[name_m]Just[/name_m] wondering how everyone personally pronounces this name. [name_u]George[/name_u]-Jayna or [name_u]George[/name_u]- ee-ahna?
Initially I pronounced it [name_u]George[/name_u]-Jayna because of [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f] the duchess of Devonshire. She insisted her name be pronounced this way.
However, in the movie “Pride and Prejudice” it is pronounced [name_u]George[/name_u]-ee-ahna. I also wonder how [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u] intended it to be pronounced. I assume the [name_u]George[/name_u]-jayna pronunciation due to the time period and influence of the Duchess.
Also which pronunciation do you prefer? I love both, but slightly the [name_u]George[/name_u]-ee-ahna pronunciation because I tend to like frilly names.
I pronounce it [name_u]George[/name_u]-ee-ahna! I love this name! It was on my shortlist, along with [name_f]Georgina[/name_f]. And the potential nickname [name_f]Gigi[/name_f].
I’ve always pronounced it [name_u]George[/name_u]-ee-ahna. I didn’t know it had other pronunciations. [name_u]George[/name_u]-Jayna is interesting. It could grow on a person.
That’s so interesting to me! I have never heard the other pronunciation, and would never have guessed it based on the name’s spelling! You learn something new every day
I like them both equally - I mean, I like [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f] [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] and [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f] Cavendish equally, anyways. It’s hard to know which pronunciation [name_u]Austen[/name_u] was imagining, since both would be equally as likely. She might not have heard that exact pronunciation, and even if she did, she might not have imagined her [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f] that way given that the original of “[name_u]George[/name_u]-Jayna” was from the Cavendish drawl. I think george-ee-ahna would be my preference, though, because it just feels more authentic to me once you know the history. I really do love the duchess, but not enough to name my daughter after her.
(It’s also a myth that [name_u]America[/name_u] is the only place the pronounces is “[name_u]George[/name_u]-Jayna,” by the way.)
I agree. I love both the duchess and the character. And that’s good to know about the pronunciation. I was trying to find out how other places pronounced it [name_u]George[/name_u]-jayna was what I was finding.
It’s generally georgie-awna. I’ve seen some people say it as georgie-anna. Duchess [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f] is the only time I’ve heard it said geor-jayna.
I would venture to guess the Duchess was the exception there. Jor-jee-ah-nah is definitely the more intuitive pronunciation – and I seriously doubt that Americans are the only ones who think so! (Both the writer and director of Pride & Prejudice '95 are Brits, and I think they would have insisted on “jor-jayna” if that was correct. After all, they have Maria pronounced “mah-ry-uh”…) So that’s my reasoning, though I could certainly be wrong.
Sorry for the misconception- I didn’t say we were the only ones to pronounce it this way, but one of the only ones from what I was finding. I do tend to prefer the [name_u]Georgie[/name_u]-awna pronunciation and it tends to be more natural to pronounce it this way, but simple found it interesting when I was looking up the different pronunciations how some people preferred one or the other. and I am curious to how [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u] wanted it pronounced because of the duchess being an influence in the time period.
Also, the giana ending reminds me of the name [name_f]Gianna[/name_f] which is pronounced Gawnna in some places. I think the different pronunciations are intriguing.
I prefer [name_u]George[/name_u]-ee-ah-na personally. It’s what I knew growing up and what I stick to even now having heard the other pronunciation since being on here.
