I received some feedback the other day on my claim that the British English pronunciation of the proper name “Ralph” is “Rayff”.

It ain’t necessarily so, said my correspondent.

A friend of mine from the island of Jersey told me that “Ralph” is just pronounced “ralf” in the UK like we Americans do. She said calling “Ralf” “Rayfe” was an affectation.

Was that possible? Of course it was possible. I was merely going by the way I had always heard announcers on both this side and that side of the Atlantic pronounce the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams’s first name. Perhaps in the ensuing hundred years the pronunciation has changed.

But wait!

Haven’t I also heard the actor Ralph Fiennes’s name pronounced as if it were spelled “Rafe”?

Hmm.

Time to check with my UK expert.

Which I did.

When I explained the question to Chris, without hesitation he said— 

“It’s Ralph.” 

—pronouncing it like it was spelled. Short “a” and with the “l” sound.

But, I added, I’ve always heard that composer’s name pronounced Rafe. And in the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta H.M.S. Pinafore, there’s a character in there named “Ralph” and I’ve always heard his name pronounced “Rafe”.

“It’s probably a Northern/Southern thing,” said Chris knowingly.

And he opened up his laptop to check.

Meanwhile his wife Andrea joined us. She’s an American and she insisted that it’s pronounced “Rafe”. She brought up “Rafe” Fiennes as an example. A bit of banter ensued.

Chris wasn’t satisfied with the first web site he found, but the second one confirmed his prejudices opinions.

“It was as I thought. It’s a Northern/Southern thing. In the North they pronounce it properly as Ralph, but in the Frenchified southern regions, it might be pronounced Rafe.” 

He elaborated a bit, but I got his drift.

He read some more at the web site.

“Ah, yes, here it is. It says in the Northern regions Ralph rhymes with half— Wait! That can’t be right!” 

As he went in search of a better web site, I began to take my leave.

I wished them both happy holidays and merry Christmas and was on my way, feeling ever so enlightened.