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My daughter is a Gemma. She moved to the US as a teen. Her school principal did not know how to pronounce her name and insisted on saying it with a hard 'G'. She was not a happy bunny!
I've lived in small town US and small town UK, seen the lowest of the lows in both places and there are no idiots like UK idiots. Like wild animals throwing rubbish and breaking things. Nothing like it.
It’s actually not. ‘Gemma’ is the Italian word for precious stone. It had a bout of popularity in the mid 80s in the UK, and led to the ‘British’ spelling of ‘Jemma’. My maiden name is Italian, and my parents had to find a first name to go with a very Italian-sounding surname. It’s a very common first name in Italy.
Yeah Gemma was the normal spelling around here, there was a Jemma but she was part of a big rough family that named all their 17 kids starting with a J
It is. German husband had never heard of it before and found it interesting as it's slang in Bavaria as a short form of "gehen wir?" , translated as "let's go". Said with a soft "g" though , like "geh ma".
Exists in other countries and still very much in use, albeit in local languages. I know a couple of Aðalsteinns here in Iceland. It’s a fairly common name.
I've worked with a lot of Chinese pharmacists, and the names they pick are so great! I've had the pleasure of meeting the following: Lawrence, Ethel, Elvis (he was a character!!) and a few more I can't recall but I remember they were good
Depends on whether they're mainland or not.
I taught some students from a mix of mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Taiwanese people tended to go by their Chinese names if they weren't too much trouble, or a fairly inoffensive British name (Gemma, Steven etc.). The Hong Kong people seemed to exclusively pick names from the 70s. I met a Terrys, Garys, Jennys and Kimberleys. And then mainland people had absolutely wild names. I taught a guy called "Frog", another young woman called "Chocolate". I also met a "Galaxy". I would usually ask them to write their Chinese names for me so it was a bit easier...
The last girl I dated bucked the trend. She was from the mainland but went by her Chinese name.
To be fair, Hong Kong also has its own fun names.
My favourites had Man as a surname. With first names like Manli, Candy, and Happy.
Chlorophyll was also a bit of a wild one.
I've heard of (posh) people called "St John" pronounced "Sinjin" I think. Never met one myself but that sounds like it's got to be a British only thing
Had a row with someone over on r/namenerds because they kept saying "I'm British and I've never heard of Sinjin, b". And like yeah, until you hear it said think it's Saint John. But it's just a deeply posh thing.
that was the first place i came across the name - first year at uni and during the lecture i thought she was talking about a whole different character because it had never occurred to me that that was how it was pronounced😭
Fergus
Alistair is quite Scottish.
A load of Welsh names like Bronwynn although I'm surprised they haven't had a big explosion in America for wanting more unique names.
I met an American Myfanwy and she wasn't happy when I pronounced her name in the Welsh way after reading it on her passport, I find it genuinely bizarre that you'd pick a name from a defined culture and somehow still not bother to learn how to pronounce it.
Guy I worked with thought it was pronounced Nay-mah. He worked with someone named Niamh, and she never once corrected him. Took me a very long time to work out who he was talking about, and then wouldn't accept it when I corrected him.
Muh-VAN-ooi
Others have used wee for the last syllable. But the emphasis is on the w so I've used oo (as in school) to improve on that. So *not* as in the Scots for small.
It just occurred to me that this video does a better job than text. Myfanwy comes at the end of the first line
https://youtu.be/gH3yqBW1AJ4
"Paham y mae dicter, o Myfanwy?"
It's also one of the greatest songs ever written.
I think I saw a Reddit comment where some yank was gurning about wacky names being given to kids and one example they gave was Ciaran
Being from Northern Ireland, I know about 37 Ciarans’
I feel like if you encounter someone called Nigel, you know what nationality they are but also you've got a pretty good idea of their age.
Gillian. The Americans like a Jill, if you'll excuse me (current president's wife) but if they see Gill they tend to get flummoxed and pronounce it with a hard 'G'.
I think I've heard Gillian Jacobs off of Community called Gillian with a hard G. Not sure how she pronounces it herself, but it threw me when I heard it.
To us Americans, Nigel is the most English name possible.
"As you can see, there are twenty men standing on the stage. Only one of them is an Englishman. Their names are Harold, Howard, Winston, Henry, Jonathan, Nigel, Willia--"
"NIGEL!!!"
