How to pronounce ancestors names.

[KGarrad]

I was recently doing some research for, and met up with, an Australian couple.
Her family name was Kennaugh.

Pronounced locally (in Isle of Man) as Kenyack or Kennack.
Her family pronounces it as Kenno, or Kennaw

[pharmaT]

I was recently doing some research for, and met up with, an Australian couple.
Her family name was Kennaugh.

Pronounced locally (in Isle of Man) as Kenyack or Kennack.
Her family pronounces it as Kenno, or Kennaw

That's exactly the sort of thing I was thinking of.

[KGarrad]

Probably best to find some family in the area where the name originated (or at least relatively common!) and ask them

If they have been pronouncing it a particular way, the family will have been doing so for hundreds of years?

[Andrew Tarr]

Place names are a bit easier as you can find out from current locals. However family names are more difficult if you are not in contact with anyone from that same line as I've learnt that different families with the same name pronounce it differently.

But these days many inhabitants are 'incomers' and the traditional rural pronunciations are becoming gradually more as-spelt.  If you consult Ekwall's 1930s Dictionary of Place Names you find things like
Uttoxeter = Utsheter;  St.Osyth = Toozy (!);  Brightlingsea = Bricklesey  and many more.

And I would say Slaithwaite = Slawwit ?  But of course it never follows that a personal name will be spoken the same way ... 

[aghadowey]

I was born in  town named after a famous city in England (same spelling) but pronounced different years ago. Newcomers always try to correct people when they don't use the 'English' pronunciation!

Our current road name is a simple to spell and pronounce Irish place name and I didn't think there'd be any doubt but apparently someone down the road insists on a posher version (think Hyacinth Bucket/Bouquet).

Talking about strange names one day at work these two were mentioned- Guy (mother thought it was pronounced 'gooey' and that's what she called the poor boy and another mother fancied the name already on child's birth record- Female (pronounced Fem-ily to rhyme with Emily).

Also at work a woman that used to come in was Chomodeley-Jones (pronounced Chumley-Jones)- one of the first things new employees were told was how to say it the way she did as woe betide anyone who made a mistake!

[majm]

I was recently doing some research for, and met up with, an Australian couple.
Her family name was Kennaugh.

Pronounced locally (in Isle of Man) as Kenyack or Kennack.
Her family pronounces it as Kenno, or Kennaw

Surname : Greenaugh in NSW, Australia is often 'GRINNOH ' 

Town :  Goonoo Goonoo ....well each word is pronounced quite differently from the other ... in NSW ....  

JM

[JenB]

Surname : Greenaugh in NSW, Australia is often 'GRINNOH ' 

Here in Northumberland it would more likely be pronounced Greenaff.

[Mart 'n' Al]

An old joke, slightly off Topic, try GHOTI.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghoti

Viktoria, the Loughborough arts Festival is called the Loogabarooga Festival!

Martin

[Rosinish]

Scottish place names are fun...

Anstruther
Culzean
Dalziel
Kilconquhar
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcudbright
Scone
Wemyss

But try swimming in Lochnagar! 

Annie