| Title: | A list of All the BABYNAMES (shadow copy) |
| Notice: | BABYNAMES is now on-line and writable! Enjoy... |
| Moderator: | OASS::BURDEN_D |
| Created: | Tue Feb 13 1996 |
| Last Modified: | Fri May 30 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 996 |
| Total number of notes: | 7139 |
I haven't seen the name Gillian, (pronounced with a hard G),
in the Notesfile. I got the name from the movie "The Fury". I
have met only a girl in her twenties with this name. She said
her mother got it from a movie called "Tiger Bay".
I believe it is of English origin and can be used for a girl
or boy's name. It is unique in this part of the country (New Mexico)
anyway. My daughter's nickname is Gillie. (Unfortunately, people
still remember "Gilligan's Island!)
Sandy
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 377.1 | BITS1::HAGEN | Mon May 01 1989 09:01 | 3 | ||
It's sounds pretty... I've found no mention of it in my names book, for either girl or boy. | |||||
| 377.2 | KAOFS::S_BROOK | Here today and here again tomorrow | Tue May 02 1989 09:04 | 12 | |
I have a distant cousin with the name Gillian, but it is pronounced
with a soft G, and I have come across several girls with the name
Gil as if "Jill". You can imagine the embarassment of calling
"Gil" on the phone (hard G, contraction for Gilbert, expecting a male)
and a female answers!
The other problem with Gil (the pet form of Gillian) is that it
is bound to be confused with the measure used for pouring liquors!
It's nice, but I prefer the 'J' to make the pronunciation obvious.
Stuart
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| 377.3 | EDUHCI::WARREN | Tue May 02 1989 09:54 | 9 | ||
I agree if the name is Jillian (soft g sound), it should be spelled
that way to avoid confusion. I like Gillian (hard g), though. My
brother once hada friend with that name (she'd be about 35 now). I
don't think she used any nicknames.
T.
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| 377.4 | SHALOT::ANDERSON | Give me a U, give me a T... | Wed May 03 1989 10:22 | 9 | |
Gillian is the Middle English form of Juliana. This was a popular Latin name and is the feminine of Julius and the name of a number of early saints. The hard "g" pronunciation is a mispronunciation. If you're worried about mispronunciation, try Jillian. If you want to be traditional and very English, stick with Gillian. -- Cliff | |||||
| 377.5 | Gee... | EDUHCI::WARREN | Thu May 04 1989 13:21 | 28 | |
I don't agree that Gillian is necessarily a "mispronunciation."
Names are a part of our dynamic language. As with other words,
they came from many different languages and cultures. Over time,
their spellings and pronunciations change, often tending to
become "anglicized." The way these changes become accepted is through
popular use.
In English, g before i can be soft (eg., gin) or hard (eg., gill).
I think that Gillian pronounced with a hard g is at least as popular
as Gillian in 1980s USA. Therefore, I argue, that Gillian (hard
g) is _a_, if not the only, "correct" pronunciation.
Another example is the popular Caitlin, generally pronounced "KATE-lin"
in the United States. This is not the original pronunciation or
even, as I understand it, the one used in Ireland. But it has become
the standard--and therefore, in my opinion, a correct--pronunciation
here.
But, as Cliff says, if you want to be traditional and very English,
stick with Gillian, pronounced with a soft g.
-Tracy
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