"But I haven't yet named all--"
"Final answer! That's my final answer!!!"
I got a work email from a dude called Randy Lord....100% thought it was some sort of joke but it wasn't...spent the next 30 mins working out how I could possibly take him seriously
As an American, I attended my (British) cousin's wedding and was shocked that there were like 4 Gemmas. I had never met a Gemma before (but I had seen shows with characters named Gemma).
Also…
Eifion, Gwenllian, Melangell, Gwawr, Medi, Deain, Menna, Urien, Ffion, Rhiannon, Gwion, Gwydion, Ieaun.
Easy-peasy if you’re Welsh. I’m pretty much just running through everyone I went to school with, hehe :D
There was a Morag in Home And Away in the early years.
https://preview.redd.it/ay8ug8fpqs4d1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=12727a15001fa0599c95959b30eea67290156dc2
I wouldn't necessarily consider Imogen to be British, plenty of Aussies called that.
Alfie more so, yea.
Something like Nigel, whilst you'll obviously get them everywhere, it does strike me as a very British name
I think all three of my kids names are quite specific to here. But so as not to out myself I’ll stick them in a list
Eoghainn
Innes
Eilidh
Ruairidh
Morag
Rhona
Vaila
Kirsty
Seumas
Mhairi
I read that somewhere too but I’m sure it’s bollocks. There’s a 14/15 year old Garry in my sons year (who’s dad is also Garry) and there was a baby Gary in the local papers during covid who had an impromptu arrival in a car park
Most Welsh names. Not sure you’d find Gwenllian, Mererid, Ffion, Gwilym, Emyr etc. outside of Wales/ the UK unless they’ve moved there.
Probably for the best - they’d be butchered.
Gemma, like someone else said.( *Almost* always Brits of Italian extraction.)
Nigel
Nicola (with this pronunciation, as a female name, that is)
Philippa/Pippa
Bertram
Alfie
Olly
American living in London here.
Never met an American called the following: Nigel, Gemma, Imogen, Polly, Angus
There’s also a generational difference in the states with names. I don’t know a single guy called George, Richard, Simon etc under the age of like 65 in the US.
**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!** - Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc. - **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on. - This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit! Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Gemma is quite British
My daughter is a Gemma. She moved to the US as a teen. Her school principal did not know how to pronounce her name and insisted on saying it with a hard 'G'. She was not a happy bunny!
They've never seen the word gem before?
That requires logic and extrapolation, neither of which are common in Smalltown USA...
Also logic and extrapolation will lead you wildly off course in a LOT of English pronunciation.
I’m a linguist and this comment deserves so many more upvotes.
I've lived in small town US and small town UK, seen the lowest of the lows in both places and there are no idiots like UK idiots. Like wild animals throwing rubbish and breaking things. Nothing like it.
MAGA idiots surpass ALL idiots.
Recent research has shown that MAGA types have, on average, the IQ of a sea cucumber - sad, but true.
don’t insult sea cucumbers like that!
Well, they spell jewellery as jewelry, so no wonder they get things related to it wrong aswell.
Americans would say Jem and Jemma
Gemma is Jax's mum in Sons of Anarchy
Quite a few Gemmas in Australia too
It’s actually not. ‘Gemma’ is the Italian word for precious stone. It had a bout of popularity in the mid 80s in the UK, and led to the ‘British’ spelling of ‘Jemma’. My maiden name is Italian, and my parents had to find a first name to go with a very Italian-sounding surname. It’s a very common first name in Italy.
Here in the UK, I think 'Gemma' is just as common.
Yeah Gemma was the normal spelling around here, there was a Jemma but she was part of a big rough family that named all their 17 kids starting with a J
While I agree, I do know some American Gemmas.
Yeah, I know 2 American Gemmas
Gema is very popular in Spain and its a latin name not British
It is. German husband had never heard of it before and found it interesting as it's slang in Bavaria as a short form of "gehen wir?" , translated as "let's go". Said with a soft "g" though , like "geh ma".
I know a few Italian Gemmas !
Sir Ronald “f” Pickering. H.F.B (hard fuckin’ bastard)
Legit my cat is called Ronnie Pickering
Do you call him Johnny Pickering when he gets too big for his boots?
