uh’, giving ‘SEP-uh’, so I’m not sure now. I reckon most people would go for ‘SEP’ or ‘SEP-ee’ :confused:

Sepp Blatter is my main association. I know of no other Sepp/Seppes. It’s quite cool, but I think I’d prefer it as a nickname for [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] rather than a name on its own.

4

Seppe is interesting! Rather fun, I think. I would have imagined it’s a variant of [name_m]Giuseppe[/name_m] (sp?), so I was thinking SEP-ee/Seppy. But if it’s Dutch, is it more like sep-pah, then? I really don’t know. I think you could get anything from SEP-ee to just SEP in English, or maybe something worse. But as soon as people hear it, I think they sort of start to say it right, because they know. Some people forget, but if you love it enough, I think it’d be fun. If it’s a variant of [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] and you’re worried he’ll move to [name_u]America[/name_u] or need a name that works in various cultures, maybe opt for [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] with the nickname Seppe? That way you get both classic and quirky, I think.

Seppe strikes me as quirky and definitely European in feel–I would be very happy to meet a little one with the name!

Not really, since I’ve not yet come across it. It is pretty cool, though. For some reason I think of Pinocchio, maybe because of the tie to Geppetto? Either way, the tie to Pinocchio would be fun, not detrimental, imo. :slight_smile:

Good luck!

5

I would have guessed that it was a nickname for [name_m]Giuseppe[/name_m], so I would have said seh-pee. I think it’s a fine name though, I would be curious if I met one.

6

I’d pronounce Seppe “sep-pay”/“seh-pay” (or like an “é” sound on the end)
It sounds like a nickname to me. It’s a little incomplete and I’d expect it to be a short form for [name_m]Giuseppe[/name_m] (or another [name_m]Joseph[/name_m]-related name)… then again, [name_m]Pepe[/name_m] is a name in itself in Spain (now).
The closest association I have it Sepp Blatter, who I’m not keen on.

7

I knew a family with this surname & they were called Sep-pee, Sep as in separate. I am not sure of their nationality as I barely knew them. They were caucasian. Because of knowing them I would likely say it that way, but I would easily adapt if it was said another way.

8

-[name_m]How[/name_m] would you pronounce Seppe in English? If I knew it was foreign, se-pee. If I didn’t, sep

  • What kind of first impression do you get from the name? What do you think of the name? Weird unless it was a nickname for something. Not the most wearable name for a child in [name_f]England[/name_f].
    -[name_f]Do[/name_f] you associate the name with anything in particular? Shorts with braces
9

Thanks everyone! Great to hear some opinions on this.

What i can find on it’s origin is that it stems from [name_m]Joseph[/name_m], and indeed, the Italian [name_m]Joseph[/name_m], Guiseppe.

In Dutch the name would be pronounced "Sepp-uh’, but i think as a nickname we’d use Sep, which is quite usable in English. I realise it’s not the most common name, but I think we like the sound of it anyway :slight_smile: Thanks for sharing your thoughts thus far. If anyone else would still like to chime in, please do!

10

I actually really enjoy the name Seppe. Seppe. It’s a lot of fun to say, and I love the way it looks.
I have no idea if this is correct, but I would be inclined to say SEH-peh.
I think of the book The Book Thief for some reason - I think there’s a character called [name_m]Scipio[/name_m] (?) so I think of that. I don’t know why, but I also think of a river! I think it’s a lovely name.
Best of luck!

11

I also thought it sounded like a nickname for [name_m]Giuseppe[/name_m]. So I would say that way, sep-pee. It sounds ok, European for sure. I don’t really have a lot of thoughts on it.

12

I would say sep-pee only because I knew several people with the surname [name_m]Jeppe[/name_m], pronounced jep-pee. Like others have said I also thought it sounded like a nickname for [name_m]Giuseppe[/name_m].