# How Do You Pronounce 'Siobhan'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 22, 2004, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601 "2004-06-22T10:08:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/21 "2004-06-22T15:05:29Z")
> [@Usram](#): > > It’s Irish (Gaelic). “Shuh-VAWN”. That’s how Don Pardo pronounced it when actress Siobhan Fallon was on Saturday Night Live. ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/22 "2004-06-22T15:09:26Z")
> [@curly chick](#): > > Siobhán Fahy, that Bananarama woman has an Irish surname, too. > a friend of mine has the same surname and it seemed to cause awful trouble in America, when she lived there. So Siobhán Fahy must have had a high old time with her name!! Well I don’t know really. I always believed that she had an Irish name because she was in fact Irish, from a town in Tiperary called Thurles, so to me it seems like a perfectly normal name. If she grew up in the UK then I guess it wouldn’t have posed any problems either. My first girlfriend was a Siobhán and told me that it was the Irish version of JAne or Joan (I can’t remember which!). I have a cousin named Siobhán living in Fort Worth who is changing the spelling to the _Chev_ version to make her life a little easier I believe 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Faldage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Faldage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faldage)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/23 "2004-06-22T15:09:33Z")
It’s the Irish version of Jean, IIRC. Or is it Janet? ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/24 "2004-06-22T15:50:08Z")
> [@Aro](#): > > **Meurglys** , there actually is a anglisied version of spelling Siobhan that is written as Chevonne, albeit fairly uncommon. > > (If you google ‘Chevonne’ I’m sure you’ll find a few people with that spelling) I had forgotten that; it’s probably why her friends spell the contraction _Chev_, not _Shev_. Her name is actually _Siobhan_, though. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/25 "2004-06-22T15:52:05Z")
> [@Ponster](#): > > Wow ! I’ve found an Irish thread before **ruadh** 🙂 > > As already noted by several members it’s ‘shi-Vawn’ as opposed to ‘sha-Vawn’ > > Slender ‘bh’ is pronounced as a ‘v’ in Irish. I get here first!! _dances a stereotypical jig_ ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/26 "2004-06-22T16:33:54Z")
My Aunt had a suitor when I was a kid, the name of whom was pronounced “La-Vaughn”. I’ve always assumed “Lavonne” or “LaVaughn” but by any possibility might it have been Liobhan or something? ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/27 "2004-06-22T16:42:24Z")
My daughter in law is a Siobhan. My son tells people to think of the words: shove - ON. It gets a giggle, and is actually remembered more easily than other explainations. She’s named after her mother, who mostly goes by the nickname Bonnie. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/28 "2004-06-22T16:52:25Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > My Aunt had a suitor when I was a kid, the name of whom was pronounced “La-Vaughn”. I’ve always assumed “Lavonne” or “LaVaughn” but by any possibility might it have been Liobhan or something? I don’t think so. I think Lavonne is french origin. ---
**Author:** ![Thaumaturge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@Thaumaturge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thaumaturge)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/29 "2004-06-22T18:42:11Z")
Bhbhbhbhbhbhbhbh! ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/30 "2004-06-22T18:56:26Z")
How does one pronounce my sister’s names correctly; Síofra and Díanaimh? Different Irish speaking folks come up with all sorts of different pronounciations. Our family sticks with “she-o-fra” and “dee-a-nuvh” at the moment 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/31 "2004-06-22T23:40:56Z")
I once met a woman who insisted her name was pronounced “Si-ob-bane”. I told her than in that case, there was no way her parents were as Irish as they claimed. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/32 "2004-06-23T01:12:21Z")
> [@Ponster](#): > > My first girlfriend was a Siobhán and told me that it was the Irish version of Jane or Joan (I can’t remember which!). > [@Faldage](#): > > It’s the Irish version of Jean, IIRC. > > Or is it Janet? Stop! You’re both right! Jane, Joan, Jean and Janet are all variations of the same name, the feminine of John (Johann, Jean, Sean, Ian etc.). ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/33 "2004-06-23T03:38:31Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > I once met a woman who insisted her name was pronounced “Si-ob-bane”. I told her than in that case, there was no way her parents were as Irish as they claimed. In Sacramento, there is a Seamus Avenue, pronounced ‘see-mus’. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/34 "2004-06-23T06:37:29Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > How does one pronounce my sister’s names correctly; Síofra and Díanaimh? Different Irish speaking folks come up with all sorts of different pronounciations. Our family sticks with “she-o-fra” and “dee-a-nuvh” at the moment 🙂 I’d pronounce them the same way, although I’ve never encountered the second one. And just a note to **Ponster** and **Twisty** : I did in fact find this thread before the two of yous, but I had nothing to add to the discussion, previous posters having taken care of it just fine 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/35 "2004-06-23T07:23:40Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > I once met a woman who insisted her name was pronounced “Si-ob-bane”. I told her than in that case, there was no way her parents were as Irish as they claimed. And then there are all these American girls named Caitlin, pronounced “_Kate_-Lynn.” ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/36 "2004-06-23T07:53:33Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > And then there are all these American girls named Caitlin, pronounced “_Kate_-Lynn.” There are plenty of girls in Ireland who have that name and also use that pronunciation (as apposed to _Coyt-leen_). It is not necessarily incorrect or a solely Americanised usage. Of course, if the name is really Cailin, then of should be pronounced as _Coll-een_. ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/37 "2004-06-23T10:28:52Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > And just a note to **Ponster** and **Twisty** : I did in fact find this thread before the two of yous, but I had nothing to add to the discussion, previous posters having taken care of it just fine 🙂 As I had expected but you should have considered the plight of the poor dopers doing their headless chicken dance waiting for someone who ate black pudding for breakfast to put their minds at ease 🙂 As far as I can remember (different SD thread) there was an Irish name that went to the USA in and cames back as ‘Kate-Lynn’ which has now been adopted by Irish mothers as a cool name for their kids. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/38 "2004-06-23T10:44:08Z")
> [@Ponster](#): > > As I had expected but you should have considered the plight of the poor dopers doing their headless chicken dance waiting for someone who ate black pudding for breakfast to put their minds at ease 🙂 > > As far as I can remember (different SD thread) there was an Irish name that went to the USA in and cames back as ‘Kate-Lynn’ which has now been adopted by Irish mothers as a cool name for their kids. As Ruadh is vegetarian I doubt she’d be eating black pudding for breakfast 😉 I have black and white pudding in my fridge, but didn’t eat any thins morning. Cáitlín is the name you are thinking of, and Kate-Lynn is a bizarre version of it (apologies to all the Kate-Lynn’s reading). I’d try and explain the pronounciation, but it’s really hard to spell out with feck all knowledge of phonetics 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/39 "2004-06-23T10:59:43Z")
> [@TwistofFate](#): > > As Ruadh is vegetarian… Vegetarian or pescatarian ? Just curious as it reminds me of another SD thread. As for **Síofra** and **Díanaimh** , I know how to pronunce them but I just know how to explain it to anyone phonetically. ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601/40 "2004-06-23T11:07:16Z")
> [@TwistofFate](#): > > I’d try and explain the pronounciation, but it’s really hard to spell out with feck all knowledge of phonetics 🙂 That’s a good point **Twisty**. It’s enormously difficult to explain a vocal sound to someone who speaks in a different accent to you. Fer instance, how you’d say something simple like shirt or worm would be entirely different to how I’d say shirt or worm. And we know how we both speak!! Isn’t there some sort of international phonetics convention? SMA? Something like that? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-siobhan/251601.md?page=3)