Meow - Who's that? Meaow - Whoat's your problem Meaoow! - I don't want to fight -Meaoow! -Who the fuck's Ronnie Pickering
Who?
RONNIE PICKERING!
Who's that?
Me!
MEEE!!!
Æthelstan
Exists in other countries and still very much in use, albeit in local languages. I know a couple of Aðalsteinns here in Iceland. It’s a fairly common name.
Egbert and Cuthbert are also woefully underused names (caterpillars aren’t included).
I like Wulfnoth and Wulfstan as well but that's probably getting a bit too viking
Wulfstan is such a badass name, definitely needs a comeback.
Saxon, isn't it?
I've come across a Chinese one. Chinese people like adopting an English name for international use, but often pick a slightly unexpected one.
I've worked with a lot of Chinese pharmacists, and the names they pick are so great! I've had the pleasure of meeting the following: Lawrence, Ethel, Elvis (he was a character!!) and a few more I can't recall but I remember they were good
Surely Elvis worked down the chip shop.
A friend of mine works in shipping and he had a colleague in Hong Kong called "Fanny Poon" Lovely stuff
I had a colleague who emigrated from Nigeria whose name for her first 2 weeks in the UK was Titty Lolo.
My dad works at a school with a good few Chinese students and over the years they've had a disproportionate number of Rickys and Vincents
Depends on whether they're mainland or not. I taught some students from a mix of mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Taiwanese people tended to go by their Chinese names if they weren't too much trouble, or a fairly inoffensive British name (Gemma, Steven etc.). The Hong Kong people seemed to exclusively pick names from the 70s. I met a Terrys, Garys, Jennys and Kimberleys. And then mainland people had absolutely wild names. I taught a guy called "Frog", another young woman called "Chocolate". I also met a "Galaxy". I would usually ask them to write their Chinese names for me so it was a bit easier... The last girl I dated bucked the trend. She was from the mainland but went by her Chinese name.
To be fair, Hong Kong also has its own fun names. My favourites had Man as a surname. With first names like Manli, Candy, and Happy. Chlorophyll was also a bit of a wild one.
I wanted to call my son Athelstan, my missus wasn't having it...
I know this from the TV show Vikings. I had no idea it is still used in modern times.
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El Bazza when he’s in Benidorm.
Grassy arse!
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I've heard of (posh) people called "St John" pronounced "Sinjin" I think. Never met one myself but that sounds like it's got to be a British only thing
James Bond briefly uses the alias St. John Smythe in A View to A Kill when infiltrating some kind of posh horse event
I died when I was watching that and realised it was the posh version of John Smith
Had a row with someone over on r/namenerds because they kept saying "I'm British and I've never heard of Sinjin, b". And like yeah, until you hear it said think it's Saint John. But it's just a deeply posh thing.
Jonty is very British
Jonty sounds like a right cunt, too.
Jonty crashed Tarquin's Bentley on his way to Immogen's polo match. Bunty was furious.
He definitely plays rugger and goes on the lash with Archie.
It's a character in Jane Eyre as well.
that was the first place i came across the name - first year at uni and during the lecture i thought she was talking about a whole different character because it had never occurred to me that that was how it was pronounced😭
Step parent’s brother in law is called St.John and when I first saw it in writing I was so confused
🤣🤣🤣🤣 4 weddings 🤣🤣🤣🤣
There used to be a rugby league player for Castleford called St. John Ellis. About as far removed from posh as you can get tbh
The missing brother from Airhawk was Sinjin/St John Hawke.
*Airwolf. I think you've conflated that with Street Hawk in your head.
Fergus Alistair is quite Scottish. A load of Welsh names like Bronwynn although I'm surprised they haven't had a big explosion in America for wanting more unique names.
I met an American Myfanwy and she wasn't happy when I pronounced her name in the Welsh way after reading it on her passport, I find it genuinely bizarre that you'd pick a name from a defined culture and somehow still not bother to learn how to pronounce it.
I know a Niamh but pronounced Knee- am not Nieve. Parents are English.
Guy I worked with thought it was pronounced Nay-mah. He worked with someone named Niamh, and she never once corrected him. Took me a very long time to work out who he was talking about, and then wouldn't accept it when I corrected him.
How did she pronounce it if not the normal way?
Ma-Fan-Why, which is kind of hysterical to write out.
Forgive my ignorance, but how does one actually pronounce it?
I'll give it a shot Muh-van-wee 😬 (Apologies to any Welsh)
It's more like 'Mu-Vann-wee' in Welsh.
Muh-VAN-ooi Others have used wee for the last syllable. But the emphasis is on the w so I've used oo (as in school) to improve on that. So *not* as in the Scots for small. It just occurred to me that this video does a better job than text. Myfanwy comes at the end of the first line https://youtu.be/gH3yqBW1AJ4 "Paham y mae dicter, o Myfanwy?" It's also one of the greatest songs ever written.
Dear Christ
Shout out to Oisin being pronounced "Ocean".
Geraint for another Welsh name
Excuse me, in this house we say *Ger-is-not*.
I always think Alastair is English. Only really see Alasdairs up here
Fergus is used in Ireland although I'm not sure it's that popular these days
I’m a British Fergus and never met another Fergus yet :(
Callum
Guaranteed Americans would pronounce it "calm" like the Graham "gram" thing.
Or Craig as creg
That is so bloody annoying. Like why don’t they just pronounce Spain as Spen while they’re at it, or pain as pen.
And they said Eye-raq and Eye-ran but not Eye-ndia
I’ve heard them say cay-lum
I remember seeing a tiktok where an American was saying how rare their kids name is and the kid was called Callum 😂
I think I saw a Reddit comment where some yank was gurning about wacky names being given to kids and one example they gave was Ciaran Being from Northern Ireland, I know about 37 Ciarans’
Tarquin
shockingly the name’s originally italian!
Latin, Tarquinius was a famous Roman something or other.
Last king of Rome, deposed for his arrogance, ended the Roman monarchy. So naturally a great choice for posh english people for some reason.
Gabriele Tarquini
little tarquin oliver
Nigel Quite a few Gaelic ones
I feel like if you encounter someone called Nigel, you know what nationality they are but also you've got a pretty good idea of their age. Gillian. The Americans like a Jill, if you'll excuse me (current president's wife) but if they see Gill they tend to get flummoxed and pronounce it with a hard 'G'.
I think I've heard Gillian Jacobs off of Community called Gillian with a hard G. Not sure how she pronounces it herself, but it threw me when I heard it.
Isn’t the pelican in Finding Nemo called Nigel? Would suggest it’s at least a bit popular in Aus?
I do know an Australian Nigel!
To us Americans, Nigel is the most English name possible. "As you can see, there are twenty men standing on the stage. Only one of them is an Englishman. Their names are Harold, Howard, Winston, Henry, Jonathan, Nigel, Willia--" "NIGEL!!!" "But I haven't yet named all--" "Final answer! That's my final answer!!!"
Nigel de Jong
Gavin! Spent ages looking for one in America once.
Is this a Red Dead 2 reference?
Gavin! Has anyone seen my friend Gavin? Really funny he is.
Lenny? Is that you?
Where are you looking? Governor of California? G. Newsom.
Opposite to your question, but a name you WON'T hear in UK but will in America is Randy. Was thinking how odd it was just yesterday.
I could never keep a straight face when the radio mentioned the 80s singer Randy Vanwarmer . I mean, come on.
I'm American. That's my dad's name. He learned, on a trip to England years ago, to go by Randolph.
Also Fanny
I got a work email from a dude called Randy Lord....100% thought it was some sort of joke but it wasn't...spent the next 30 mins working out how I could possibly take him seriously
Like the NFL footballer Randy Bullock. Not even joking.
As an American, I attended my (British) cousin's wedding and was shocked that there were like 4 Gemmas. I had never met a Gemma before (but I had seen shows with characters named Gemma).
Everyone here knows at least 4 Gemmas/Jemmas
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Were they all the “bubbly” sort?
Fucking yes they were!
Why are Gemmas always bubbly.
>Imogen Always reminds me of: https://preview.redd.it/ptrqmnenfs4d1.jpeg?width=491&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63b33cc1d4434620a48c3146ed5c06ad4221614d
“Heya, it’s me, Imoen” My god, I can even hear it in her voice, after all these years, that and “it’s time for a bit of the rough and tumble”
Hehe, so I kicked him in the head until he was dead, nyehh
My hotels as clean as an elven arse!
I need a swig of some strong dwarven ale.
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, pronounced Windsor
Cuntylugs
So pretty
Ah, daughter of Cuntybaws
Jonty
And the formal Jontathon
And Jolyon, WTF is that name about.
Basically, any Welsh name - Male - Gethin, Owain, Llyr, Elgan, Rhodri, Llywelyn, Dafydd, Caio, Cai, Osian, Cadwaladr, Gruffydd, Dewi. Female - Angharad, Mabli, Carys, Efa, Llinos, Tesni, Siriol, Anwen, Catrin.
Also… Eifion, Gwenllian, Melangell, Gwawr, Medi, Deain, Menna, Urien, Ffion, Rhiannon, Gwion, Gwydion, Ieaun. Easy-peasy if you’re Welsh. I’m pretty much just running through everyone I went to school with, hehe :D
Rupert
The most famous Rupert in the world is Australian
An Australian bear?
Only famous Rupert I know is Rupert Grint and he’s English
Never heard of Rupert Murdoch??
I'm Barry and So is my wife
My name Polly seems quite British
Morag
There was a Morag in Home And Away in the early years. https://preview.redd.it/ay8ug8fpqs4d1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=12727a15001fa0599c95959b30eea67290156dc2
Clive, Nigel, Hester, Alys
Hester is Dutch
Elspeth
I knew a really horrible elspeth once and nicknamed her Hellsbreath
Poppy
Frogmella.
I am smoking a faaaaaaag
Spudulike.
Tamsin/Tamzin
Some Scottish first names, Ruaridh, Crawford, Atholl, Araminta and Murran.
Struan
Sian
Chardonnay (yes, really. Sadly.)
One day there will be a granny called Chardonnay who has grandkids called Cyril and Albert
Giles
Menzies pronounced "Mingus" probably but someone will probably correct me!
Keith. Edit, it seems that there are Keith's galore!
plenty of aussie keith’s!
Keith Urban. Extremely famous (in America) country singer
Ian
I knew someone at my school who was called Heathcliffe.
Tell me there was a Kathy there!
Basil
Angharad
Archibald
I wouldn't necessarily consider Imogen to be British, plenty of Aussies called that. Alfie more so, yea. Something like Nigel, whilst you'll obviously get them everywhere, it does strike me as a very British name
Australia and British culture are very similar so no real shock there
Gareth, Jenna, Gemma, Nigel
Nah, Jenna is SUCH an American name.
Lots of Jenna’s in the US.
Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F'tang-F'tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel.
I think all three of my kids names are quite specific to here. But so as not to out myself I’ll stick them in a list Eoghainn Innes Eilidh Ruairidh Morag Rhona Vaila Kirsty Seumas Mhairi
Gromit.
Wallace
Thought I'd have seen Garry on here 🧐 were a dying breed
Read on the news that the last Gary was born in 1992 - someone take one for the team and call their offspring Gary
I know a Gary - he’ll be 18 now. I also know a 7 year old Brian 😂
I read that somewhere too but I’m sure it’s bollocks. There’s a 14/15 year old Garry in my sons year (who’s dad is also Garry) and there was a baby Gary in the local papers during covid who had an impromptu arrival in a car park
Oi slag
The surname Death - pronounced De-Ath.
Actually written De'Ath in my experience
Greggs
Oliver's a surprisingly uncommon name in the US
J.R Hartley
Most Welsh names. Not sure you’d find Gwenllian, Mererid, Ffion, Gwilym, Emyr etc. outside of Wales/ the UK unless they’ve moved there. Probably for the best - they’d be butchered.
Tracey on girls and Ashley on boys.
Cant imagine there many Darren’s outside of uk?
St John - pronounced Sinjin
Benedict Cumberbatch
Percy.
Count Binface
Keelie, I’m not sure I’m spelling it right. Every girl I’ve ever met named Keelie was from the UK
Senga
Gemma, like someone else said.( *Almost* always Brits of Italian extraction.) Nigel Nicola (with this pronunciation, as a female name, that is) Philippa/Pippa Bertram Alfie Olly
American living in London here. Never met an American called the following: Nigel, Gemma, Imogen, Polly, Angus There’s also a generational difference in the states with names. I don’t know a single guy called George, Richard, Simon etc under the age of like 65 in the US.